An easy guide to the Independent Living Service
The Independent Living Service is for people who have a disability and their carers. It is run by Blackburn with Darwen Adult Social Services. 3 The service has three teams. They give help, advice, information and training to help people live independently.
They also have a Telecare service and an Independent Living Service shop. This leaflet will tell you what each team does and the services on offer. It also tells you how to get in touch with the Independent Living Service.
Occupational therapy team Occupational therapy helps people with disabilities to be as independent as possible in the things they do everyday. Who is it for? It is for anyone whose disability is affecting their life at home. Such as if you have problems: getting dressed eating
washing, and using the bath or shower going to the toilet getting on or off a chair, bed or toilet
going up and down the stairs making drinks and meals getting in and out of your home You can ask for an assessment and talk to us about what you need.
We can help you in these ways: Advice on easier or safer ways of managing Special equipment to make things you do every day easier We can come to see you and help you to make things you do every day easier
If you say it s OK, we can put you in touch with another service that could help you, such as a district nurse, social services, or support groups If you are interested in any of the services the Occupational Therapy team offer, please contact the Customer Liaison team on (01254) 587547 and choose option 2.
Sensory impairment team The sensory impairment team is there to help people with a sight and/or hearing loss. They have specially trained staff to help you to stay independent with things you do every day. They can give help and advice to families and carers.
They have lots of information to help people who have a sensory impairment. They work with local and national organisations to give people a wide range of support. Who is it for? People who have problems doing everyday things because of problems with their eyes or ears. People who are blind, partially sighted, sight impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, or with any combination of sight and hearing loss.
Their families and carers. We do individual assessments for each person. We can offer advice, information and the right training to help you to live your life as independently as possible. After we have done the assessment these services might be able to help you: Special equipment such as a cane or an alarm clock that vibrates instead of making a noise
Training in independent daily living skills, like safety in the kitchen, using a cash point, or checking dates on food We work with you to help you travel safely and independently We can help you to learn Braille, Moon and keyboard skills. (Braille and Moon lets people who are blind or partially sighted read by touch. They can use their finger to feel raised dots or shapes on a page). We can help you sign your name or use the telephone
We can help you find a British Sign Language interpreter We can give you information about other professionals and agencies who know about sensory impairment If you say it s OK, we can add your name to the sensory impairment register, which can help you to get other services and benefits (but you do not have to be on the register to get services from us)
Housing care services We offer help and advice to help people stay in their own home. Who is it for? People with a disability and older people. How can the Housing Care team help? The Housing Care team has 2 services that can help you: Adaptations Care and Repair For more information see the next few pages.
Adaptations If you have problems moving around your home we can ask for an occupational therapist to assess you. The assessment will say what help or adaptations are needed to help you live in your home. For example the occupational therapist might say you need a level access shower, ramp, handrails or a stair lift. If the assessment says you need a big adaptation, like a level access shower, you will need to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant. We can help you to do this. You will have a financial assessment to see if you have to pay any money towards the cost of the work. If the assessment says you need a small adaptation, like a grab rail, this will be fitted by one of our adaptation workers.
Care and Repair What is Care & Repair? Care & Repair is a not-for-profit home improvement agency to help older and disabled home owners who live in the Blackburn and Darwen area. Who can we help? We can help you if you need repairs or improvements to your property, to keep your home warm and weatherproof. What sort of work can we do? Whether it is damp or a leaking roof we are here to help you. For example we help with: Roofing Rewiring Replacing windows and doors Damp proofing Small jobs - like repairs to your gutter
How does the service work? We will visit you at home to talk about your needs and getting your problem fixed. If Care & Repair is the answer we will help you decide exactly what work should be done and arrange for drawings and schedules of work. We will help you get prices, and find someone to do the work, and check the work is OK. If Care & Repair is not the answer for you, we will try our best to put you in touch with the right people for what you need.
Grants A grant is money you can apply for to pay for certain things. Some people can get a home improvement grant. We will let you know if you can get a grant. Our staff will help you to fill in any forms.
In order to get a grant you must be 60 years old or over and get one of these benefits: Income Support Council Tax Benefit Working Tax Credit Pension Credit Jobseekers Allowance Disabled Tax Credit OR Under 60 years old and get Disability Living Allowance and one of these benefits: Income Support Jobseekers Allowance Council Tax Benefit Disabled Tax Credit Working Tax Credit
Will I need to move out whilst the work is being done? Most people are able to stay at home while the work is done. If there is major work such as removing floors, or the use of chemicals for damp treatment, you might need to move out of your house while the work is being done.
Telecare The Telecare service gives people special equipment that can check if they are safe and well in their home. If there is a problem Telecare will tell a family member, a carer or a central monitoring centre. Telecare is like the pendant alarm system that lots of service users already use but it does more things.
Telecare has special sensors that can tell someone if there is: Extreme heat Smoke Carbon monoxide and natural gas Flooding A low room temperature
Telecare sensors can also tell where a person is in their home, and can tell if: The person has stopped moving The person has fallen The person has gone outside The person is in bed or sitting in a chair
Who is it for? The Telecare service is for older people and adults with long term health conditions, such as people who: have dementia or memory loss which means they wander or can t deal with risks in the home such as fire, flood and gas are at risk of falling are struggling to cope at home and may often be taken into hospital may need residential care in future need a reminder when to take their medication. Telecare can support carers to look after a member of their family.
How can I get Telecare? Telecare services are currently free during our trial period, and this will be reviewed at the end of March 2009. We might start making a small weekly charge for the service. You can get Telecare if you meet the community care criteria and have been passed to us by a care manager, care manager assistant, social worker or occupational therapist. For more information contact the Independent Living Service on (01254) 269220 or Social Services on (01254) 587547 and choose option 2.
The Independent Living Service shop The Independent Living Service has a shop which sells things to help you live an independent life. The shop is open to the public and anyone can come and buy things.
They sell things like long reach grabbers, jar openers, adapted knifes forks and spoons, bathlifts and lots more. If the item you buy is for someone with a disability you can sign a VAT exemption form so that you don t have to pay VAT on the item. This will save you money. Trained staff can talk to you about any problems you are having staying independent. They will show you items that might be able to help you, and they will show you how to use the items.
How do I ask for any of the services in this leaflet? To ask for any of the services (apart from Occupational Therapy) contact the Independent Living Service. The contact details are at the end of this leaflet. If you are interested in any of the services the Occupational Therapy team offer, please contact the Customer Liaison team on ( 01254) 587547 and choose option 2. We will do an assessment to find out what your needs are. We will then offer you services to meet your needs. A member of your family, carer, your GP or district nurse can also ask for a service for you.
How do I contact the Independent Living Service? Telephone: (01254) 269220 Minicom / textphone: (01254) 269249 Fax: (01254) 269221 E-mail: independentlivingservice@blackburn.gov.uk You can write or visit us at: Independent Living Service Mill Hill Street Blackburn BB2 2RB We are open from Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm.
Tell us what you think Lynda If you want to let us know how we could make our services better or if you want to make a comment, complaint or compliment, please ring our Customer Care Manager, Lynda Henderson, on (01254) 587800. Or pick up a comments, complaints or compliments leaflet from Blackburn or Darwen Town Hall.
If you would like this information explained in another language or format, please contact Lynda Henderson on ( 01254) 587800. The pictures in this leaflet are taken from the Change Image Bank.