People with disabilities, and their carers, often need equipment to help them with daily living. Equipment such as grab rails, bath boards and bed raisers, help people to carry out their normal day-to-day activities independently and safely.
The Kirklees Integrated Community Equipment Service (KICES) can provide you with some equipment on free loan. They provide equipment on free loan to people living in the community, and their carers, who meet the eligibility criteria or who have nursing needs.
KICES provide equipment following an assessment of need by a social worker, community care officer or a health assessor. Loans are free regardless of income and equipment is provided to people of all ages to meet their assessed needs.
We provide equipment to help home care staff move and handle people who live in their own homes in safety. You must have a care plan with Kirklees home care service, or one of their partners, to be eligible for movement and handling equipment. The home care service or the Kirklees movement and handling adviser must apply to KICES for the items you need. Examples of this equipment are: hoists and slings, slide sheets, handling belts and turntables.
We also provide equipment to help community nurses to nurse people with a health need in their own homes. You must have a care plan with your local district nursing team to be eligible for health equipment and your district nurse must apply to KICES for the items required. Examples of this equipment are: pressure relief cushions and mattresses, bedpans, commodes and hospital beds.
Direct payments for equipment purchase
A direct payment is a cash payment that you can use to buy certain types of equipment instead of Kirklees Adult Services providing it for you on free loan.
Following your Community Care Assessment, you and your assessor will agree on the equipment that you need. A direct payment can cover the running costs of the equipment for the first three years.
Buying equipment
If you do not meet the eligibility criteria, or prefer to buy your daily living equipment, there is a wide range of suppliers of new and used daily living equipment listed in telephone directories and in web search engines. Local shops and car dealers sell equipment and people sell equipment on Ebay.
Please be careful when buying equipment. For example, when buying used mobility equipment you should be as careful as you would be when buying a used car.
For more information about your rights as a buyer, if you feel worried, or to make a complaint, you can contact one of the government’s consumer advice organisations.
The Gateway to Care (Gateway to care) in The Walsh Building at Town Hall Way, Dewsbury contains a Disabled Living Centre with an exhibition of daily living equipment in various room settings. This can give you an idea of the range of daily living equipment which is available. A Disabled Living Centre aims to give you unbiased information with no pressure to buy. If you are an equipment user you may wish to join the national organisation Assist UK which organises the national network of Disabled Living Centres.
Kirklees Council’s Gateway to Care (Gateway to care) have shops which sell small and large items of equipment. If an item of equipment is not in stock they can often order it for you.
Contact Information
For information about direct payments for equipment purchase please contact:
The Independent Living Team
Eastlawns
21 Thomas Street
Lindley
Huddersfield
HD3 3JJ.
Telephone: 01484 416760
e-mail
independentliving@kirklees.gov.uk
For information about consumer rights you can phone Consumer Direct
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