HEART – helping you live independently at home

• Home aids and adaptations
• Housing conditions, repairs and safety matters
• Benefits, grants or loans for essential  building works

Managing in your home

We will identify how you manage in your home.  Depending on your needs we can help by arranging for:

• Small adaptations or equipment like bath boards, stair rails and small ramps
• Large adaptations like stair lifts, level access showers or room conversions
• Funding for work may be provided through the Disabled Facilities Grant by HEART but we will still support you if you do not qualify for this financial assistance

Housing conditions

We assess homes to identify required safety improvements in relation to:

• Cold and damp homes
• Safety and hygiene facilities
• Fire and security
• Slips, trips and falls
• Repairs

Help and support

We help by:

• Providing grants and loans
• Finding suitable contractors to carry out works
• Supporting you to access other agencies who can help

Home suitability

If your home cannot be adapted we will provide advice and support to identify more suitable alternatives.  We explore options such as supported or extra care housing.  We provide practical help with identifying suitable Council or Housing Association accommodation by writing support letters and working with the housing teams.

If you have already found a potential property we carry out joint visits to help decide if the property will meet your needs.

Falls and safety

We identify risks which may result in safety hazards or falling at home. Caseworkers will assist you to prevent accidents by looking at:

• Simple home modifications such as grab rails
• Removal of tripping hazards

We will also provide advice and assistance to help reduce the chance of an accident.  This includes up to four hours free labour to help with reducing risks, e.g. modifying steps or replacing an electric socket.

Money matters

We can help with applications for:

• Disabled Facilities Grants
• Grants and loans
• Charity funding
• Benefits entitlement

Sharing data

The Warwickshire Councils of the HEART service recognise that all individuals have a right to expect that safeguards will be maintained to protect the integrity of their personal information and as such HEART will only share information in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1982.  HEART will inform you of the identity of other parties to whom we disclose or pass on personal data.