Elderly Disabled Persons Extension Building Guide

Successfully Building a Disabled Persons Extension – Introduction

The purpose of this document is to provide a ‘go to’ resource of helpful information to ensure that whatever building
work you have done delivers everything you need.

I personally run a building firm that builds and remodels property for elderly and or disabled people, I also have my
elderly mothering law living with us in a repurposed area of our home, and wanted to use my experience to provide a
helpful guide for anyone considering remodeling or extending their home to suit an elderly or disabled person.

There is no copyright on this document so please feel free to use it in any way you think may help.

Also if you feel there is anything missing or have any question please do not hesitate to telephone me (0118 9700289) or
email andrew.grimshaw@worthys.co.uk

Worthy Builders (Reading) Ltd, The Farm Office, West End Farm, West End Road, Mortimer, RG7 2HT
Telephone 0118 9700289 www.worthys.co.uk

Contents – all headings are ‘clickable’ and take you to the page
Successfully Building a Disabled Persons Extension – Introduction ....................................................................................... 1
Building Checklist .................................................................................................................................................................... 3
The checklist........................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Applying For a Disabled Facilities Grant.................................................................................................................................. 6
Disabled Facilities Grants - introduction ............................................................................................................................. 6
Who can get a Disabled Facilities Grant ......................................................................................................................... 6
What you can use it for ................................................................................................................................................... 6
How much you can get.................................................................................................................................................... 6
Effect on other benefits .................................................................................................................................................. 7
Applying for a Disabled Facilities Grant .......................................................................................................................... 7
Scope’s View on Disabled Facility Grants ........................................................................................................................... 7
Discretionary powers of local authorities ........................................................................................................................... 8
Who is considered to be disabled? ..................................................................................................................................... 8
Who is eligible to apply? ..................................................................................................................................................... 8
How to apply ....................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Who decides what adaptations are needed? ..................................................................................................................... 9
What happens next? ........................................................................................................................................................... 9
Conditions of accepting the grant ..................................................................................................................................... 10
Is a disabled facilities grant needed? ................................................................................................................................ 10
About Worthy Group ............................................................................................................................................................ 12
About The Author – Andrew Grimshaw............................................................................................................................ 12
Contacts & Resources ........................................................................................................................................................... 13
UK Government Resources ............................................................................................................................................... 13
Charities & Other Help Organisations ............................................................................................................................... 13
Care Homes Worthy’s Service ........................................................................................................................................... 13


Building Checklist
It’s very easy to make mistakes when it comes to planning disabled or elderly accommodation, and though the build
process is near identical there is a lot more planning required to get everything ‘right’ first time.

It’s not that mistakes and omissions can’t be rectified, it’s just cheaper to do it right first time.

Therefore the checklist is designed to act as a reminder to check and consider each point.

I know it’s easy to leave things to the experts, but would recommend that you go into discussions with architects and
local authority planners with a well thought out plan of what you will need today, as well as consider how requirements
may change over time.

In fact that would be my top tip; plan for tomorrow.

Consider how circumstances may change with the onset of time or the development of any medical conditions, which
may affect the accommodation in many ways. Maybe the requirement of more electrical support equipment which
though running more power points is easy; bringing in the electrician to chase out the walls to run the wiring and fit
sockets, and then decorating to make good is disruptive, also give a thought to finding the space for such equipment in
the first place.

The checklist
Services

Drainage & Plumbing – Building whole new drainage systems can quickly add costs to a project, so where possible look
to position the bathroom drainage as near to existing drainage as possible.

Electric is easy to install and work with. It is also easy to move electric points and add more, but doing this neatly
through chasing in the wiring is disruptive and will require decorative making good. It is far easier to initially spend a
little more having additional electric sockets to cater for changing circumstance than add more later.

Gas again quite straightforward and unlikely to need moving if the planning is done right. The architects should also
ensure your current boiler can handle any extra workload if you use gas powered central heating and wish to extend
your current system into the extension.

Access

Access to the property should be as level as possible and suitable for wheelchair access where possible. Use of handrails
for any stepped or ramped areas is also a good idea. Easy access to any back garden should also be incorporated into the
design. Ideally access should be level paving slabs or concrete / tarmac providing easy walking and wheeling.

Door widths are variable; my advice would be to stick to standard wide doors available from all good building suppliers.
Doorways for disabled and elderly should be wider than standard to allow for possible wheelchair or even stretcher
access. A standard door is 6’6 tall and 2”6 wide, but I would suggest looking at no smaller than 6’6 tall and 2’9” wide
(metric 1981mm tall 838mm wide).


Personally I have fitted bathroom and bedroom doors that open out into the hall area rather than inwards as is
standard. The reason is to prevent the possibility of somebody falling and potentially blocking the door. Also fit locks
that can be easily opened from the outside if required.

Layout should allow for a little more room for circulation around furniture, bedrooms and bathrooms should be
adjacent, but try to be careful that in doing so you don’t put the toilet to far from daily living area, at the end of a hall
and through a bedroom for example.

Also allow for turning space for wheelchairs and possibly stretchers.

Structural support for mobility aids should also be included in any planning. Structural support includes strengthening
of ceiling joists above bedrooms and bathrooms to allow for the easy fitment of lifting equipment if necessary. Also the
any studwork walls in areas that may require grab rails should be strengthened to allow easy fitment of these aids to any
wall within a height range of 300mm to 1800mm.

Other Things to Consider

Flooring should not be polished or slippery, nor should it be possible for it to crease up and form a tripping hazard.
Therefore I would not suggest rugs, and deep pile carpets. Ideally you want something that’s easy to clean, walk on and
potential use a wheel chair or stroller on.

Ventilation; as most bedrooms will be on the ground floor there is a rare (in our climate) possibility of the room over
heating in hot spells, as opening a ground floor window may pose a security threat. We have used ceiling fans
successfully, and if you could also consider air conditioning or higher security windows.

Wet Rooms are fantastic but consider having the wet room floor very slightly lower than the doorway as I have seen
ones where when the shower is quite close to the door the water can escape under the door and into the hallway, the
gradient of the wet room floor to the drain was OK, but the volume of water and spray meant some escaped. We solved
the problem by fitting a flexible plastic strip to the bottom of the door which effectively closed the gap between door
and floor.

Wet rooms should also be equipped with appropriate grab and support rails, and possible shower seating and lifting
facilities.

Light switches for some rooms can have more than one controlling position; for example a bedroom en-suite or
adjacent bathroom could have light switches at the entrance to the bedroom, in reach from the bed, as well as in the
bathroom, that way no journey ever need be in half light.

Can also consider using the real big button type switches.

Inflatable lifting solutions are a fantastic aid for anyone looking after a person with limited leg strength and movement,
these units are designed for baths, beds, and chairs and to help lift somebody who has fallen over but maybe too heavy
to be lifted single handed. Though many of these units can me powered from an extension cord, it’s far better to have
more convenient power points. The following website stock said lifters and riser units if you’re interested in learning
more http://www.mangar.co.uk .

Use lever taps in kitchens and bathrooms, these taps only require a light push to open and close them, as opposed to a
much harder twisting action of a conventional tap.

Wall mounted electric tin openers are another fantastic gadget for the kitchen.

Self adhesive plug pulls are another fantastic aid, enabling the easy removal and replacement of otherwise awkward
electric plugs. In fact have a browse around the website at http://www.abilitysuperstore.com/ for all manner of
innovative aids.

Another helpful idea for those who are not great on their feet is to use pulley systems for opening and closing curtains.

There are many stair lift and even through floor lift options for those living a two or more storey life, however there are
also half rises that can be fitted to stairs. Half risers enable people who cannot lift their feet sufficiently for a full step,
but can manage the half step.

I would also suggest reading the Lifestyle Homes 16 design criteria document available online here.

“The concept of Lifetime Homes was developed in the early 1990s by a group of housing experts. Lifetime
Homes are ordinary homes incorporating 16 Design Criteria that can be universally applied to new homes at
minimal cost.

Many local planning policies already require the Lifetime Homes standard in new developments. For example,
the London Plan. It is an existing requirement in Wales and Northern Ireland for new publicly funded homes to
comply with the Lifetime Homes Standard.

The Foundation for Lifetime Homes and Neighbourhoods consists of Age UK, TCPA, and Habinteg. We continue
to promote the Lifetime Homes Standard and provide resources to other organisations seeking to implement
the standard whether through direct property development or through the formulation of policy and practice.”

Return to Table Of Contents


Applying For a Disabled Facilities Grant

The following is taken from the UK Governments page on disabled facilities grants, and a link provided after the
information should you wish to visit the site.

Disabled Facilities Grants - introduction
A Disabled Facilities Grant is a local council grant. It helps towards the cost of adapting your home to enable you
to continue to live there. A grant is paid when the council considers that changes are necessary to meet your
needs, and that the work is reasonable and practical.

Who can get a Disabled Facilities Grant
You can claim if you, or someone living in your property, is disabled and:

you, or the person on whose behalf you are applying, are either the owner or tenant (including licensees) of
the property
you can certify that you, or the person on whose behalf you are applying, intend to occupy the property as
your/their only or main residence throughout the grant period - currently five years
A landlord may apply on behalf of a disabled tenant.
Disabled Facilities Grants are available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland only. Scottish residents should
contact the social services department of their local council for information on any grants that may be
available.
Disabled Facilities Grant - Welsh Assembly Government website
Disabled Facilities Grant - Northern Ireland Housing Executive website

What you can use it for
A grant can be used to give you better freedom of movement into and around your home and/or to provide
essential facilities within it.
If you are disabled, acceptable types of work include:

widening doors and installing ramps
providing or improving access to rooms and facilities - for example, by installing a stair lift or providing a
downstairs bathroom
improving or providing a heating system which is suitable for your needs
adapting heating or lighting controls to make them easier to use
improving access to and movement around the home to enable you to care for another person who lives in
the property, such as a child
An occupational therapist will look at your circumstances and can recommend the type of adaptation(s) needed.

How much you can get
The amount paid is usually based on a financial assessment - a 'means test' - of your average weekly income in
relation to your outgoings. There is no means testing for families of disabled children under 19.


Means testing will take into account savings above a certain limit. Certain benefits including Disability Living
Allowance and Income Support are generally ignored.
If you have a partner, your combined income will be assessed jointly. Capital is included in the means test. The
first £6,000 of savings is disregarded.
A range of premiums and allowances is used for all essential outgoings, for example, rent/mortgage and
personal expenditure. Actual outgoings are not taken into consideration.
Depending on the outcome of this assessment the amount of financial assistance offered can vary from zero to
100 per cent of the cost.
How the award is worked out
The award works as follows:

if your income is less than your assessed needs you will not normally need to contribute to the cost of the
works
if your income is more than your assessed needs, a proportion of your income will be used to calculate how
much you could contribute towards the cost of the works
if this assessed amount is less than the cost of the works, the difference between the two is paid as a
Disabled Facilities Grant
Maximum grant amount
The maximum amount of grant that a council is required to pay is:

£30,000 in England per application (less any assessed contribution from you)
£36,000 in Wales per application (less any assessed contribution from you)
If the cost of the eligible works is more, the council can use discretionary powers to increase the amount.

Effect on other benefits
A Disabled Facilities Grant will not affect any benefits you are currently receiving.

Applying for a Disabled Facilities Grant
Follow the link for information on how to apply, how the Disabled Facilities Grant is paid, and what to do next.
Disabled Facilities Grants - how to apply

Visit the UK government page on Disabled Facilities Grants.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/disabledpeople/homeandhousingoptions/yourhome/dg_4000642

Scope’s View on Disabled Facility Grants
Scope is a charity that works with disabled people, of all ages, and their families, across England and Wales.

The following is taken from the scope website, and offers another view on the system, as well as some suggestions
should you feel the official assessment isn’t right.


Discretionary powers of local authorities

Local authorities can use discretionary powers to meet additional costs – there is no maximum to discretionary
grants. This assistance may be in the form of:

a grant
a loan
providing materials
providing labour
providing advice

or any combination of the above.

These discretionary powers also allow a local authority to provide additional adaptations. For example:

Welfare – providing access to an adjacent garden or safe play area for a disabled child, particularly
whilst work is being carried out under a mandatory grant.
Accommodation – usually for work being carried out that is more than strictly necessary under a
mandatory grant, such as making a property slighter bigger when it is already considered suitable for a
disabled person.
Employment – perhaps adapting a room to enable a disabled person who is considered housebound, to
work from home if they are able to do so.
Who is considered to be disabled?

Someone who:

Has a sight, hearing or substantial speech impairment
Has a learning difficulty or mental health disorder or impairment of any kind
Is physically substantially disabled by illness, injury, impairment present since birth or otherwise
Is, or could be, registered with the social services department as being disabled
Who is eligible to apply?

The applicant must be:

An owner-occupier
A private tenant
A landlord with a tenant who is disabled
A local authority tenant

A housing association tenant

The applicant need not be the disabled person so, for example, a parent, guardian or foster parent might apply
on behalf of a child.

How to apply

Check with your local authority as to how they initiate and process applications. The initial approach would
usually be to get an application form from social services or the housing department. The relevant department
cannot refuse to give an application form.

Some authorities offer the services of an agency that will oversee the process from beginning to end.

An application will not be accepted once any work has started; nor will a grant be offered if work is started
before approval is given.

If the disabled person lives in a local authority property, a housing association property or is a tenant of a
registered social landlord, some local authorities have different ways of processing requests. In this instance the
applicant should contact the landlord first.

Who decides what adaptations are needed?

Once the initial application form has been completed, arrangements will be made for someone (usually an
occupational therapist) to visit the home so they can carry out an assessment.

Prior to the visit, it would be useful to have a good idea of what adaptations are thought necessary, to help
ensure that nothing is inadvertently overlooked. It is also important to plan ahead; for example with a young
child, consider what their needs may be in future, it may not be possible to go back and get another grant a few
years later. Are there any cultural or religious considerations to be taken into account? How might other family
members be affected? For example, if a disabled child needs attention regularly during the night, it might be
important that they are not sharing a bedroom with a sibling.

The best assessments usually happen where there is good working partnership between the occupational
therapist and the family.

In some areas, there may be a long waiting list to get an appointment with an occupational therapist.

What happens next?

Whilst the process may vary from one authority to another, an example of what will happen is:-

There will be a preliminary ‘test of resources’ - the ‘means test’. The intention of the means test is to
determine how much (if anything) the applicant will have to pay towards the cost of the work. The test

will involve the checking of all financial and benefits information provided by the applicant. Where the
disabled person is an adult, the circumstances of both the disabled adult and their spouse or partner (if
applicable) will be taken into account. There is no means testing for families of disabled children under
19 years of age.
Means testing will take into account savings above a certain limit. Certain benefits including Disability
Living Allowance and Income Support are generally ignored.
If you have a partner, your combined income will be assessed jointly. Capital is included in the means
test. The first £6,000 of savings is disregarded.
A range of premiums and allowances is used for all essential outgoings, for example, rent/mortgage and
personal expenditure. Actual outgoings are not taken into consideration.
Depending on the outcome of this assessment the amount of financial assistance offered can vary from
0 to 100% of the cost.
Plans and specifications will be drawn up, which will usually involve several people. For major work it is
advisable to have a qualified architect or surveyor involved. Their fees can be included in the cost of the
work needed.
Agreement will be made on the plans and specification.
Estimates to get the work undertaken will be obtained – at least two are required.
The grant application is submitted together with all relevant documents. It is important to make a
formal application, because the local authority is obligated to give a decision within six months of
receiving the formal application. The local authority cannot refuse to accept a formal application but this
does not mean the application will necessarily be successful.
The financial contribution, if any, will be determined.
Assuming the application is successful; the work can begin and must be completed within 12 months of
grant approval.
When completed, the work will be checked to ensure it is satisfactory.
Any financial contribution will be paid, and then the authority will pay the balance.

It is important to be aware that the whole process can be very lengthy.

Conditions of accepting the grant

The grant conditions are supplied with the grant approval. For most people the main one relates to a certificate,
which will have already been signed, stating that the intention is that the property being adapted will be the
main residence of the disabled person for (usually) five years. It can be shorter if there are health problems or
other special reasons.

Is a disabled facilities grant needed?

Disabled facilities grants should not be used for minor adaptations where the cost would be less than £1,000.


Some authorities will not use the disabled facilities grant, for local authority tenants, where the cost is less than
£2,000.

The process and local prioritisation for administering disabled facilities grants can vary from one local authority
to another. It is therefore important to ask your local authority what their policies and procedures are.

Some authorities will have one department or agency that oversees the whole procedure from the outset, which
means the applicant has only has one point of contact. Others will not.

If you are refused a Disabled Facilities Grant, or are unhappy with the amount you have been awarded, you can
appeal against the decision. Ask your local council for their appeals and complaints procedure.

If, after having appealed to the council, you are still not happy with the outcome, you may register your
complaint with the Local Government Ombudsman.

The original Scope article is available here http://www.scope.org.uk/help-and-information/money/disabled-facilities-
grants



About Worthy Group
Worthy’s have over 30 year’s specialist experience building specialist living accommodation for elderly or disabled
people. This through grant & council, and owner funded projects.

Worthy’s maintenance division also provides property maintenance services for some of the regions largest care home
groups.

Worthy’s are also fully accredited by Constructionline.com the UK Government joint venture organisation set up to
validate construction companies and contractors prior to being allowed to bid on UK government work. This process
checks quality of previous work with customers, confirms the business is commercially sound, and that all required
insurances and health and safety related requirements are met. It basically cuts out days if not weeks of pre-checks;
allowing anyone considering buildings work to simply select able suppliers and request pricing from them.

Note: Though Constructionline.com was originally set up to save millions of pounds of government money caused by
procurement duplication and error, the service is open to any organisation to check the credentials of possible
contractors.

If you’d like to read some of our customer testimonials please follow this link – Worthy Testimonials

About The Author – Andrew Grimshaw
A fully qualified chartered surveyor, I quickly moved into the construction side of the business, because I really enjoy
meeting customers and project management, as well as all the quantitive stuff that my training provides.

Having worked for Worthy Group since 1992, I then raised the capital to acquire the company from founder and friend
Vic Worthy in 1996.

I am very lucky to have a talented and loyal team of skilled tradesmen most of whom have been with us over 7 years,
and have contributed to Worthy’s success through a very challenging time for the construction industry.

My interest in helping to improve the build process and ultimately the quality of life a successful well planned property
remodeling / extension can provide elderly or disabled people comes from; the remodeling of my own and other family
members homes, the many projects we get through various council specialist housing teams, and also the property
maintenance contracts we have with some of the South of England's leading care home providers (examples include
RMBI Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution, and Care UK).

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me directly:-Tele 0118 970 0289 or email
andrew.grimshaw@worthys.co.uk.

Thank You

Andrew.

Andrew Grimshaw Linkedin Profile – Should you wish to check my background on the business network service Linkedin.


Contacts & Resources
UK Government Resources

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/dl1/directories/localcouncils/index.htm - Find principal local councils throughout the UK.
Browse the A to Z lists, or browse by region or country. Includes county, city, borough and district councils and unitary
authorities.

Also offers a search for a local council by postcode, street name, town or clickable map. This is for England only.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/disabledpeople/homeandhousingoptions/yourhome/dg_4000642 - UK Government page
defining and advising on current disabled facilities grant rules and application.

The Citizens Advice Bureau - http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ Always a great source of help and advice.

Charities & Other Help Organisations

Scope is a charity that works with disabled people, of all ages, and their families, across England and Wales.

Scope - http://www.scope.org.uk/ Telephone 0808 800 3333

http://www.help-my-mobility.co.uk/ Help My Mobility provides you with information on mobility products, aids and
equipment. Whether you’re shopping or browsing, Help My Mobility can help make your choice easier, providing facts
and information on all sorts of mobility equipment from reputable manufacturers.

http://www.mangar.co.uk All manner of inflating lifting aids, from bath, bed and chair lifts to really helpful lifts to aid in
lifting a fallen person.

Care Homes Worthy’s Service

RMBI Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution website.

Care UK – CareUK.com

Worthy Group - worthys.co.uk website, telephone 0118 9700289



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