EVERYONE deserves to live a life where they can feel fulfilled and have as much independence as possible.

Some, like those who are older or with disabilities, need a little extra help to achieve this. It can be something as simple as a handrail being installed in the home or something specialist like medical equipment.

The Welsh Government just received the results of a review they commissioned into independent living adaptations services in Wales. The review found much to be commended. The Rapid Response Adaptations Programme, run by Care and Repair, was praised for its speed and value for money. It offers minor home adaptations for people being discharged from hospital, or for those at risk of being admitted to a hospital or care home.

The average time from the initial enquiry to the work being completed is just eight days. Care and Repair estimate that every £1 spent on an adaptation to make a home safe and accessible saves health and social care services £7.50. When you consider that a hip fracture costs somewhere in the region of £30,000 you can see how these savings quickly add up.

This sort of common-sense preventative work is vital to take some of the pressure off our struggling health service. An upfront investment can save money in the future, and have a huge impact on someone’s health and wellbeing.

So it was disappointing to read about the problems with the Disabled Facilities Grant, processed by local authorities. It is the only home adaptations funding scheme that requires means testing, which causes delays and diverts money away from providing services to cover administration costs. I urge the Government to move towards abolishing means testing for home adaptations entirely, starting with all adaptations that cost less than £1,000.

Home adaptations are not the only scheme for helping those with mobility problems. A young woman in my area, who uses a wheelchair, was recently given a new, ultra-light wheelchair which she can control and propel herself. It could be a life changing opportunity for her to gain new freedom. But when her mother tried to arrange for lessons to teach her how to use the chair, she was told that they weren’t available for her daughter because she wasn’t an in-patient. I’ve written to the Deputy Minister for Health to raise this issue with him because this is an example of a lack of joined-up thinking that harms patients and ends up costing the health service more.

If you live in South Wales East and have had a similar issue, I’d be interested to hear from you. Whatever their need, everyone should have access to the help so they can live as independently as possible.