Adaptations spend of £1.25m ‘money well spent’, says councillor

More than £1.25 million was spent on providing aids and adaptations to help people in Angus stay in their own homes last year.

A report to the Angus Health and Social Care Partnership showed £520,000 was allocated to fund moderate and major adaptations for tenants in council properties, while another £350,000 was set aside to provide for residents in the private sector.

Arbroath East and Lunan Councillor Derek Wann, who sits on the NHS Tayside Board, said it was “money well spent” on getting people out of hospitals and into familiar surroundings.

The figures for 2017/2018 show 489 adaptations were carried out on Angus Council properties, along with 125 on homes owned by registered social landlords and 1,047 on private sector properties.

In addition, grant funding of £414,000 was earmarked for Angus Care and Repair to pay for further adaptations.

The works included fitting bannister rails on stairs, internal and external grab rails and key safes, which allow service providers access to the person’s home.

Mr Wann said he was pleased to see the programme working well. “Although this may seem like a lot of money, it provides an extremely important service to many vulnerable people, providing means that a person can remain in the familiar surroundings of their own home for longer.

“It also means that if someone has been admitted to hospital, adaptations can be carried out on their property, which means they can be discharged much earlier.”

He added: “We know that a hospital stay can quickly result in reductions in muscle mass and bone density, along with other impairments, so getting people out of hospital and back home can be hugely beneficial to their recovery, meaning that this programme is also money well spent in the long run.”