Dorset Accessible Homes Service
The Dorset Accessible Homes Service is locally based with offices in Dorchester and Blandford Forum. It works on behalf of Dorset County Council and is available to anyone in the Dorset County Council area.
Millbrook Healthcare provides the below services in Dorset.
Home Adaptations
We can help with both grant and self-funded home adaptations. Some areas also offer repairs grants or loans, or other support schemes, please contact us for more detail.
Greenwood Independent Living Centre
At Greenwood Independent Living Centre, you can book a visit to have a free, impartial assessment with an occupational therapist, in a quiet, confidential setting.
Sight and Hearing Service
The team provides a preventative and enabling service, delivering information, advice and support to adults residing in the Dorset Council area.
Home Adaptations
If your health or disability is preventing you from accessing key areas of your home, the Dorset Accessible Home Service (DAHS) may be able to help with a home adaptation.
Adaptations may be completed to improve:
- Access to your bathing facilities, toilet, bedroom and kitchen.
- Access to your garden.
- Stairlifts and through floor lifts.
- Ramping and handrails.
- The safety of the property for someone with challenging behaviour and/or sight or hearing impairments.
As well as providing practical help with home adaptations, repairs and improvements, the service offers free advice, support and information on:
- Checking whether you are entitled to any financial help.
- Your housing options.
- Deciding on home adaptations that might help you.
- Carrying out minor repairs.
- Making your home more energy efficient.
An assessment of your needs by an Occupational Therapist, is fundamental to any adaptation, regardless of whether you are seeking financial assistance through a Disabled Facilities Grant or planning to self-fund the adaptation.
The Occupational Therapist will consider all options to help you independently access and use your facilities and may include disability equipment and simple adaptations.
If, following this Occupational Therapy assessment, equipment or simple adaptations do not resolve your difficulties, they can recommend a home adaptation to meet your needs and will refer you to the Dorset Accessible Homes Service at Millbrook Healthcare.
The Occupational Therapist will work alongside the technical officers at Millbrook Healthcare to design the adaptation and make sure that it meets your needs.
Once the referral is received, a Millbrook caseworker will phone you to complete a provisional test of resources (financial assessment) to indicate whether or not you are likely to receive a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG).
Who do I contact to start the Adaptation process?
The first step is to make a referral to Dorset Council for an assessment by an Occupational Therapist from Social Care services. They will assess the difficulties that you are experiencing in your home.
To make a referral for an Occupational Therapy assessment for an adult please contact:
Adult Access Team (01305) 221016.
To make a referral for an Occupational therapy assessment for a child up to the age of 17 please contact:
The Children’s Advice and Duty Service (01305) 228866
Where can I see different adaptations?
If you feel unsure about what some of the adaptations can look like, you can make an appointment to visit the Greenwood Independent Living Centre in Dorchester, which is run by Millbrook Healthcare. Our occupational therapists will be able to discuss and demonstrate adaptations or equipment that may help you.
To book an appointment call 033 300 300 10.
Self-funding a home adaptation
Our Occupational Therapists at Millbrook Healthcare can also advise you on how to complete an adaptation if you wish to do the works privately and can advise on elements that may be VAT exempt to keep the costs down.
If you have completed the Disabled Facilities Grant online calculator www.adaptmyhome.org.uk/householders/check-what-you-might-need-to-pay/ and established that you will not be eligible for any financial help, you are welcome to contact one of the Occupational Therapists in Dorchester and Blandford to discuss your options.
Please call 033 300 300 10 or email milifegreenwood@millbrookhealthcare.co.uk for further information and discussion.
Regardless of whether you receive grant funding or are self-funding Millbrook Healthcare will manage the adaptation process for you through from referral to final completion.
“Thank you so very much for all the hard work. I love everything about my wet room, they all worked hard to give me such a lovely shower. I think I am very lucky, please say thank you to Rob, Tom and Jack. Last two years I have had lots of problems with my health so the whole bathroom will make my life so much better, thank you again.”
Greenwood Independent Living Centre
Are you, or a family member struggling with daily activities and routines? If so, you or they may benefit from contacting one of our occupational therapists to discuss your needs.
This service is designed to support adults of all ages and disabilities, their carers and families, health and social care professionals, voluntary, community and business organizations.
How can we help you?
Our occupational therapists offer free, impartial advice and assessment to anyone who is experiencing difficulty with maintaining their independence. They will work with individuals, to identify practical solutions.
What facilities are available at the centre?
We have a wide range of products for you to look at and try to see if they suit your individual needs. They include:
- Bathing and showering products.
- Riser-recliner and armchairs.
- Wheelchairs, scooters, walking products.
- Meal preparation, feeding and drinking products.
- Profiling beds.
- Personal care products including toileting, washing, dressing aids.
- Telecare solutions.
We also have a level access shower, washer drier toilet, stair lift, adapted kitchen, and outside space for trialling mobility equipment.
Support on offer includes
- Individual assessments in a quiet, confidential environment.
- Small group tours for professionals and staff from voluntary and community organisations.
- Written information and leaflets on disability products and services.
- Contact addresses for local and national support organizations.
How to access the service
Individuals can self-refer by phoning or emailing Greenwood direct, to request a face-to-face appointment with one of our occupational therapists.
All appointments must be booked in advance.
Appointments are available between the following times:
9.00am to 4.00pm Monday to Friday
Please contact us and ask to speak with one of our occupational therapists.
Call 033 300 300 10 or email milifegreenwood@millbrookhealthcare.co.uk
Sight and Hearing Service
Millbrook Healthcare, deliver a Sight and Hearing service on behalf of Dorset Council. The team provides a preventative and enabling service, delivering information, advice and support to adults residing in the Dorset Council area.
The team consists of specialist, qualified staff who focus on assisting people with sight and hearing difficulties including people with dual sensory loss.
We can work with you, to help improve your independence in everyday areas such as mobility, communication, and daily living skills, and identify relevant equipment, technology & services.
How can we help you?
We can provide free, impartial advice and information in the comfort of your own home.
We have a range of equipment for anyone with a sight and hearing difficulty, carers, and families to see and try. If your assessed needs meet eligibility criteria the equipment can be provided.
Examples of equipment include:
- Alerts for doorbells, phones, and smoke detectors.
- Amplified phones.
- TV listeners.
- Personal listeners.
- White sticks, long canes, and symbol canes.
- Liquid level indicators and tactile markers.
- Task lighting.
Registration
Your eye clinic consultant may ask us to register you as sight impaired, or severely sight impaired, by sending us a Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI).
We will then contact you to advise about the possible benefits of registration and complete the paperwork on your behalf.
How to refer to the team
Individuals can self-refer by phoning, texting, video calling or emailing the team direct.
Alternatively, a family member, friend or professional can make a referral on someone’s behalf, providing they have their consent to do so.
We can be contacted in the below ways:
Telephone
033 300 300 10
Text / Video Call
07817 359722
Write to us
Sight and Hearing team
Millbrook Healthcare, Higher Shaftesbury Road, Sunrise Business Park, Blandford Forum DT11 8ST
Housing options
The Dorset Accessible Homes Service will help those who are thinking about moving from their home into a residential care home. The advice and support given is free, although costs will be incurred for services such as removal companies, solicitors, etc. The service may be able to access funding or grants to help you with these costs. The service will assign a member of staff to help support you in the process of finding out what is available, planning the move, getting trustworthy removal contractors and arranging transfer of utilities.
Get in touch
Customer services opening hours: 8.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday
Service Centre Manager: Richard Pearce
Millbrook Healthcare Home Services Blandford Forum
Blandford Forum
Millennium House
2A Sunrise Business Park
Higher Shaftesbury Road
Blandford Forum
Dorset
DT11 8ST
t 033 300 300 10
Millbrook Healthcare Dorchester
Greenwood Centre for Independent Living
Maiden Castle Road
Higher Shaftesbury Road
Dorchester
Dorset
DT1 2ER
t 033 300 300 10
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