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Disability

Services for people with a physical disability

Day activities centre

Medway Council has a centre, which provides a wide range of activities, together with a workshop and training centre, for people with physical disabilities.

Care management services

Medway Council has a dedicated team for people who have a physical disability. Care management staff provide information and advice and undertake community care assessments to decide on the most appropriate kind of help that can be given from a range of services provided in the home or in day or residential settings.

Physical Disability Team

Care management staff will be able to refer people to the Physical Disability Team for further advice and help. If you do not have a care manager and you would like to make a referral to the Team, please use the contact details at the foot of this page. An access and information officer will record all your information and pass this to the Physical Disability Team. Someone from the Team will then contact you to arrange an assessment.

Occupational Therapy Service

The occupational therapists and the rehabilitation staff who work with in the Occupational Therapy Service are specifically concerned with enabling people of all ages who have a physical disability to remain as independent as possible in their own homes. This is achieved by careful assessment of the person’s ability in daily living activities, the provision of information and advice and the provision of adaptations to their home or the loan of specialised equipment to suit their needs.

The council can provide help for people who have severe permanent disabilities, resulting in mobility problems or difficulty with lifting or holding things, to become as safe and as independent as possible, as well as offering support to the carers of people with disabilities. It can put people in touch with health services and or voluntary agencies that can provide them with what they need.

Following an assessment, an occupational therapist may be able to help with aids and equipment or put people in touch with the health service or voluntary agency that can provide what they need, for example:

  • orthopaedic chairs,
  • bath seats,
  • special cutlery for people with arthritic hands,
  • grab rails,
  • other specialist equipment.

Some problems can only be helped by adaptations to the home. The occupational therapist will discuss a person's needs with them and will be able to:

  • offer advice on adaptations to the home, for example:

    • a shower,
    • a stair lift,
    • ramps,
    • a downstairs bathroom,
    • building an extension to provide ground floor facilities;
  • contact other organisations which might be able to help, for example:

    • health authorities,
    • housing associations,
    • voluntary organisations;
  • assist with applications for grants from the appropriate authority.

If, following the assessment, the person does not meet the council's eligibility criteria, the occupational therapist will offer advice and information. This could include details of voluntary groups which may offer to help or private agencies from which services can be purchased. The frequently asked questions on occupational therapy give more information.

Blue Badge Scheme

The Blue Badge scheme is available for people who have limited mobility or who use a wheelchair and provides them with certain parking concessions for easier access to premises. The frequently asked questions on Blue Badges give more information and an application form (pdf 143KB) is available to download and print out. To use this file you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this on your computer, please use our advice page.

Motability – the leading car scheme for disabled people

Find out more from the new and inspiring third edition of the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain  from Motability and learn more about the Motability Allowance.

Find out more from the Disabled Living Foundation (DLF)

This national charity provides free, impartial advice about all types of daily living equipment for disabled adults and children, older people, their carers and families.

From stairlifts to walk-in baths, toys to children's equipment, jar-openers to tap-turners, bath seats to walking sticks, wheelchairs to scooters, hoists to beds and telecare to alarms, the DLF can help find independent living solutions that enable people to stay active and improve their quality of life.

Visit the DLF website and its new website, Living Made Easy  which has impartial advice and information for older and disabled people, carers and care professionals, providing clear, practical advice on daily living equipment, thus empowering individuals to make independent choices about their care.

 

For more information contact Adults and Children's Services Team by telephone: 01634 334466 / TextRelay 18001 01634 334466 or by email: ss.accessandinfo@medway.gov.uk

Write to: Adults and Children's Services Team, Customer First, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TR

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