Frail and elderly people wait years for basic disability equipment - Telegraph

By Laura Donnelly, Health correspondent

Frail pensioners are being forced to wait up to eight years for vital improvements to be made to their homes to help them live independent lives again, an investigation has found.

A Sunday Telegraph investigation has revealed:

* One third of local authorities have left infirm and disabled people waiting for more than three years for disability adaptations to their homes;

* Staffordshire County Council admitted to a delay of eight years, while nine more authorities disclosed that their longest delays were five years and more;

* Many elderly people waited so long for help that they were moved into care homes before help was provided. While most councils refused to supply this data, those that did admitted to 97 such cases in 2008/9, equating to more than 300 cases a year across the country.

Each year around 40,000 people – mostly elderly – are awarded a "disabled facilities grant" for adaptations to the home, such as handrails, ramps and stairlifts.
Continue Reading