‘Common sense’ win as council waives OT reports for basic mobility aids - Donegal Daily

There will be less red tape for people seeking basic mobility aids in Donegal, with OT reports no longer required for some straightforward home adaptations.Done...

There will be less red tape for people seeking basic mobility aids in Donegal, with OT reports no longer required for some straightforward home adaptations.

Donegal County Council has confirmed that Mobility Aid Grant applications for works such as grab rails, level-access showers and external concrete ramps can now be progressed without an Occupational Therapy report.

OT assessments will still be required for more specialised adaptations and individual medical needs, particularly where mechanical devices are involved.

The change was confirmed following a motion from Cllr Declan Meehan, who argued that the cost and delays in accessing the scheme can rob some individuals of their independence.

Waits through the public system reach between 12 and 18 months in some cases, he said.

Cllr Meehan said there are approximately 30,000 people aged over 65 living in Donegal, based on the 2022 Census, with around a quarter living alone.

He argued that adaptation grants, which are maxxed at €8,000, should be viewed “not as a cost, but as an investment in older people’s independence”.

“A level-access shower, a grab rail or a ramp can be a relatively modest intervention, but it can make the difference between someone remaining safely and independently in their home or reaching a point where they can no longer manage in their own homes and having to go elsewhere,” he said.

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He pointed out that the number of older people living alone in Donegal increased by almost 20% between 2016 and 2022.

"That stat in particular makes a very strong case for making adaptation grants as accessible as possible," he said.

Responding to Cllr Meehan's motion, Anne Marie Conlon, Director of Housing, MD Services and Capital Projects, confirmed: "The Council will waive OT requirements for basic mobility works (such as grab rails, level-access showers, external concrete ramps) however, an OT will continue to be required for the specialised and specific individual medical requirements to ensure compliance with the Scheme and to ensure that the installation of mechanical devices satisfy safety and legal obligations and very importantly meet the needs of the user and assist with their care, independence and wellbeing."

Ms Conlon said stair lifts, vertical platform lifts and fixed-track hoists are among the works where an OT report will continue to be required to ensure equipment matches the user’s specific physical needs and to guarantee compliance with Building Regulations.

Cllr Meehan welcomed the council’s move and described the Mobility Aids Grant as something of an “untapped resource”, saying applicants could sometimes be directed towards the more substantial Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability when that was not necessarily required.

Cllr Meehan said he fully accepted the need for professional assessments where more complex mobility needs were involved.

“But for those kind of common-sense approaches of ramps, grab rails and level-access showers, I think that’s an excellent and very welcome change.”