Provider’s workshop creating bespoke home mods

There is a two-month waiting list for home modifcations at Wesley Mission Queensland, where the team has a workshop and works with an occupational therapist to come up with home modifications that take clients’ budgets, needs and preferences into account.

Minor and major home modifcatons can help older Australians remain safely at home. But, as previously reported, peak bodies have raised concerns the lifetime cap of $15,000 on home modifcations coming into effect on 1 July with the Support at Home program will dissuade older people making necessary modifications.

“If the price cap is a lifetime cap, then it’s going to act as a disincentive for people to make even simple modifications now when they need them, because they’ll be thinking, well, I don’t want to spend money on a grab rail or a threshold ramp over the sliding door because I might need that money for something more important later, and by deferring or refusing those simple modifications now, they’re putting themselves at risk again,” Home Modifications Australia director Steve Pretzel told Community Care Review last month.

Wesley Mission Queensland Home Assist Secure senior coordinator Amanda Lyon said the demand for their services continues to soar.

“Our mission is to keep people safely in their own homes for as long as possible, and such a large part of that is keeping that home safe, secure, and accessible,” said Ms Lyon (pictured top).

“Often, small changes like installing a ramp or modifying a bathroom can have a significant impact on a person’s independence and quality of life.”

The HAS service, which has been assisting people to access affordable home modifications for the last 30 years, is now booking jobs up to two months in advance. It it indicative of how critical these services are becoming, Ms Lyon said.

Based out of the northern Brisbane suburb of Petrie, the HAS team assisted more than 2,000 clients last year with both minor repairs and larger modifications such as bathroom modifications or custom-built ramps.

The team has an onsite workshop that works closely with occupational therapists to assess a home and develop the right modifications for clients on an individual basis in consideration of their budget, needs and aesthetic preferences. HAS is heavily subsidised so most clients only have to pay the cost of materials.

Among those clients, Dee Wilson, 76, contacted HAS after breaking her ankle and struggling to get in and out of her home safely. She was able to regain her independence by having a custom-built ramp and platform installed at her home.

“Before the HAS team helped me I was very frustrated I couldn’t get out to my back patio because it was too big a drop for me to get down… With the ramp I’m here, in the sunshine – it’s lovely,” said Ms Wilson.

“For a while I felt like I’d lost me independence… I couldn’t go anywhere without assistance, even to my own backyard. But now I can manage pretty much on my own – it’s fabulous,” she added.

Ms Lyon said accessibility was more than just physical modifications, it is a chance for individuals to feel empowered by living independently and with dignity.

“Accessibility isn’t just about buildings or public spaces – it starts at home,” she said.

Follow Community Care Review on Facebook and LinkedIn and sign up to our newsletter.