Memorandum by Helen Jackson MP (DHB 41)
LEVEL ACCESS
SHOWERS
Following an adjournment debate earlier this
year and in the face of growing support for our EDM we are keen
to promote the idea of the government looking at the possibility
of piloting a new incentive scheme for landlords, and owner occupiers,
to adapt their bathrooms to include a level access shower.
Problems with washing are by far the most common
discomfort that leads people to apply for disabled facilities
grants. They can wait for years before such a grant may be processed.
Sometimes there is a long bureaucratic wait for occupational health
assessment, local authority decision as to the real need, which
often puts those able to stand at the basin for a strip wash being
placed on non-urgent lists. They are also the most common reason
that prevents early discharge from hospital.
A determined drive to build and upgrade houses
to a standard that includes, within the bathroom, a level access
shower would over time obviate the need for this to be a special
application for so many elderly people who wish to remain independent
in their own homes. Recent research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
discovered that such adaptations transformed people's lives. Before
alterations, people used words like "prisoner", "degraded"
and "afraid" to describe their situation: following
the work they spoke of being "independent" and "confident".
The project has the support of the National
Housing Federation, the Housing Corporation, the Federation of
Master Builders, the Chartered Institute of Housing, the Institute
of Plumbing, The Bathroom Manufacturers Association, Disability
Rights Commission, The National Disabled Persons Housing Service,
Barnado's, Age Concern, Shelter, Public Health, The Institute
of Environmental Health and Local Authorities.
We believe that the draft Housing bill offers
the opportunity to introduce such a scheme in this parliamentary
session. An initial look at the legislation suggests that it might
form the content of a New Clause in part 1 of the Bil, perhaps
amongst other miscellaneous provisions in Chapter five, page 68.
Any such incentive scheme would of course need
to be supplemented by government guidance and advice in other
areas such as advice to the new Regional Housing Boards, stock
transfer arrangements and business plans, Part M of the Building
Regulations and perhaps part 5, clause 150 of the Bill.
I do hope your committee will see the benefit
of the outline scheme and consider appropriate recommendations.
We are happy to offer any further information.
Helen Jackson MP
Sheffield Hillsborough
LEVEL ACCESS
SHOWER INCENTIVE
SCHEME
The number of older people living alone in their
own homes is set to increase considerably over the next few decades
and 23% of older people experience difficulties in the bathroom.
Maintaining dignity and independence in the home, as we move towards
an ageing population, ought to be a priority.
The tradition of bathing and the installation
of showers over the bath mean that a great number of elderly and
disabled people, who are unable to manage to get in or out of
the bath, are no longer able to wash themselves adequately.
We are keen to promote the idea of a new incentive
scheme for shower installations as outlined below. At a meeting
with the minister for housing, on 6 May, we asked the government
to consider further help on details for a scheme that might be
piloted in certain areas.
Scheme Outline
A really effective scheme would need to be accessible
to private landlords, Local Authorities, Housing Associations,
tenants and private homeowners.
There would need to be several grades of shower
to meet the varying needs of applicants and should include an
element of self-assessment, so that there is no wait for occupational
therapist assessment.
Showers would be most successfully installed
under warranty schemes, using best practice and good quality,
with installers using self-certificated insurance backed schemes.
Some large local authorities have found that a partnering approach
with a number of local contractors under agency agreements works
well. There could be more building work than plumbing involved,
depending on the condition of the house or the type of installation
required.
We suggest the use of a certified range of family
inclusive products that respect the integrity of the home. The
products should have a limited range of specifications, leading
to lower long-term maintenance costs.
Any such scheme would need to be run alongside
the existing DFG Scheme, so that those who need additional help
can access this and would require additional funding over and
above SCG allocations for DFGs.
Costs
— The average cost of a level access
shower adaptation can range from £100 up to £2,800.
— A level access (wheelchair accessible)
shower installation average at around £3,500 for Sheffield
Local Authority.
— We suggest the use of non-means tested
flat rate or a simple incentive contribution of 10%.
— There would be economies in the standardisation
of a program of works and also economies of scale through bulk
ordering.
Associated benefits
Environmental
— Less hot water is required for a
shower than a bath and less energy is required to heat the water.
A typical shower uses on average 25 litres whilst a bath uses
48 litres.
Employment & Training
— it would boost the local building
and plumbing industry, increasing employment and training opportunities.
In 1998 only 56% of households had showers, so there is a potential
for market growth.
— it could lead to an increase in specialist
contractors attracted to the benefits of the scheme.
Housing Stock
— The scheme would have a long-term
impact on the lifetime use of the housing stock and the lifetime
home movement.
— It would lead to the renovation of
both existing and new housing stock to increase their lifetime
use. Over a 100 years a house could change hands up to 13 times,
one in four families have a disabled member for whom a level access
shower would be of benefit.
— It would reduce the cost of future
adaptations and make them easier to achieve.
Social
— It would reduce the social cost of
caring with fever lifting injuries and stress related illnesses
to both the carer and cared for.
— It would enable more people to live
independently at home and reduce the need for more intensive and
costly care.
— It would lead to the possibility
of greater personal hygiene.
— It may help to reduce home accidents,
such as falls in the bath and risks of getting in and out of bath.
— Reduce bed blocking in hospitals
due to lack of bathing facilities on discharge.
ASSOCIATED DISABLED
FACILITIES BENEFITS
We recognise that there will continue to be
a requirement for a specific disabled Facilities Grant scheme,
but believe it would benefit from a showering grant scheme in
the following ways:
— Provide a streamlined response to
bathroom adaptations, reducing the time people have to suffer
the indignity of strip washing when their mobility is reduced.
— Simplified system would reduce waiting
times and procedural bottlenecks.
SUMMARY
We believe that this new scheme would lead to
social, environmental, housing and employment benefits and would
be extremely popular. We are happy to let the committee have any
further details they may require.
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