How to request or buy equipment and aids to help you

How To Request Or Buy Equipment Aids Panel

Living independently at home often requires the use of assistive equipment.

This page provides information on how to request or purchase equipment and aids in Plymouth to improve your daily life.

How the council might be able to help you

The council might be able to help with equipment and adaptations to your home to make it easier and safer to live independently or for a carer to look after you.

This could be because of a disability, a long-term illness, a visual impairment, or old age.

If you need equipment to support your daily life, you can apply for an assessment of needs.

What you're entitled to

Your social care needs assessment report will list 'desired' and 'essential' outcomes. These are defined within the Care Act 2014 and include eating and drinking, maintaining personal hygiene, dressing yourself, using public transport or accessing alternative transport, and going to appointments and other places like libraries and cafes.

Plymouth City Council works in partnership with Livewell Southwest to find the best solution to meet your needs. To find out if you could benefit from equipment or adaptations, please call 01752 668000 to arrange for an assessment by an occupational therapist.

The assessment is free, and some minor alterations might also be free. If major adaptations are needed that aren't funded, you may be eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant to help with costs.

Purchasing your own equipment and aids

The first step is to identify that you, or someone you care for, would benefit from a piece of equipment, technology, or aid to make life easier.

Please look at the other pages within the Independent Living section, as they contain advice and suggestions that could help you.

Where to buy equipment to help you complete your daily tasks

Plymouth City Council, NHS Devon, and Livewell Southwest have jointly commissioned NRS Healthcare to deliver the Safe+Well service, and they have over 2,500 daily living aids that you can purchase by mail order, telephone, or online.

View the Plymouth Safe+Well website

NRS has a dedicated phone line with a trained team of specialists who can answer any questions you might have. Just call 0345 6461860.

Other places to buy equipment from:

Free assessment tool: Select the area of difficulty that is relevant to you. You will then be asked a few questions to guide you towards helpful daily living aids.
Free telephone advice line: Complete the online form, and we will contact you to arrange a convenient time to call.