Your elderly parents and relatives will most likely want to live in their own homes as independently as possible, for as long as they are able. There are many services and products available across Buckinghamshire that can help make this possible.
This guide explains all about the support services available in Bucks; including where the best mobility stores are located for researching and purchasing useful home-safety equipment.
Seeking further support for home adaptations, as well as services such as meal delivery in Buckinghamshire, can also help your relatives to live independently. There is a great deal of technology available to assist you with this. Take a look at Age Space’s list of the best personal alarms for the elderly for some great, small, products that can significantly improve safety in the home for an older person living alone.
Finding a home care provider can be another great way of helping your elderly relative to maintain their independence at home. Age Space has a Home Care Directory for Buckinghamshire which you can browse to find options across the county.
Support Services for Independent Living in Bucks
The Home Independence Team
The Council is responsible for the Home Independence team; a short-term, free service that helps those who have recently been discharged from hospital to return to independence in their home. A trained team from various disciplines can help to rebuild confidence in daily-life skills and help out with day-to-day tasks such as personal care, medication, meal preparation, shopping and light housework. Where applicable, they are even able to supply necessary equipment.
To access this service, the first port-of-call will be the medical professionals dealing with your relative’s hospital care or their GP. Failing that, social workers and district nurses should also be able to arrange an application. If you would prefer to contact Buckinghamshire Council directly you can use the contact details below. For those in Milton Keynes; see the Age UK Hospital Aftercare service below.
- Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: 0300 777 2002
Once you have applied, a team will visit your relative to assess the type of support they will need going forward, how to best fulfil this and the risks that might be encountered. The Home Independence Team will be with you relative for a maximum of 6 weeks. Once this period is over, if your relative requires further care, the team will arrange for a Care Manager to carry out a full assessment of longer-term needs, and will work with you to support them.
Age UK Buckinghamshire
Age UK Buckinghamshire has lots of chargeable services that they can provide to help an older person around the home and maintain safe independence. These can include home-hairdressing, gardening, a handyperson service and podiatry. Explore more Age UK Bucks services or contact them for more details and to book.
- Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: 01296 431 911
Age UK Milton Keynes
The Independent Living Service
This service is intended to offer some relief to full-time carers and to make the home a safer space for an older person to live independently. Domestic cleaning, shopping, errand running, foot care and gardening can all be included in the service. Additionally, the Independent Living Service can help install safety and security devices around the home, including supplying and fitting key safes and hand-rails.
This service costs £18.50 p/h during a standard workday and £27.75 p/h during evenings and weekends.
Contact them using the details below for more information and to access this service.
- Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: 01908 557 874
Hospital Aftercare Service
As previously mentioned, the Hospital Aftercare Service is comparable to the Home Independence Service offered in Buckinghamshire. This service is tailored towards those who would not have been able to return home without support after a stay in hospital. Helpers do not replace a carers’ roles of personal care responsibilities e.g. washing, dressing and toileting, but they can help with shopping, collecting prescriptions and assisting to maintain general welfare. As with the Home Independence Service, this service is offered for a maximum of 6 weeks.
This service is free and patients are often referred to it while they are in the hospital, however you can also contact them using the details below.
- Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: 01908 996 073
Milton Keynes Wheelchair Service
This service provides wheelchairs and wheelchair repairs to residents of Milton Keynes who need them. You can self-refer onto this service by using the contact details below – there is no need to fill out any special forms.
- Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: 0808 164 6400
Mobility Stores
In mobility stores you can buy accessibility equipment and devices that can help someone to live safely and independently in their home. These can include special chairs, beds, mattresses, wheelchairs and mobility scooters, as well as smaller items such as accessible kitchen equipment. There are lots of mobility stores dotted around Buckinghamshire and below are a few such options.
Buckinghamshire
Aylesbury Vale
- 6A Bessemer Crescent, Rabans Lane, Aylesbury, HP19 8TF
- Scires Farm, Bufflers Holt, Buckingham, MK18 5DN
Wycombe
- 10 Cross Court, Plomer Green Avenue, Downley, High Wycombe, HP13 5UW
- New Road, Princes Risborough, HP27 0JN
- Cowal Court, Heath End Road, Great Kingshill, High Wycombe, HP15 6HL
Chiltern
- Unit 1, Asheridge Business Centre, Asheridge Road, Chesham, HP5 2PT
- 21 Germain Street, Chesham, HP5 1LH
Milton Keynes
- Stacey Bushes Trading Centre, Erica Road, Milton Keynes, MK12 6HS
- Unit 3, Denbigh Hall, Milton Keynes MK3 7QT
Shopmobility in Bucks and Milton Keynes
Shopmobility is a scheme designed to help less mobile people around town centres and large shopping malls. At these schemes, someone can rent mobility vehicles for a short period of time. You can find Shopmobility outlets at the places below:
- Upper Hundreds Car Park, Aylesbury, HP20 1QU
- Eden Shopping Centre, 2 Newlands Meadow, High Wycombe, HP11 2BZ
- 67 Midsummer Place Central, Milton Keynes, MK9 3GB
Assistive Tech in Buckinghamshire
Telecare is a way of using specially made technology to help keep elderly people safe and secure at home, even when you’re not there. Some Telecare options can be expensive, as they are often accompanied with 24/7, remote monitoring supported by a trained team in a call-centre. However, some counties choose to subsidise Telecare for some of their residents with schemes like the ones listed below.
Buckinghamshire - Technology Enabled Care (TEC)
Provided by partners at NRS Healthcare you can get a complete Telecare package if you fulfil the assessment criteria. The assessment, technology itself and installation are all provided free of charge. If you require monitoring, and a financial assessment deems it chargeable, it will cost a maximum of £4.51 p/w.
- Application Form
- Telephone: 0330 100 0247
Milton Keynes - Community Alarm Service
In Milton Keynes, the council heads this service, supplying tech, installation and monitoring for 24 hours a day. For this service, a one off installation cost must be paid in addition to a quarterly monitoring cost. You can apply on the Milton Keynes Council website or by contacting them using the details below.
- Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: 01908 222616
Free Fire Alarm Checks and Visits
Free fire alarm checks, installations and fire safety visits are provided by both the Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Fire & Rescue Services. This service is aimed at the more elderly and vulnerable residents who might not be able to check and replace fire alarms and who would be more at risk in the event of a fire.
Visits can include:
- Smoke detection and escape planning.
- Candle and cooking fire safety.
- Electrical safety.
- Fire and heater safety.
- Clutter and hoarding.
- Smoking-related fire safety.
- Safety advice related to medical equipment like oxygen and airflow mattresses, or medicines.
- Signposting or forwarding referrals for support with sensory equipment, cold homes and fall risks.
To access the scheme, users must first be screened to make sure they need the service. To do so, email or call the team using the details below, or find out more by going on the Bucks Fire website. When emailing; include your name, address, phone number and any concerns that you have.
- Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: 01296 744 477
