Most people want to live in their own home, independently, for as long as they are able to. This can become increasingly difficult for older people and create stress for them and their carers regarding health and safety at home. Fortunately, there are lots of steps that can be taken to make the homes of older people safer.
One of the most important things you can do is take action to prevent your relative from falling at home. There are plenty of mobility aids that you can buy and adaptations you can make around the home that can reduce the chance of falls. You may also want to read our Top Tips on Preventing Falls.
If you are considering larger home adaptations, or would like to know more about how the council may be able to fund home improvements for your elderly relative, look at Age Space’s guide to Home Adaptations for the Elderly in Essex.
Finding a suitable home care provider can also be a great way of supporting your relative to keep living independently at home for as along as possible. You can visit Age Space’s Home Care Directory for Essex to look for options across the county.
Mobility Stores Across Essex for Daily Living Aids
CareCo
CareCo is a one of the UK’s biggest mobility stores. It operates nationwide and has a showroom in Romford. On the CareCo website, you will find an impressive range of mobility products to browse online, as well as the opportunity to request a free brochure that will be sent to you or your relative’s house.
- Address: Gallows Corner, Southend Arterial Road, Romford, Essex, RM3 0BX
- Telephone: 01708 988812
- Visit Website
Ableworld
Ableworld stock a large variety of personal, mobility and household living aids. They are based in Colchester, but pride themselves on serving the 30 miles around Colchester, including Braintree, Broomfield and Maldon. You can browse their products on the Ableworld Website, although some items require an assessment which you will need to arrange by contacting them.
- Address: 5 The Stanway Centre, Peartree Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 0JX
- Telephone: 01206 561335
- Email: [email protected]
- Visit Website
Lifestyle & Mobility
Lifestyle and Mobility stock hundreds of mobility products and aids to make life easier for older people or people with restricted mobility. They have branches you can visit in both Basildon and Southend, or you can browse through their Online Product List.
Basildon
- Address: Units 20-22, Eastgate Shopping Centre, Southernhay, Basildon, SS14 1JJ
- Telephone: 01268 520233
Southend
- Address: The Victoria Shopping Centre, Chartwell Square, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS2 5SP
- Telephone: 01702 417088
Harlow Mobility
Harlow Mobility, based in Harlow, have an extensive range of mobility products and aids including wheelchairs, chairlifts and ramps. You can search through their Online Catalogue, or speak to their dedicated team of professionals in-store.
- Address: Unit 67 and 68, Harvey Centre, Harlow, Essex, CM20 1XR
- Telephone: 01279 420600
- Visit Website
Essex Mobility Centre
The Essex Mobility Centre has one of the largest range of mobility product stocks in Essex, with a good range of mobility scooters, wheelchairs, stair lifts, chairs, walking and bathing aids. You can visit their store in Westcliff or peruse their products on the Essex Mobility Centre Website.
- Address: 134-136 Hobleythick Lane, Westcliff, Essex, SS0 0RJ
- Telephone: 01702 300790
- Visit Website
Assistive Technology in Essex
There is all sorts of assistive technology that is designed to help elderly people to live safely in their homes. These gadgets and devices can also help to ease the worries of carers and loved ones.
One of the most popular types of assistive technology is Telecare. Telecare refers to alarms and sensors that can be fitted around your relative’s house that will alert you to anything unusual that you may want to check up on, such as them being out of bed for an extended period of time.
Essex County Council may be able to help provide your relative with Telecare equipment, so we recommend getting in contact to discuss why you think you would benefit from their Telecare services, using the details for the Adult Social Care team below.
- Telephone: 0345 603 7630
- Email: [email protected]
- Visit Website
Free Essex Fire & Rescue Service Home Safety Visits
The Essex Fire and Rescue Service offers free ‘Safe-and-Well’ visits to all residents of Essex. On these visits, uniformed officers will visit your relative’s home to offer advice, answer questions and make suggestions on how to protect their home from fires. They will also fit a smoke alarm free of charge, if they do not already have one.
To arrange one of these home visits for your relative, you can call the Essex Fire team on 0300 303 0088, email them at [email protected], or fill out an Online Form. It is important to get express consent from the person who will be visited if you are requesting a home visit on somebody else’s behalf.
You may also be interested in Essex Fire & Rescue Service’s free Home Safety Advice videos.
