Community equipment can help support the health, housing, social care and educational needs of a broad range of people and can help reduce risk, and support independence and control. They assist those with physical or learning disabilities of all ages. Many older people do not see themselves as disabled but may be frail and have difficulty with every day tasks and could also benefit. Equipment can be defined as any item or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified or customised, that is used to increase the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
The effectiveness of community equipment, and the potential for health and social care partnerships to make long term savings should not be underestimated. A paper The Effectiveness and Value of Equipment and Adaptations was published in September 2010. It highlights, through case studies, the savings that can be achieved by Health and Social Care Partnerships throught the effective use of equipment and adaptations in place of other care services such as care homes and home carers.
Community equipment can include, but is not limited to:
- Home nursing equipment such as pressure relief mattresses and commodes.
- Equipment for daily living such as shower chairs and stools, bath lifts, raised toilet seats, teapot tippers and liquid level indicators.
- Telecare products such as flood detectors, falls monitors, smoke detectors and movement sensors. These are often linked to a call centre and trigger a response when activated.
- Children's equipment
- Ancillary equipment for people with sensory impairments, such as flashing doorbells, low-vision optical aids, text-phones and assistive listening devices.
- Communication aids (Including AAC (additional augmented communication)) to assist people who have difficulty with speech. Equipment includes aids to writing and reading as well as speech.
- It does not include any medical devices or anything that is evasive to the body (e.g. PEG feeding).
Good Practice Guide for the Provision of Community Equipment - The purpose of this Guide is to support local equipment services to effectively develop, deliver, manage, and monitor the provision of equipment from the point of assessment through to delivery, and the conclusion of the assessment process.
Self Evaluation Toolkit - This toolkit was developed in response to requests from local authority and NHS services during the consultation process for the Good Practice Guide for the provision of Community Equipment Services.
Safety Information - Provides details of the equipment safety information distribution system and the incident investigation and reporting service in place for the NHS and local authorities in Scotland.