Community equipment service ensures independence

The Northern Trust Community Equipment Service now delivers and collects items of occupational therapy and nursing equipment six days a week helping people living in the Antrim and Ballymena area to regain their independence quicker.

The Community Equipment Service provides care equipment to meet the needs of service users, enabling safe and timely discharge from hospitals and the promotion of independence and mobility in their own homes.

Equipment including electric profiling beds, mattresses and moving and handling equipment such as hoists can be delivered to and collected from the service users home or smaller pieces of equipment that can fit in a car can be collected or returned in person at the recently refurbished stores in Pennybridge Industrial Estate in Ballymena.

Last year the Community Equipment Service dealt with 33,000 requests for equipment.

Roy Hamill, Assistant Director of Primary and Community Care for Older People’s Services said,

“Demand for community equipment will continue to increase in the future due to the rise in the numbers of older people, people with long term medical conditions and children/young adults with complex needs. With this in mind it was vital that we changed how the service is provided.

“The Community Equipment Service provides equipment in a timely and efficient manner which promotes personal independence and facilitates hospital discharge processes. The team also work to ensure equipment provided is appropriate, up to date, delivered promptly and competently recycled, cleaned and maintained to the highest standard.

“The timely provision of community equipment helps ensure the independence of people with disabilities of all ages. By making community equipment available in a responsive way, this will enable people to remain as independent as possible in the community and contribute to the avoidance of potential hospital, residential or nursing home admissions”.

The Community Equipment Service also ensures that service users and their carers, at all times, have access to emergency repairs or replacement of equipment where this is deemed appropriate.

24th July 2013