Assistance aids for the home - Den Haag Mantelzorg
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Assistance aids for the home

Assistance aids enable your loved one to continue doing things for themselves for longer. These can include such aids as a mobility scooter or an app. Sometimes you have to do more to allow your next of kin to live independently for longer. Removing thresholds between rooms, for example. Or you may need to reposition door handles so your loved one can open the door without assistance. This is what we call home modifications. We have put together useful web pages for aids and home modifications. This gives a clear overview of exactly what the possibilities are and who has to pay for them.

 

The modifications that can be arranged through the city council’s WMO include:

  • Wheelchair-accessibility with a ramp
  • A stair lift
  • A customised kitchen
  • Bathroom modifications
  • Electronic door opener

f you need other home modifications, such as a shower seat, the removal of thresholds, the fitting of wall handles or a raised or lowered toilet, this is not covered by the WMO. You may be able to arrange this via a personal budget (PGB). Then you can hire a contractor or a DIY company yourself. If the council approves your application, you will receive a letter stating the maximum budget for the modification. The letter will also include the requirements for the home modification. More information can be found at The Hague city council website.

Through occupational therapy, your loved one can learn how to carry out daily tasks that are no longer possible due to physical or mental health problems. These can be simple tasks, such as eating and getting dressed. An occupational therapist gives advice on how your loved one can do the task in a different way. Perhaps this can be achieved by arranging the room differently, or by using an aid. An occupational therapist also gives advice to carers and family members. Everyone is entitled to 10 hours of occupational therapy per year under their health insurance. Some health insurers offer more if your next of kin has supplementary insurance. Find an occupational therapist in your neighbourhood.
The Vilans Assistance Aids Guide provides information on mobility scooters, stair lifts, etc., but also on special scissors, beds for older adults or aids that make washing and dressing easier. Some aids can be paid for out of a personal budget (PGB).
Find more information in the Assistance Aids Guide.
Is your next of kin’s illness or disability preventing them from doing a lot for themselves? If so, a number of aids can be covered by the WMO. These include an (electric) wheelchair, tricycle, mobility scooter, hoist, mobile shower or toilet seat and sports aids. You can find more information at The Hague city council website.
The health insurer of the person you care for can reimburse some aids or modifications. For example, digital aids to switch lights on and off with a button. Or to operate windows and doors remotely. A doorbell light that alerts people with impaired hearing is also covered by your next of kin’s insurance.
Home care stores offer information and assistance aids for purchase or rent. They also provide the opportunity to try out and borrow digital aids (domotics). Find a home care store in your area using The Hague’s Support Map.
To get help quickly in an emergency, an alarm provides the perfect solution. The person you care for receives a small transmitter to be worn around their neck or arm. This allows them to call for help from anywhere in the house. The request for assistance is then registered with the care organisation with which you have a contract. This can also be you as a carer. If there are medical reasons for a personal alarm, the health insurance may reimburse part of the costs. Find an organisation that offers personal alarms via The Hague’s Support Map.
With the Sensara HomeCare system, carers can monitor the wellbeing of their loved ones from a distance. The Sensara HomeCare motion sensors detect movement. They can recognise a change in the movement pattern of your loved one. If they suddenly fall or are out of the room for a long time, the sensor detects this and sends a warning to you, as a carer, through the accompanying app. More information can be found at this website.
If your loved one is temporarily struggling to walk, they can make use of a loan scooter via Servicepunt XL. This is available in De Burcht community centre (Centre) and the Mariahoeve community centre (Haagse Hout). You can find more information at the Servicepunt XL website.

There is plenty of technology to help stay independent for a long time and to keep in touch with the people around you. Would you like to know more about what can be done to make the life of your loved one more pleasant? In The Hague, you can visit the iZi home, a 3-room flat on Steenhouwersgaarde in The Hague. Here you will find more than 90 digital aids that can help to make life easier for you and your loved one. Read more about technology for the home.

 

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