The Moving Issue

To move or not to move?

While in hospital you will work with an Occupational Therapist who will assess your ability to cope at home once you are discharged form hospital. The Occupational Therapist will work with a representative from social services, who will visit your home (if you have one) to assess whether your home is suitable for you to live in once you are discharged.

This will include recommendations for home adaptations, which can be obtained from the local council. These can often take a while to be delivered, so you must ensure that the necessary adaptations are available before you are discharged home.

Whether you go home to your previous home will depend on where you were living prior to your amputation. If you owned your own home which can be made accessible then it is probable that you will return home.

It may not be possible for you to return home if:

• You were in the military and living in military accommodation (check this)
• If your previous home is not accessible
• You were living in accommodation provided by your employer
• You were living with your parents, but don’t want them to care for you
• You were living in shared accommodation with friends
• You were living in rented property where the lease has expired or is due to expire
• Your relationship with the person you were living with prior to your injury has subsequently ended.

Before making a decision about where you are going to live try to weigh up all of the options open to you. Do speak with social services about what options they can offer you. You can make contact with social services through the Occupational Therapist and or the Social Worker at the hospital.

Useful information regarding housing and home adaptations can be found HERE