Modifications to your home
If you live with a disability, there are a range of modifications that can be made to your home to support your safety and independence. These will make it more accessible and easier to live in.
Types of modifications
There are a range of modifications you can make to your home to suit your needs. These include:
- handrails and support rails
- level access showers
- outdoor ramps
- platform lifts
- stairlifts
- door and wall modifications.
Occupational therapists assess and provide recommendations about house modifications. They will work with you and determine what modifications are going to best suit your needs.
Funding your modifications
Occupational therapists can apply for funding from Disability Support Services (DSS) for your house modifications. Modifications may be funded if you meet specific criteria, but you may also be asked to make a contribution toward to the cost, or you may need to pay for them yourself.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you would like to be referred to an occupational therapist for an assessment.
Funding for home modifications — Disability Support Services
If you do not qualify for funding from Disability Support Services, other government agencies may be able to help you. Contact the agency directly.
Getting aids and equipment to help with an injury — ACC
What to consider when self-funding modifications
It is a good idea to get an assessment from an occupational therapist to make sure the modifications you are planning are going to suit your needs.
You can choose your own tradesperson, or use the list of recommended tradespeople provided by Enable New Zealand or Accessable (if you live in Auckland and Northland).
Find a professional installer — Enable New Zealand
Approved builders list — Accessable (scroll to Approved EMS builders)
If you choose to independently complete modifications to your home, do some research and carefully consider your options.
- Check if a piece of equipment could be a suitable alternative to a modification. For example, could you use a toilet frame instead of installing a hand rail. Equipment suppliers may be able to provide alternatives that support your safety and independence.
- Think about how long you plan to stay in your home. This might help you prioritise what alterations you would like to make.
- If you are planning on moving, think about the sorts of things you need to look for in your next home.
- Is your change in abilities temporary or permanent? This might help you decide how much to invest in home modifications, or whether to hire some equipment instead.
- Some alterations require building consent — check this with your local council and factor the costs and requirements into your planning. Moving or changing structural (load bearing) walls needs careful planning and can be expensive. Making changes to partition walls can be cheaper. You may also need to get a building consent if you would like to change or move doors, especially if they are external. Building consents need to include designs and plans for modifications, which need to be approved before you or your builder can start work.
Guides to modifications
Disability Support Services provides guides for various modifications. These may help you think about your options before making a decision.
Designing and building for the future
If you are renovating, building or planning to buy a new home, there are ways you can future-proof it so you can stay in that home for as long as possible.
Enable New Zealand has a checklist with advice about:
- access into and within your home
- the layout of your home
- fixtures and fittings.
Installing handrails
Rails in your home can help you feel safe, independent and give you more confidence, especially when using stairs. They can make you more steady and reduce the risk of falls.
Rails must be correctly installed and well positioned. They must be fixed securely into a stud in the wall. It is recommended you use a builder, or other tradesperson to install your rails.
What to consider when installing handrails
When deciding where to put the rails, consider the person's:
- height
- strength
- range of motion
- how they use their upper limbs.
Rails must be screwed into a stud or dwang.
Grab rails come in a variety of lengths and shapes. What you choose will depend on where you plan to install it and what it is needed for.
Determine if the stud is in a good position for you to install the rail at your preferred height, or whether a piece of equipment would be a better option. For example you may to choose to use a toilet surround instead of installing a rail in a toilet.
- Rails placed on a slight angle (approximately 30 degrees) or vertically (upright) are easier to pull on than those placed horizontally (straight across) when going from sitting to standing.
- Think about whether you need a rail positioned to help you when you are standing and adjusting your clothing. If you do, a longer rail might be a good choice.
Seek advice if you are considering installing rails into a moulded shower cubicle.
Where and how you place your rails (whether horizontal or vertical) may be determined by:
- the location of the studs
- plumbing pipework
- the height of the person needing to use them.
Screw holes need to be sealed and watertight.
Horizontal rails or a rail on a slight angle is useful when getting out of the bath.
Vertical rails are useful when stepping into a bath or standing up for a shower. To work out the best height, stand and see where your hand naturally wants to hold the wall — this is often about waist height.
If you have a shower over the bath and plan on using a bathboard, make sure you choose a rail that is long enough for you to use while sitting and standing.
- The height of the handrails should be determined by the height of the person needing to use them.
- Think about whether 1 or 2 rails might be required — 2 rails may be useful if the person has functional use of one hand only.
- The slope of a continuous rail needs to match the pitch of the steps.
- Ideally the handrail should extend beyond the entry and exit of the steps.
- For a doorway step, a vertical rail fixed to the door frame may be helpful.