Being discharged from hospital and being introduced to many hurdles that you’ll need overcome can be overwhelming; especially if your home isn’t already accessible for you and your rehabilitation needs. However, the freedom you will gain from this journey will be invaluable to you and your loved ones.
In this article, we explore what to expect after being discharged from hospital, the housing options you have and how Aspire Law can support you.
Maintaining hope
For so many people, returning home provides a lot of hope for a new chapter of their lives; a new normal that is within reach.
Life after spinal cord injury holds many possibilities. You might discover new things that you enjoy doing, spend more time with the people that you love and appreciate the smaller things in life that we might otherwise take for granted.
Life after discharge
There are many elements of your life that will need to adapt to support your rehabilitation after your hospital stay. This may include building a more accessible home that nurtures your recovery, particularly in the early stages where you may be using a wheelchair to stay mobile.
You might find your doorways are too narrow, or that you can no longer get up the steps to your front door. There are many solutions to making sure your home is both safe and comfortable for your current condition.
Accessible housing
There are many adaptations to your own home that you can implement to assist you on your path to independence.
This might include installing ramps outside your house for easier access, converting your bathroom into a wetroom and kitchen alterations that will enable you to cook and prepare your own meals.
These changes will not only enable your journey to independence, it will also improve your mental health to feel like you’re getting closer to becoming more like yourself again.
Naturally you will need more help than you did before, however this isn’t a weakness. It’s a sign of strength to adapt and grow through adversity, nurturing a stronger and brighter version of yourself.
Housing advice
There are circumstances where you may not be allowed to make your home more accessible for your needs, for example, if you live in rented accommodation or council housing.
In this case, the charity Aspire is there to help you. Aspire have a dedicated housing team that can answer all your questions and provide you with more suitable housing on a short-term basis. Their support has been transformational for so many lives, so don’t hesitate to contact them for more information.
Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG)
Funding is available through a ‘disabled facilties grant’ or ‘DFG’, which is dedicated to financial support you with the adaptations your home needs.
On a means-tested basis, your local authority could grant you a maximum of £30,000 in England, the amount dependent on your financial circumstances and savings.
However, the process of acquiring this funding can be long and complicated, with disputes frequently arising. Alternatively, Aspire Law can negotiate interim compensation payments so that you can pay for any work on your home as quickly as possible.
Aspire Law’s housing services
During the course of your compensation claim, Aspire Law can help you with any housing needs you may have.
Putting you in touch with reputable organisations is one of the many ways we can help you during this process. These companies will carry out the adaptation work you need for your specific needs for a good price and deliver their services to a high standard.
We can also talk to the charity Aspire for you and make a referral for you to benefit from their Independent Living Programme. We can find out whether they have a suitable property for you while you wait for the adaptations to be completed for your home.
Get the support you need
As the leading law firm for spinal cord injury claims, we can support you through your rehabilitation journey, helping you get back to your independent life.
Contact Aspire Law today to find out more about how we can help you.
