Accommodation after a stroke

Your accommodation needs after a stroke

If you have a disability after a stroke, you might need to make some changes in your home to help you live independently. If your needs cannot be met at home, then you will be supported to find a new home which could include options such as sheltered housing or a nursing home.

If you need to make changes in your home environment, the first step is to think about your own needs and wishes. This can help you begin the process of deciding how and where you could live.

A care and support plan might suggest equipment or alterations that could help you in the home. This could include grab rails or raised toilet seats. Find more about care and support assessments and plans in our PDF guide 'Accommodation after stroke'.

Help in your own home

If you need equipment, or minor adaptations to your home such as buying and installing a grab rail, you should get this free of charge through your council, up to the value of £1000. A council can make a charge for minor adaptations costing more than £1000.

If you need a larger alteration to your home, such as widening doors or installing a stair lift, the Disabled Facilities Grant is available through local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This is means tested, so you could be asked to pay for some of the work.

In Scotland, you can apply to the local authority’s Scheme of Assistance for help with repairing and adapting housing if you have a disability. It can only be arranged after you return from hospital, so some people might need to have a temporary arrangement at home. This could be a bed, armchair, commode and hoist in one room.

If you need mobility equipment like wheelchairs or walking frames, you might be able to get it on loan from the NHS.

Sheltered housing

If you need some support but not 24-hour care, sheltered housing may be an option for you. Sheltered housing can help you live independently with the added security that there is someone nearby to call in an emergency.

These schemes usually have a warden or scheme manager who lives on site or nearby. Their responsibilities will usually include managing the day-to-day running of the scheme, checking on residents’ wellbeing, giving residents information on local services and helping with emergencies.

They are not there to provide personal services, such as care, or help with shopping, cooking and cleaning, but they may be able to help you arrange these services.

You can contact your local council’s housing or social services department to find out more about sheltered housing in your area.

Care homes

A care home provides support from staff 24 hours a day. The home will provide you with care and services, a room (sometimes with en-suite facilities), communal areas and meals. Residents will usually also be offered social activities. Homes are owned and run by local authorities, voluntary organisations or private companies.

Your choice of care home will depend on the amount of care you need. If you need to live in a care home, a financial assessment is carried out to see how much you should contribute to the cost.

Sometimes people need to go into a care home on a temporary basis, possibly for a trial period or to give themselves or their carer a break.

How to find a care home

When choosing a care home it’s a good idea to do plenty of research and find out as much as possible. You may want to get support from your family with the decision. With a close friend or relative, you may decide to visit each home you are considering to see what it is like first-hand before making a choice. Social services often provides a list of three care homes in your area.

If your local authority is covering all or part of your care home fees, you can have a say about the home you live in, providing your choice of care home:

• Suits your assessed needs.

• Has a place available.

• Can agree the support to be provided with your local authority.

• Costs no more than the amount the local authority would usually pay.

If you need to go into a care home but have difficulty expressing your own views, friends and family may be involved in discussions. You may find support from an independent advocacy scheme helpful. An advocate is someone who can support you, represent your interests and take action on your behalf.

Paying for care

The cost of a place in a care home tends to vary from one area to another and will be affected by the facilities, support and level of care offered. Most people have to contribute towards their fees.

In Scotland, the social work department will automatically contribute to part of your care home fees if you are over 65 and their assessment shows you need personal care (or both personal and nursing care). If you are under 65, they will pay towards the fees if you have been assessed as needing nursing care. They will then carry out a financial assessment to see how much you can afford to pay towards any remaining costs.

In the rest of the UK, your local council will carry out a financial assessment to decide if you should contribute and if so, how much. All local councils should follow the government’s rules set out in the Care Act 2014 when deciding how much you will need to pay.

Call our Stroke Helpline on 0303 3033 100 if you need guidance about paying for a care home.

Information guide

• Download Accommodation after stroke (PDF)

Where to get help and information from the Stroke Association

Helpline
Call us on 0303 3033 100,from a textphone 1800 0303 3033 100
Email: helpline@stroke.org.uk
Our Helpline offers information and support for anyone affected by stroke, including family, friends and carers.

Read our information
Call the Helpline to ask for printed copies of our guides.

Other sources of help and information

Age UK
Age UK Advice Line: 0800 169 65 65
Age Cymru: 0300 303 44 98 or advice@agecymru.org.uk
Age NI: 0808 808 7575 or advice@ageni.org
Age Scotland: 0800 12 44 222
The charity works to improve later life for everyone through support and advice. They offer information about the financial and practical aspects of going into a care home.

Association of Independent Care Advisers (AICA)
Phone: 01483 203 066
The AICA can put you in touch with a local independent care adviser - they represent organisations that help people identify the type of care service and provider they need.

Care Information Scotland
Phone: 0800 011 3200
They provide information about care services in Scotland.

Elderly Accommodation Counsel (EAC)
Advice line: 0800 377 7070
Email: info@firststopcareadvice.org
They help older people make choices about their housing and care needs and offer accommodation details. Use the Housing Options for Older People online tool on their website to get information and request a callback.

Housing Advice Northern Ireland
Phone: 028 9024 5640
They provide independent housing information.

Independent Age
Helpline: 0800 319 6789
They offer free, impartial information and advice for older people, including benefits checks and advice on funding care.

The Relatives and Residents Association
Phone: 020 7359 8136
Email: helpline@relres.org
They support older people who need or live in residential care, and their family and friends.

Scottish Care
Phone: 01292 270 240
Email: info@scottishcare.org
They represent a large range of care homes and providers in Scotland. Search their website for homes in different regions.

Shelter
England and Scotland: 0808 800 4444
Northern Ireland: 02890 247 752
Wales: 08000 495 495
They provide information, advice and advocacy support for people with housing problems.

Regulatory bodies

Care Quality Commission (CQC) (England)
Phone: 0300 061 6161
Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk

Care Inspectorate (Scotland)
Enquiries: 0345 600 9527
Email: enquiries@careinspectorate.gov.scot

Care Inspectorate (Wales)
Phone: 0300 7900 126
Email: CIW@gov.wales

The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (Northern Ireland)
Phone: 028 9536 1111
Email: info@rqia.org.uk

Other relevant organisations

Care and Repair England
Phone: 0115 950 6500
Email: info@careandrepair-england.org.uk

Care and Repair Scotland
Phone: 0141 221 9879
Enquiry form

Care and Repair Cymru
Phone: 0300 111 3333
Enquiry form
Care and Repair offer practical help with repairs and home adaptations through local agencies and offer information about funding housing for older people.

Cinnamon Trust
Phone: 01736 757 900
This charity aims to maintain relationships between owners and their pets, but can also provide long-term care for pets whose owners have moved into residential accommodation.

Disclaimer: The Stroke Association provides the details of other organisations and apps for information only. Inclusion on My Stroke Guide does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement.