Staying in your own home

The Staying Put Agency can make adaptations to your home, like installing safety rails, which might make it easier for you to carry on living there. They can also help with security measures such as installing a key safe, allowing you to feel more confident about your personal safety.

If you need bigger repairs or adaptations making to your home but you’re worried about how to find someone trustworthy to do the work, the Staying Put Agency can help with that too. They can discuss with you the work which you need doing, get quotes from contractors, liaise with the contractors on your behalf throughout the works, and even check that the work is completed to your satisfaction before payment is made to the contractors. You’ll get the work you need, and also the peace of mind that it’s being completed to a safe, high quality standard.

Read more about the Staying Put Agency.

For peace of mind for both you and your relatives, Connect and Telecare can help you to live independently by ensuring you receive help in an emergency.

The Connect service provides equipment which allows you to call for help in an emergency. The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so you never have to worry. You can even request a daily assurance call for a minimal cost. Read more about Connect.

Telecare provides a range of equipment which allows you to maintain independence in your own home, while at the same time reassuring you and your loved ones that you’ll be looked after in case of an emergency. Where necessary, the equipment is connected to our 24 hour help centre, and will automatically raise an alarm if you could be in danger or unwell, for example if you get out of bed during the night and don’t return for a long period of time, or if smoke is detected in your home. Read more about Telecare.

You may be able to get financial support from the council for things like paying someone to come to your home and help you with everyday tasks. To decide if you’re eligible for financial support, contact us to ask for a social care assessment. Even if you’re not eligible for financial support, we may be able to tell you about other services which could help you.

The occupational therapy service provides advice on easier ways of carrying out daily tasks, which may allow you to remain independent. These tasks could include dressing, getting in and out of bed, getting on and off the toilet, maintaining personal hygiene, and making a meal or drink for yourself.

The occupational therapy service may be able to provide you with specialist equipment, major home adaptations, or minor home adaptations through the Staying Put Agency. They can also refer you to other services, including the Falls Service, who can provide equipment and advice to stop you falling in your home, and the Disablement Service, who provide wheelchairs to those with permanent mobility problems.

If you’re not able to get out and about, you may want to consider a befriending service. You can use Middlesbrough Matters to find local befriending services.

The Royal Voluntary Service's Community Companions service offers practical help – for example, assisted shopping, accompanying to appointments, or posting letters – as well as social contact.

The Royal Voluntary Service's Home from Hospital service provides daily visits by volunteers for a period of up to six weeks after a person has left hospital.

If you struggle to prepare your own meals, you may want to consider a regular ‘meals on wheels’ delivery. Although the council doesn’t offer this service, there are a number of local and national providers, including Oakhouse Foods, Millennium Meals and Wiltshire Farm Foods. Please note, we don’t endorse any of these companies, we’ve simply provided their names for information.

Based on your income and whether you're getting certain benefits, you might be eligible for financial support over the winter:

• Winter Fuel Payment is a payment to help you pay your heating bill
• Cold Weather Payment is a payment for every seven day period of very cold weather
• The Warm Home Discount Scheme offers you a one-off discount on your electricity bill

During the colder months, the Staying Put Agency offers boiler servicing and repairs, provides winter essentials (including fleeces, gloves, blankets, and shoe grippers), and issues emergency loan heaters.

If you struggle to take your bin out, we offer an assisted bin collection service which you can apply for online.