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EquipU launches AskSARA across seven health and social care partners

Equipu AskSARA promo

A collaborative venture involving seven health and social care partners in central Scotland has led to the launch of a joint version of the AskSARA online self-assessment tool. Backed by EquipU the community equipment partnership the new service will be promoted to residents across a wide area reaching a population of 2.46 million.

Since 2002, the EquipU Community Equipment Partnership has been providing equipment and assistive technologies to help vulnerable people to live as independently and comfortably as possible in their own home. The Community Equipment Partnership comprises of NHS Greater and Clyde (NHSGGC), and the six local authorities of East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, Glasgow City, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, and South Lanarkshire.

Users of AskSARA can link to over 10,000 products for daily living listed in the Living Made Easy marketplace many of which can be immediately purchased from online retailers and delivered to their door. Almost a thousand retailers are listed with new products and suppliers being added every day.

The free-to-use guided advice tool (opens new window) which will launch early in November produces impartial advice written by qualified occupational therapists about suitable aids and adaptations for over ninety topics of daily living. Users choose a topic, answer some questions and view a report of advice tailored to their needs.  

Alison Docherty EquipU Project Manager who has been leading the venture says:

‘With the increased pressure on service delivery due to Covid-19 restrictions, launching a resource that is accessible digitally on a wide variety of devices is a timely and important move for us. This initiative forms part of our partners’ Maximizing Independence agenda, and underlines our commitment to support people to independently identify their needs, and self-manage their conditions, where ever possible’

Dianna Stirling, DLF’s Partnerships Manager for Scotland & NI comments:

‘This is an important project for DLF, it underlines the charity’s commitment to reach a broader base of older, and disabled people of all ages, with the advice they need to safely choose assistive technology solutions. EquipU’s partners will ensure that the service is broadly promoted for the benefit of residents across their service areas’.

To find out more about the AskSARA programme, email enquiries@dlf.org.uk or call 0300 123 3084

The DLF is a 50-year old national charity part of The Shaw Trust that specialises in impartial information, advice and training about equipment for independent living. Free services for the public include:

Services for professionals include their DLF Training courses and DLF-Data the prescribing tool for professionals which is free to use during the pandemic (contact them for a login).