Act to Adapt

This report from the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association calls for better access to housing adaptations for people with MND.

It states that people living with MND are becoming trapped in inaccessible homes due to a failure to deliver essential home adaptations, especially as a result of the length of time, cost and lack of information and support people faced when trying to organise adaptations, such as hoists, ramps and wet rooms, to enable them to live with dignity and comfort in their home environment during their final weeks and months.

The report also found there are significant differences in the services provided by authorities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with varying levels of funding available and no nationally agreed response timescale, creating a postcode lottery. It calls for a continuing commitment to centrally fund Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs), with a fast track, non-means tested process for adaptations under £5,000 to be implemented by all authorities responsible for DFGs, and recommends a proportion of all new housing to be built to accessible and adaptable standards.