Case studies
Mr and Mrs W are very independent and like to do things themselves. They have used their local home improvement agency mainly for advice.
They first found the agency after hearing a presentation on home safety. They had recently moved into a bungalow, and were having problems with the builders who were carrying out work on their new home. The workmen often failed to turn up, and when they did, the finished work was shoddy. The agency provided advice on how to solve the problem.
Since then, the home improvement agency has provided window locks to make their home more secure. They also repositioned the clothes line, fitted grab rails, and moved and installed a bathroom cupboard.
"The standard of work was wonderful. Steve is a friend now, I know I can just ring him up for advice." - Mrs W
Mr S, aged 83, had lived for 15 years in area that he felt was becoming increasingly hostile - with gangs, people drinking in the street, and people taking drugs becoming more commonplace. This was making Mr S feel frightened and vulnerable, but despite his housing association offering him alternative accommodation, he did not feel able to move from his home. He was concerned about matters such as advising the bank of his change of details, registering with a new GP, packing, and all the other activities that needed to be done in order to make the move.
A bungalow became available and Mr S’s Housing Association Area Manager made contact with the Housing Options for Older People (HOOP) project, based within the local home improvement agency, to see if they would be able to offer Mr S some support. The caseworker visited Mr S and talked through his anxieties with him. With the caseworker’s support, he decided to accept the new bungalow. Within a week, he had moved to his new home, obtained furniture from local second-hand shops, and completed all the paperwork and letters required to support his move.
Mr S is now very happy with his new home and says he wishes that he had moved sooner.
