Home improvements: Making later life more accessible
By Legal & General Home Finance
Chronic illness and disability mean a ‘normal’ life at home can be increasingly difficult for many of your clients. But leaving their home for a more suitable property or to go into care is something many would like to avoid. With your help, there is a way they can stay.
Imagine spending decades living in the home you love, until one day you can’t to do basic everyday tasks there. Things we might take for granted – going up and down the stairs, getting in and out of the bath, or chopping veg at the worktop – suddenly they’re a lot harder or even impossible.
Difficulties with these sorts of day-to-day tasks are likely to become more common for your clients because of our ageing population. With people living longer, the UK’s typical housing stock can quickly become unfit for purpose. Steep stairs, high-sided bathtubs and small rooms are just some of the common quirks that can create big problems and leave your clients confined.
Sadly, this means they can quickly lose their independence in their own home because of their illness or disability, increasing the need for them to leave their home and go into care.
Bringing down the barriers
Research has found that many people with home accessibility needs reject moving to a more suitable property because they want to stay in their own home. Thankfully, home adaptations make staying possible and can improve confidence, independence and mental health. From minor additions to major conversions, adaptations can help your client feel at home again in the face of chronic illness, disability or mobility issues.
Ramps, rails and lifts, or wider halls and doorways can give clients the independence to move around when they need to. Converting a bathroom into a wet room can take the strain out of personal care, and lower worktops can take the challenge out of cooking in a wheelchair. And adding smart devices can help others monitor their safety and give peace of mind to family and friends.
Some minor adaptations that cost less than £1,000 might be funded by your client’s local council following a free home assessment. Larger adaptations could be funded through a Disabled Facilities Grant, which is usually means-tested against your client’s income.
But what if your client doesn’t qualify for a grant, needs more adaptations than their grant covers, or they can’t afford the labour?
Thanks to you, these life-changing improvements are still possible.
How you can help
You can consider a lifetime mortgage for eligible clients to help them carry out works to maintain their independence, confidence and safety without them having to sell their home.
This type of equity release allows them to borrow money against the value of their property to adapt their home and increase their comfort and quality of life. The loan is repaid when they die or move into long-term care.
Adaptations can reduce the likelihood of your client having an accident at home, going into hospital or being moved into care. Using a lifetime mortgage to fund adaptations can also keep couples at home together for longer, improving their mental and physical wellbeing.
A lifetime mortgage means you can work with your clients to turn their life around for the better and help them face the future with confidence.
Help your clients live the life they want by learning more about our lifetime mortgages at