Getting disability, mobility and incontinence equipment

If you’re living with a terminal illness or caring for someone who is, you can get equipment to make your life a bit easier. This could include things like a raised toilet seat or adapted cutlery.

On this page:

How do I get equipment?

A health or social care professional can tell you about equipment you may find useful. You can speak to a:

• occupational therapist
• physiotherapist
• community nurse 
• district nurse
• social worker. 

If you aren’t in contact with any of these professionals, speak to your GP or contact your local council or trust.

You may want to ask if there are items that might help you in the future. If they think you might need help with things like washing or eating and drinking, it’s useful to have equipment ready for when it’s needed. If you want to get equipment you might need in the future, you would normally have to buy this yourself.

You may be able to do things like cooking or washing without equipment, but you might find it easier to do them with equipment.

If you buy the equipment yourself, your district nurse, occupational therapist or social worker can give you information about where to buy things. There’s more information about buying equipment below.

You can also get advice from your local council (or health and social care trust in Northern Ireland). The council or trust can do a free assessment of your needs and tell you what equipment might make your life easier. They may also suggest adaptations to your home, like a stairlift or outdoor ramp.

You may be able to get this equipment for free, but it depends on where you live. Speak to your local council or trust to find out more. Find out more about paying for equipment and adaptations to your home in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on our page, Adapting your home.

What equipment can I get?

Items for personal care and the home

There’s a wide range of items you can get. Here are some you may find useful:

• Kitchen: drinking straws, trollies, adapted cutlery and crockery, kitchen knives with handles which make them easier to hold, jar openers, kettle tippers, easy-grip scissors, perching stools.
• Bathroom and toilet: slip-resistant mats, bath and shower seats, bath and shower boards, commodes, urinals, toilet frames, bed pans, raised toilet seats. 
• Getting dressed: stocking and sock aids, shoe horns, equipment for doing up buttons and zips, pick-up and reach equipment like grabbers.
• Getting out of bed and chairs: rise and recline chairs, rails on the bed, adjustable beds, hoists and transfer equipment.
• Other items: magnifying glasses, strong reading lights, large button phones, pill organisers and dosette boxes for your tablets.

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If you find it difficult getting in or out of bed, or find your bed uncomfortable, you may find it easier to have a hospital bed. You can buy a hospital bed yourself, or your district nurse, community palliative care team or GP may be able to refer you for one.

They will normally assess you to make sure you need one and to make sure it’s suitable for your needs. Speak to your district nurse or social worker, if you have one, for more information.

Before getting any equipment, it’s a good idea to get an assessment of your needs to find out what you may need. You can get an assessment by contacting your local council or trust, or through a referral from a healthcare professional.

Equipment for walking and getting around

If it’s getting difficult to walk or get around your home, tell your GP or district nurse. They may suggest you get a wheelchair or walking aid, like crutches or a walking frame.

You may be able to get a wheelchair or walking aids from the NHS, depending on which country you live in. There is more on this below.

You may want to buy your own mobility aids. There’s a wide range of walking sticks available, including fold-up sticks, quad sticks (with four legs at the bottom), and sticks with seats. Other mobility aids include crutches, walking frames (also called Zimmer frames), rollators (walking frames on wheels), mobility scooters, wheelchairs, and adapted cars.

England and Wales

The NHS can loan you walking items such as crutches, a walking stick, a walking frame or a wheelchair. They can’t usually loan you a mobility scooter. Some equipment, like walking aids, have to be measured and adjusted to suit the person using them.

To get a wheelchair, your GP may refer you to your local NHS wheelchair service, which will assess your needs for a wheelchair. Be aware that it may take several weeks from being referred to get an appointment at the clinic. Some NHS wheelchair services offer a voucher scheme. This means if you want to buy a more expensive wheelchair than you’d get on the NHS, they’ll give you a voucher towards the cost.

Northern Ireland

To get a walking aid if you live in Northern Ireland, your doctor or occupational therapist may refer you to a specialist service.

To get a wheelchair, your doctor or occupational therapist may refer you to the Department of Health’s wheelchair service, which will assess your needs for a wheelchair.

Scotland

To get a walking aid in Scotland, speak to your doctor, nurse or someone else from your care team. They may be able to arrange one for you.

In Scotland, anyone with an illness or disability can get an NHS wheelchair for free, if they’re eligible for one. A healthcare professional should be able to refer you for a wheelchair.

Incontinence products

You can buy incontinence products from chemists and supermarkets. Your district nurse or GP can give you advice about this. There are specialist continence services you can be referred to for more support – ask your nurse or GP for more information.

You may be able to get incontinence products on the NHS, for example pads and urinals. You will need to be assessed first. The NHS has more information on this.

The charity, Bladder & Bowel UK  , has information about suitable incontinence products and a helpline.

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Buying, borrowing or getting equipment for free

You may be able to have some equipment for free or borrow it for a set period of time. Or, you might want to buy equipment yourself.

Borrowing equipment

There are a number of ways you can borrow the equipment you need:

• The NHS can loan you mobility equipment including wheelchairs and some health-related equipment, such as commodes (portable toilet), bed pans and pressure-relieving mattresses. Councils or trusts can loan commodes and other health-related equipment.
• In some areas, the NHS and councils jointly run community equipment services. Community equipment services can give you a ‘prescription’ for equipment, which you take to a supplier to get the equipment you need. If you have a needs assessment with the council, they may order the equipment you need from the community equipment service. In Northern Ireland, health and social care trusts run community equipment schemes. Check with your local council or trust to find out if there is a service in your area.
• Shopmobility  schemes lend wheelchairs, scooters and other equipment to use in shopping centres.
• Motability   operates a car and scooter scheme. You use your mobility allowance to lease a wheelchair accessible car, scooter or powered wheelchair. 
• The British Red Cross   lend or hire out commodes, toilet seats and other toileting aids for short-term use. Their Borrow a wheelchair scheme   lets you hire a wheelchair for up to 20 weeks.

Buying equipment

If you decide to buy equipment yourself, it’s best to ask for an assessment of your needs first. This means you won’t end up buying things you don’t need.

You can buy your own equipment. You can also get things second hand by looking on websites. The Disability Equipment Service has a factsheet  with tips about getting second-hand equipment.

You may be able to get a grant towards getting equipment. We have more information on getting a grant when you’re ill. There are also organisations below that can help.

Where can I get more information?

You can get information from these organisations:

• The Disabled Living Foundation   has factsheets on different types of mobility aids and wheelchairs. It also has a list of equipment demonstration centres   and a website tool called AskSARA   to help you find products.
• Which?   has a guide on how to choose mobility aids.
• The Research Institute for Disabled Consumers   has information about mobility, motoring and user reviews on products and services.
• Your local community equipment service can give you information on personal care equipment – check your local council website for details.
• Age UK   has a factsheet on disability equipment and home adaptations.
• You may find it helpful to read other people’s opinions. You can find these on online forums, like Carers UK   or Marie Curie’s Online Community.
• The British Red Cross   has a service to help you if you’re returning home from hospital. This includes transport home, short term use of equipment (wheelchair, toilet aids), and up to 12 weeks of support after that.

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The organisations we include on this page have been suggested by health and social care professionals and people affected by terminal illness. We do not recommend or endorse any specific products or companies, or accept any liability arising from their use. We do not receive sponsorship to include these organisations on our website.