Help with daily living activities

• Shopping and errands
• Meals preparation
• Managing your money
• Housework including cleaning and laundry
• Gardening and home maintenance
• Support to regain your independence
• Getting a needs assessment

Shopping and errands

Help from friends or family members

Consider asking a friend or family member for help. Often people can pick up your shopping when they are doing their own shopping or run your errands when they are out and about.

Online shopping

You can also do your shopping online with a supermarket and some supermarkets offer a telephone shopping service. They will deliver your shopping direct to your door. Some local shops will also deliver to your home but you would need check with them to find out if they can do this.

• Find out more about home shopping

Using accessible transport

You can use accessible transport to take you to the post office, bank or shops

• More about transport

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Meals at home

If you are unable to get out to the shops for food but you can use a microwave, there are some companies that will deliver frozen ready meals to your door. You will have to pay for meals that are delivered to you.
How much you pay depends on the meal supplier you choose. Each supplier will provide you with a brochure with all the prices clearly shown to allow you to make an informed choice.

• More about meals at home

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Managing your money

You can set up direct debits to pay your bills, manage you account and have access to online shopping services.. Most High Street banks offer this now, contact your bank for more information.
If you are not able to manage your own financial affairs or make decisions about your support because you lack mental capacity or have a physical disability, someone else can manage your finances for you.

See also:

• Managing someone else's financial affairs (Power of Attorney)
• Search for financial advice on Haricare

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Housework

Equipment such as a lighter hoover or long handled dustpan can help make domestic chores easier. If you think you need straightforward equipment you may prefer to make your own arrangements and purchase these yourself directly from retailers such as local pharmacies, some supermarkets poor mobility outlets.

AskSara will take you through a series of questions to find out what equipment will help you, with links to suppliers

• AskSara (external link)

Cleaning

Some agencies can provide people to help you in your home but you will have to pay for this.

• Search for Domestic Support on Haricare

Alternatively you can look for accredited cleaners through Trusted Traders run by Which:

• Trusted Trader (external link)

Laundry

You can use a launderette that arranges for the collection of your laundry and carries out a service wash. You would need to telephone your local launderette to see if they offer this service. Alternatively there are online services that can collect and wash your laundry. Search for online laundry to get details.

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Gardening and home maintenance

Handy person services can help with you with a variety of tasks around your home, including:

• Small plumbing jobs – Fitting washing machines, dishwashers, taps etc
• Small electrical jobs – Putting up light fittings, security lights etc
• Carpentry jobs – Putting up cupboards, fixing flat-packs, shelving etc
• Moving furniture around your home

These services are usually charged to customers based on the complexity of the job and the materials required.

• The A team - 020 8489 4860

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Support to regain your independence

Adult Social Care has a Reablement Service that could help you to learn or relearn how to do everyday tasks for yourself.

• Find out more about reablement

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