Council plea to return borrowed mobility aids so others can be supported

People and their families in Swansea who have borrowed equipment to support mobility and daily living in their homes are being asked to return items that they no longer use.

Every year hundreds of people are helped by the Community Equipment Service to remain living independently.

Jointly funded by Swansea and Neath Port Talbot councils along with Swansea Bay University Health Board, it operates out of Swansea and provides a range of items for adults and children to help with daily living from furniture raisers, walking frames and hoists to profiling beds and pressure care mattresses.

Hospital or community staff carry out an assessment and order the right equipment for each individual’s needs and these are then provided free of charge for as long as needed.

The council also provides community alarms so that people can summon help should it be needed.

Service users and their families are being reminded that should an item no longer be used then it should be returned as it may be of use to others.

Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, Mark Child, said: “Our Community Equipment Service plays a vital role in helping people to remain in their homes and this has been even more important in the last 18 months with so much pressure on the NHS and community care.

“We absolutely appreciate that the pandemic has been very difficult for everyone and we completely understand that there are items that are no longer used and that people would usually return but have not been able to do so.

“Also we fully appreciate where family members have been ill or sadly passed away then this is quite rightly very low on their list of priorities.

“But we are now asking if families do have items that are no longer needed that they contact the service to arrange for their return as by doing so they will be helping us to support other people too.”

Contact the Community Equipment Service on 01792 512240 or email jes@swansea.gov.uk