Health & Welfare

CAITHNESS DIRECTORY
OF
PHYSICAL AIDS

CAITHNESS DIRECTORY OF PHYSICAL AIDS

Caithness Community Care Forum hope that this directory of Physical Aids will give useful information to users of community care services and their carers, and to those who provide such services.

It is set out so that information is arranged by broad category of disability or impairment, and then by source or supplier.

Aids can be provided by grant funding, through a long or short term loan, or by purchase. It must be emphasised that the provision of aids is subject to a full and proper assesment of need.

Referral to the person who can carry out the assessment can be -

Through your GP.
Through the Social Work Department.
Self referral by direct contact with person or agency named in the sections. 

Hearing Impairment
Physical Disabilities
Visual Impairmant

HEARING IMPAIRMENT
Statutory Agencies

Contact � John Gill, Team Manager (Hearing Impairment), Social Work Services, Slioch Buildings, Castle Street, Dingwall
TEL 01349 865262
FAX 01349 864438

Equipment
Smoke Alarms (with flashing light and vibrating pads).
Flashing Light Door Chimes
Extra Loud Doorbell Chimes
Personal Loop Systems
Television Listening Devices
Vibrating Pillow Alarms
Telephone Call Indicators
Baby Alarms (with flashing light and vibrating pad)
Minicoms

Contact � Audiology Department, Raigmore Hospital, NHS Trust, Inverness
TEL 01463 704406

Equipment
Hearing Aids and Associated Equipment. For first appointment please access through your GP. If you already have a Hearing Aid contact the Audiology Dept. direct. Regular clinics are held in Wick, Thurso and golspie.

Contact � Disability Employment Adviser, Government Buildings, Girnigoe Street, Wick, Caithness, KW1 4HJ
TEL 01955 602147

Equipment
Items for access to work e.g. adapted telephone/minicoms.

HEARING IMPAIRMENT

Voluntary Agencies

Contact Caithness Deaf Care, Shore Road, Wick
TEL 01955 606170
Minicom 01955 606171

Equipment
Infra Red (wire Free) Personal Sound System � with neck or loop headset choice.
Home Loop System, with microphones (varying lead lengths).
TV Aids.
Personal Loop System with microphone and neckloop.
Stethoscope Head Set, for use with Persoanl sound System.
Alarm Clocks with vibrating Pad and flashing Light.
Telephone Amplifier/Coupler.
Video Closed Caption Readers
Phone Display with extension bells.
Flashing Lights for Door Bells.
Smoke Alarms with Vibrator Pad.
Door Bell with portable chime.
Personal Pager with Door Bell and Telephone Alerts.
Minicoms
Various signed videos.
Display of a wide range of equipment for hearing impairment at the office in Wick.

Caithness Voluntary Group, Wick, Caithness, KW1 5EP
TEL 01955 603453
FAX 01966 306661

Equipment
Portable Loop System

PHYSICAL DISABILITY

Statutory Agencies

Contact Miss Annette Sharland, Area Education Manager, Education department, Rhind house, Wick, KW1 5LZ
TEL 01955 602362

Equipment

Children�s � for use in school.
Our constraints and criteria limiting access to the aids are first and foremost, they are for children in schools. There is , however, an opportunity for people/groups/organisations who require specialised equipment to make requests through the Caithness Educational Trust for support.

Contact � Disability Employment Adviser, Government Buildings, girnigoe Street, Wick, KW! 4HJ.
TEL 01955 602147

Equipment
Items for Access to work e.g. adapted computers, telephones.

Occupational Therapy
Caithness General Hospital and
Dunbar Hospital

In patients, day hospital patients and out patients receive Occupational therapy at the request of their Consultant or GP.

If appropriate, patients receiving Occupational Therapy will be assessed for the provsion of small aids, equipment and housing adaptations.

Requests for equipment and adaptations are referred to Social Work Department, Community Occupational Therapy Service.

Equipment available to disabled person after assessment by the Occupational Therapist
Grab Rails
Bannister Rails
Bath boards/seats/rails
Hydraulic or battery powered bath seats
Shower chairs/stools
Toilet seats and rails
Chair raising equipment
Bed raising equipment � but not the furniture itself
Dressing equipment
Specialised kitchen equipment
Specilaised equipment for the disabled child
Ramps for wheelchairs
Travel Cards

The Community Occupational Therapist assesses the needs of the disabled person. Alterations can be made to the house, or equipment can be provided to enhance the disabled person�s quality of life.

After the assessment has been completed, the Occupational therapst may provide any equipment/adaptations. If however, the equipment is not in stock, there will be an unavoidable delay before it can be supplied.

To obtain an assessment by the Community Occupational therapist please contact �
Social Work Services, 16 High Street, Thurso KW14 8AG TEL 01847 893835 FAX 01847 896309
Social Work Services, 125/127 High Street, Wick KW1 4LR TEL 01955 605040 FAX 01955 605488

PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

Voluntary Agencies

Red Cross
Marjory Miller
15 Lower Dunbar Street
Wick

TEL 01955 606091

Red Cross � Caithness of Branch of Highland and Western Isles
Red Cross Rooms
9 High Street
Thurso
Caithness

TEL 01847 895081

MRS M Masson
11 Provost Cormack Drive
Thurso
TEL 01847 894426

Equipment
Wheelchair
Commodes
Bed Cradle
Bed Rests
Tapes for Blind People

St John�s Loch Improvement Association
Equipment
"Wheelie Boat" on St John�s Loh for anglers in wheelchair. Full vehicle access but must be accompanied by the ghillie. Dates � First Saturday in April to first Saturday in September.

Lead (Linking Education & Disability)
Mrs M Coupland
Rockhead
Ramscraig
Dunbeath

Tel 01593 731 235
Assesment and possible provision of equipment for learning skills.

Louise Shakespeare
MacMillan Support Nurse
Caithness General Hospital
Wick
KW1 5LA

Tel 01955 605050

Nursing equipment available to patients with cancer and other chronic illness.

Nimbus Matress
Propad Matresses
Alpha X-cell Matress
Intercom System
Cushions/ "V" Cushions
Wheelchair
Liquidiser
Folding Beds
Reclining Chair

Cancer Relief MacMillan Fund have a grant scheme available to enable any reasonable piece of equipment to be supplied in the community to meet assessed need.

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

Statutory Agencies
Contact
Rhona MacKenzie-MacPhee
Social Worker for Blind People
Hilltop
Lower Newport
Berriedale
Caithness
TEL 01593 751215

Voluntary
Contact

Rhona Mackenzie-MacPhee
Highland Society for the Blind
Hilltop
Lower Newport
Berriedale
Caithness

TEL 01593 731215

Equipment
Low vision aids e.g. Magnifier, Lighting
Daily living aids e.g. non-slip surfaces, timers, liquid level indicators
Games e.g. tactile dominoes, jigsaws, bingo numbers
Writing aids e.g. writing frame
Mobility e.g. canes (and training)
Medical e.g. pill dispenser, eye dropper
Personal e.g. bath level indicator, talking scales
Clocks/Watches
Craft items e.g. leather and weaving
Library services
Compact cassettes � standard
Talking Books in cartridege format
Criteria � Individual assessed need

A comprehensive list of items provided by the Highland Society for the Blind is available from �
Caithness Voluntary Group
23 Harbour Quay
Wick
KW1 5EP

Tel 01955 603453

Miscellaneous
British Telecom Disabled Service
Contact
Henry Gray
Manager, Age and Disability
Room 418
Caledonian House
19A Canning street
Edinburgh
EH3 8TA
Tel 0131 3456701
Fax 0131 345 6701

Equipment
BT provide a wide range of equipmet and services for people who have hearing, speech, sight , dexterity and mobility problems. These are described within the BT guide for ppeoplewho are diabled or elderly. Copies of the guide are available free of charge by dialling 150. Text users should call 0800 243 123 and switch to CCITT setting.
The guide is also available online at www.bt.com/world/community .

Caithness Voluntary Group holds a copy for perusal if you are in the area.

Links
The Microsoft Accessibility Web site has lots of information and free downloads for people with disabilities.
Microsoft Accessibility  www.microsoft.com/enable/

See Also
Community Care Links