Residents are being encouraged to use Derbyshire County Council’s new online information finder to help promote their independence so they can lead the lives they want to live.
It provides free, impartial information and guidance for anyone who might need a bit of extra support to remain living independently at home. Anyone over 18 can use it – including older people, their families or carers, people with physical or learning disabilities, long-term or mental ill health or anyone having difficulties with day-to-day living.
People are asked to answer some simple questions about how they live including how they manage with things like:
- Getting washed and dressed
- Cooking and preparing meals
- Moving around their home
- Managing their money or bills
- Getting out and about in their local community
Using their answers, the online information finder points them to a wide range of services, activities, resources and guidance that they can access themselves to help make their lives easier.
As well as county council support, it also promotes a wide range of services which are available through the private, community and voluntary sector including:
- Befriending services for anyone feeling isolated and lonely
- Community groups available across Derbyshire
- Derbyshire Connect and Active Travel which provide weekly transport to local shops
- Support and equipment to reduce the risk of people having falls in their home
- Technology and equipment to help people remain safe at home, including door and bed sensors and emergency support through an alarm
- Information about equipment to make everyday tasks easier
- Support with laundry and cleaning
- Mental health and wellbeing support
The online information finder can be found at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/informationfinder
Councillor Natalie Hoy, the county council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Care, said: “By offering this new service, we aim to make it easier for people to access the support they need.
“There’s a wealth of information available online and it can sometimes be difficult to know where to turn for help. By bringing it all together in one place – and tailoring it to a person’s individual needs – we hope people can find the help and support they need more quickly.
“It also gives people the chance to choose for themselves which support is suitable for their own individual needs and within their own communities.”
The county council is also seeking feedback from people who use the online information finder to continually improve how it works.
It is also planned to expand the information finder so that people can carry out a fuller self-assessment of their needs online to see if they may need adult social care support to remain independent, safe and well.
Councillor Hoy added: “We know that people want to remain living independently at home for as long as possible.
“With this new online tool we’re making sure that information about services across Derbyshire is readily available to those people who need to most, at the time they need it, to help them to achieve this.
“However we also recognise that not everyone uses the internet so people who want to can still request an in-person assessment to ensure it is accessible for all.”
If anyone feels the information provided is not what they are looking for or feels they could benefit from an assessment they can email contact.centre @ derbyshire.gov.uk or call 01629 533190 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.