Stairlift installer requests from Medway
Medway's steep Victorian terraces in Chatham, Gillingham and Rochester sit alongside 1960s to 1980s estates in Walderslade and Lordswood and village homes around Hoo. Medway Council handles both occupational therapy and grants here. Tell us about the stairs and we'll pass it to stairlift installers covering ME1, ME2, ME3, ME4, ME5, ME7 and ME8.
- Medway Council is a unitary authority, so its adult social care team and grants service are run by the same council.
- Terraces on Chatham's and Gillingham's hillsides often have steep steps up to the front door as well as steep stairs inside.
- Many Walderslade and Lordswood homes have straight stairs with a door or radiator near the bottom.
Steep stairs and front steps on Chatham and Gillingham hillsides
Many terraces in Chatham, Gillingham and Rochester climb steep hillsides, so getting into the house can be as hard as getting upstairs. Inside, the staircase is often a single steep, narrow flight that suits a straight stairlift. Outside, a flight of steps from the pavement may need an outdoor stairlift, a handrail or another solution. Ask installers to look at both on the same visit if that would help. Outdoor lifts need a charging point and solid steps to fix to, and the parked lift shouldn't block the pavement or a shared path. If you're in a conservation area in Rochester, check with Medway Council before anything is added to the front of the house.
Getting help through Medway Council
Because Medway Council is a unitary authority, occupational therapy and Disabled Facilities Grants are both handled by the council rather than split between county and district. If you think you may need financial help, contact Medway Council's adult social care team first and ask about an occupational therapist assessment. The therapist looks at how you manage at home and may recommend adaptations, and a grant usually involves a financial assessment. Don't order a stairlift or start work before the council approves a grant, as that can affect it. If you decide to fund it yourself, sharing the therapist's recommendations with installers can make quotes easier to compare.
Towns and villages covered
Postcodes: ME1, ME2, ME3, ME4, ME5, ME7, ME8