Individuals with severe disabilities or chronic illnesses, who require alterations to their homes to continue living at home, can request these modifications under the Disability Services Act.
- To initiate this process, schedule a home visit with an occupational therapist: Contact information: Occupational therapy for adults
An occupational therapist will visit you at your home and assess which modifications would be suitable to your situation. The therapist may be joined by an employee from Disability Services and/or a senior maintenance worker from the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS).
Following the assessment, the occupational therapist will recommend suitable modifications to your home. You will receive this recommendation via mail. Please note, a home visit by the occupational therapist does not guarantee a recommendation for modifications.
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Fill out the Disability Services application form:
Please include the following documents with your application:
• A printout from the Kanta services; for example, a statement or entry from a healthcare professional detailing your illness or disability.
• The recommendation for modifications provided by the occupational therapist.
Additionally, you must provide consent for the modifications:
• If you live in a rented apartment: Your lessor’s written consent, including their contact details.
• If you own the apartment: Written consent from the house manager or the housing company, including the contact details of the person providing consent.
Feel free to include any other relevant documents with your application.
Submit the application along with the necessary attachments to the Disability Services Office for your municipality:
- A social worker or counsellor from Disability Services will review your application. They will reach out to you to evaluate your eligibility for home modifications. If your disability does not meet the severity criteria for the specific service requested, you will receive a negative decision by mail, which will include instructions on how to appeal the decision.
If the social worker or counsellor determines that your disability is severe in the context of the requested service, they will contact you and, if necessary, schedule a home visit.
• For residents of Espoo and Kauniainen: A senior maintenance worker from HUS and/or a HUS contractor will visit your home to plan the technical aspects of the modifications. They will prepare a cost estimate for the modifications, which will be submitted directly to Disability Services.
• For residents of other municipalities within the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County: The Disability Social Work unit will reach out to the contractor for the technical planning and cost estimation. Following this, the contractor will visit your home.
- Disability Services will mail you a written decision regarding the implementation of the home modifications. This decision will detail which of the requested modifications in your application have been approved.
- Upon approval, the authorized contractor will carry out the approved home modifications. The contractor will contact you to schedule a suitable date and time for the modifications. Disability Services will cover the costs of the agreed modifications.
For any assistance or inquiries, please contact the Disability Services’ Customer Service at 029 1512 425.
How to apply retrospectively for financial support for home modifications
If you have already paid for your home modifications, you can apply for a reimbursement of these costs. Please note that the application must be submitted no later than six (6) months after the due date of the invoices.
Your application should include, in addition to the required documents, copies of the invoices and a comprehensive description of the modifications that have been implemented. If at all possible, include “before” and “after” photographs.
For an assessment, a home visit may be arranged if necessary. This visit may be conducted by an occupational therapist, social worker, senior maintenance worker, or contractor. The occupational therapist will provide a statement on the modifications, or the contractor will prepare an estimate of reasonable costs.
Under the Disability Services Act, essential home modifications must be reimbursed. The reimbursement amount, in euros, is determined based on a reasonable cost estimate provided by the HUS maintenance worker or contractor.