Handyman service to help elderly stay at home

The service, being provided by Yorkshire Housing and funded by Rotherham Council, will offer free advice on accessing loans and grants to enable customers to get their homes repaired or adapted to meet their living needs.

It will also carry out small repairs and minor adaptations for residents at a small cost.

The new Rotherham handyman service is available to all “older and vulnerable” people in the town.

It entitles people to have odd jobs carried out around the home, such as minor joinery and plumbing repairs, installing grab rails and stair rails, home safety checks, installing locks and safety chains and securing loose carpets and paving stones.

Chris Wade, from Yorkshire Housing, said: “The new service is great news for the people of Rotherham and the funding from Rotherham Council means we can act early to help vulnerable people, including those who are older and disabled, stay where they want to be – at home.

“The cost of installing a grab rail is a few pounds and when you compare this to the many thousands that a hip replacement costs and the weeks spent in pain, it makes sense to act early and have this service freely available.”

Staff from the handyman service will be at Rotherham Market until 3pm today, talking about what the service can offer.

Coun Jahangir Akhtar, Rotherham Council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “It is great to see that the Rotherham handyperson service is continuing its good work for Rotherham people.

“Vulnerable people, and especially older and disabled people, will definitely benefit from a service that helps them to live comfortably and safely in their own homes.”