Our April newsletter, with insights on UTIs, DFG funding and bathroom design.
Understanding UTIs through an occupational therapy lens
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are often treated as routine clinical issues, but our latest whitepaper on Functional Implications of Urinary Tract Infection and Risk Management challenges that view, revealing a much bigger picture. With over 190,000 hospital admissions annually in England alone, UTIs carry significant human and economic costs, particularly for older adults.
What makes this perspective compelling is its focus on function. Subtle changes in mobility, cognition or daily routines, often first noticed by occupational therapists, can signal infection or increase risk. Toileting, something many take for granted, is shown to be a complex activity where breakdowns in mobility, dexterity or environment can directly contribute to infection.
Crucially, UTIs are not isolated events. They can trigger wide-ranging physical, functional, and psychosocial impacts, which disrupt daily activities, increasing falls risk and sometimes leading to a sudden loss of independence. These effects often extend beyond the individual, contributing to social withdrawal, reduced dignity and increased burden on carers and support systems.
Our whitepaper highlights how factors like poor bathroom design, inadequate lighting and difficulty maintaining hygiene can quietly elevate risk, while also impacting dignity and independence. It also explores practical, evidence-informed solutions, from activity analysis to environmental adaptations and assistive technologies like Wash and Dry Toilets.
For professionals, carers and anyone involved in supporting independence, our whitepaper offers a fresh, holistic understanding of UTIs alongside actionable ways to prevent them. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in improving quality of life while reducing avoidable healthcare demand.
Click here to view the white paper
Unlocking DFG Funding
The government announced an additional £50 million for the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) in 2026, signalling a strong national commitment to helping people live safely and independently at home. But as many local authorities and occupational therapy teams know, funding alone doesn’t solve the problem.
Delays in assessment, specification and installation continue to limit the real-world impact of DFGs, particularly for complex bathroom adaptations, where timing is critical. Long waiting lists, workforce pressures and process bottlenecks can mean individuals deteriorate before essential changes are even completed.
Our new DFG Funding guide takes a practical, frontline view of these challenges. It highlights the common pitfalls that slow delivery. From administrative hurdles and funding constraints to ineffective or reactive solutions and importantly, what can be done differently.
A key focus is on improving the pathway from approval to installation. Our guide explores how introducing specialist support at the right stage can reduce rework, increase confidence in decision-making and ensure adaptations are fit for purpose from the outset.
For complex cases this can make a significant difference to both outcomes and timelines.
It also outlines the benefits of a more integrated, end-to-end approach to delivery, helping to reduce coordination pressures on local teams while ensuring installations are completed efficiently, safely and sustainably.
For councils, housing teams and occupational therapists, this guide offers actionable insight into making better use of available funding to support faster interventions, improved independence and reduced long-term pressure on health and care services.
If you’re looking to maximise the impact of DFG funding and improve adaptation delivery in your area, this is essential reading.
Click here to view the DFG funding blog
Housing without Delay initiative – launching June 2026
Foundation’s Housing Without Delay initiative builds on two decades of progress in improving access to home adaptations, expanding the focus beyond equipment and installations to recognise housing as a key driver of health and wellbeing.
Commissioned by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) and delivered by Foundations with support from Closomat, the initiative highlights the vital role occupational therapists can play in shaping housing outcomes and enabling more preventative approaches to care.
The project introduces a comprehensive framework including strategic guidance, operational tools and practitioner resources. Together, these aim to support professionals at every level to better integrate housing into practice, whether through influencing design and allocation, improving service delivery or enhancing direct client interventions.
This reflects a growing recognition that the home environment is central to independence, dignity and long-term health outcomes.
With poor housing costing the NHS an estimated £1.4 billion annually and demand set to rise with an ageing population, Housing Without Delay comes at a critical time. The initiative aligns with wider health and social care priorities around prevention and community-based support, offering practical ways for professionals to drive system-wide change and deliver more effective, sustainable solutions.
All resources will be available from June 2026.
https://www.foundations.uk.com/beyond-adaptations-launching-housing-without-delay/
