What counts as disability?

RachelH

My dad has just had an operation to remove is Prostate after being told he was suffering from cancer. He's had the op he tried to claim disbability allowance as the op has left him incontinent and the reversal of this could take up to a year, depending on how much damage was done to the nerves around the protate area. He is really miserable feels he can't go anywhere for fear of having an embarrassing accident he's 63 years old and is normally quite active, but his confidence has been shot to pieces. He has now received a letter stating that he is uneligible for Living disablity allowance should he reapply or is there anyway of getting around this?:(

Indie_Kid

How does him being incontinent cause him care and /or mobility needs, that he can only deal with from help from another person?

pipkin71

sh1305 wrote: »

How does him being incontinent cause him care and /or mobility needs, that he can only deal with from help from another person?

Sorry, OT, but:

Overly dramatic leaving post in the arms, flounce out, ridiculous post on another forum and now you're back.

Hope your antics bought you some amusement!

pipkin71

RachelH wrote: »

My dad has just had an operation to remove is Prostate after being told he was suffering from cancer. He's had the op he tried to claim disbability allowance as the op has left him incontinent and the reversal of this could take up to a year, depending on how much damage was done to the nerves around the protate area. He is really miserable feels he can't go anywhere for fear of having an embarrassing accident he's 63 years old and is normally quite active, but his confidence has been shot to pieces. He has now received a letter stating that he is uneligible for Living disablity allowance should he reapply or is there anyway of getting around this?:(

Sorry to hear what your dad has gone through, Rachel.

DLA is provided to help with any care or mobility needs a person has. Although incontinence is not nice, that in itself will not have any care needs, if your dad is able to change himeself.

Has he been provided with incontinence pads so that he doesn't have the embarrassment of wetting himself?

mary-op

I'm a bit confused at the minute about OH;s health and whether he can or will in the future be entitled to any form of dla.
Just over a year ago he had tests for suspected lung cancer -thankfully biopsies were clear, but there is still a shadow on his lung (consultant thinks it could be scarring from previous chest infection. He is still under this consultant -next appt. early January.
Then,just a few weeks ago he slipped on the ice and fractured his pelvis. He currently struggles to get about but with the aid of a stick and painkillers he's keeping as mobile as he can. Friday last, his leg swelled up, top to bottom, quick taxi trip to the GP and deep vein thrombosis was diagnosed (waiting for appt. from hospital for scan to confirm this) and he is now giving himself injections for this. From what the district nurse has told us he will then be put on warfarin for the rest of his life.
Hospital have told him he'll be left with a limp when his fracture is repaired.
He's concerned as to whether he'll be able to work again -his old job was a 'joiner' which he gave up due to the chest problems.
I'm also having problems finding out whether he'll be able to get free prescriptions .........it's working out expensive at the minute at £7 a time for painkillers and stuff for injections.
I get dla myself, the low rate, for epilepsy.........also have back problems which I'm told is wear and tear on my lower discs and nothing can be done for it, plus tinnitus.........very worrying on a bad day.
So between us we're a bit of a mess at the minute.
Is it worth him applying for dla or may it just be a waste of his time. At the minute anything would help.
Thankyou..............apologies for long post

Indie_Kid

Do his problems mean he needs help from a person? Has he had the care and /or mobility needs for at least 3 months, and they'll last for at least another 6?

mary-op

It was 2 weeks before Christmas that he fractured his pelvis and he's needed a certain amount of help with getting dressed in the morning that I've managed to do -bit of a struggle but we get there.
He tries to keep as mobile as possible but can't walk any distance apart from up and down our living room. To go to the GP's (normally a 10 min.walk) he needs transport plus he will for hospital appts. but thats been arranged through the hospital.
How long his mobility problems will go on for I don't know but it was the cost of his medication for the deep vein thrombosis I felt concerned about as I couldn't find anything connected to it on the list of 'illnesses' for exemption charges.

Indie_Kid

He needs have the problems for 3 months before he can apply.

wattdallas

sh1305 wrote: »

How does him being incontinent cause him care and /or mobility needs, that he can only deal with from help from another person?

oH MY GOODNESS ,SH you were trying to get a higher DLA award for having diarrehea not so long ago

Indie_Kid

wattdallas wrote: »

oH MY GOODNESS ,SH you were trying to get a higher DLA award for having diarrehea not so long ago

I was? You're forgetting that I'm partially sighted and have a chronic pain disorder.