Need A Stairlift For Disabled Child Can Anyone Advise

Js_Other_Half

arowen wrote: »

If this is what you need then social services should be helping you - they have a budget for equipment, they may not be keen to spend it but surely your occupational therapist would be the person to ask? Golden rule - never spend your own money on your child's needs until you have checked out what help you are entitled to.

I think the issue for the OP is the lack of OT's - no one will authorise any money to be spent before an OT has made the recommendations.

Taflyn

Hi there, dare i admit to being an OT!! I work in a hospital and do not work in paeds but do persist with your social services and get your own medical team to write a letter of support for high priority on grounds of your health. Be very careful when purchasing equipment yourself. often people are taken for a ride by sales teams selling a product that is unsuitable for their family members. Hearing that he has reduced trunk control a stair lift may not be the best option. its not just the motion of going upstairs but the safety of transfering him off the top of the stairs and if you or he slipped could result in a nasty accident. A through floor lift ( which sounds enormous but isnt really that bad my mum had one in our house) may be a far safer option for you and your child. If you want to pursue purchasing one yourself PLEASE get some advice from an independent living centre or equivelent where IMPARTIAL advice with no sales spiel can be given to ensure you get what is right for your child. Remember you want equipment that will last him a lifetime not just while he is still a young child. I hate to say it but 6 months wait is actually quite good some areas you can wait much longer. there really isnt enough therapists out there to deal with the high demand but that obviously doesnt help you in the mean time so get everyone o board to give you letters of support emphasising the effect it has on you physically and psychologically.

I hope you get something soon, i know how hard it was waiting for desperatly needed equipment with my mum.

Good luck T

lukiesgirl

Thanks Tafflyn. My issue is with the system rather than the OT. If it were not for support from the school, Paediatrician and my own persistence life with mt DS would be harder than it is. I was left with no alternative but to buy a special needs buggy because there was a backlog of applications and I could not wait. My sons buggy wheels collapsed under his increased wait - he is still smaller than the average 6 year old but buggys are not built for kids his age! I just wish I was fit enough to manage him myself because then I would not need to bother anyone:o

Thanks again:T

mark3530

Hi you can apply to your local borough council for whats known as a disabled facilities grant. Its mean tested but based on the income of your child. A useful link is:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/HomeAndHousingOptions/YourHome/DG_4000642

echohoteloscar

I'm a Housing Manager with responsibility for my council's Disabled Facilities Grant budget.

A disabled facilities grant is mandatory for those needing their home adapted. If a council Occupational Therapist recommends it (and they, by law, are the only people who can make a recommendation), there is no quibble and the disabled person is sent details on how to apply (and most people do). You can get up to £30,000 of works carried out, but even if it in excess of this, there are usually ways of fundraising to meet the full costs.

It is the law that a grant must be offered for the following purposes:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1996/ukpga_19960053_en_3#pt1-ch1-pb5-l1g23 subject to ownership and income issues.

Just so there is no confusion, there is absolutely no means testing for families of disabled children under 19. Also there is no means testing for disabled adults if you are in receipt of certain means tested benefits such as DLA and Income Support, so in both cases you will get all the work paid for up to the maximum grant. In my experience, many people that are on a low income and requiring a home adaptation have little or no contribution to make themselves towards a grant.

Most councils offer some form of agency service to hand-hold people through the often daunting process of, say, getting builders quotes to fit an easy access shower or ensure a reputable company fit a stairlift. Athough the council will usually only pay for the lowest quotation, you can choose to pay the difference for a more expensive contractor and most are accommodating if you want to add little extras like fancy tiles in your shower, but you will need to pay for these yourself.

If you are having problems with the speed of getting the job done, as anyone who works in local government knows, buzzwords are 'continuous improvement', and Disabled Facilities Grants are no different - councils are forced to work towards government guidance and Acts of Parliament or face the consequences of poor performance (no manager wants to be the weak service is an excellent-rated council). If you need evidence of what councils should be working to, read chapter 9 of this
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/138595.pdf
and then ask questions of the officers if they are achieving this. The managers will know this guide backwards!!

To apply for a grant, either browse the housing pages of your local District / Borough / City council website for information on Disabled Facilities Grants (it should be there somewhere) or telephone the grants department of your local council. Most of us don't bite and contrary to some opinions, do the job because we love to help people who deserve a bit of break in life!

On a similar vein, I'm also responsible for other grants - also ask about these as well, you'll be surprised at the help that is available. It doesn't cost to ask and if you don't ask you don't get!

lukiesgirl

echohoteloscar wrote: »

I'm a Housing Manager with responsibility for my council's Disabled Facilities Grant budget.

A disabled facilities grant is mandatory for those needing their home adapted. If a council Occupational Therapist recommends it (and they, by law, are the only people who can make a recommendation), there is no quibble and the disabled person is sent details on how to apply (and most people do). You can get up to £30,000 of works carried out, but even if it in excess of this, there are usually ways of fundraising to meet the full costs.

It is the law that a grant must be offered for the following purposes:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1996/ukpga_19960053_en_3#pt1-ch1-pb5-l1g23 subject to ownership and income issues.

Just so there is no confusion, there is absolutely no means testing for families of disabled children under 19. Also there is no means testing for disabled adults if you are in receipt of certain means tested benefits such as DLA and Income Support, so in both cases you will get all the work paid for up to the maximum grant. In my experience, many people that are on a low income and requiring a home adaptation have little or no contribution to make themselves towards a grant.

Most councils offer some form of agency service to hand-hold people through the often daunting process of, say, getting builders quotes to fit an easy access shower or ensure a reputable company fit a stairlift. Athough the council will usually only pay for the lowest quotation, you can choose to pay the difference for a more expensive contractor and most are accommodating if you want to add little extras like fancy tiles in your shower, but you will need to pay for these yourself.

If you are having problems with the speed of getting the job done, as anyone who works in local government knows, buzzwords are 'continuous improvement', and Disabled Facilities Grants are no different - councils are forced to work towards government guidance and Acts of Parliament or face the consequences of poor performance (no manager wants to be the weak service is an excellent-rated council). If you need evidence of what councils should be working to, read chapter 9 of this
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/138595.pdf
and then ask questions of the officers if they are achieving this. The managers will know this guide backwards!!

To apply for a grant, either browse the housing pages of your local District / Borough / City council website for information on Disabled Facilities Grants (it should be there somewhere) or telephone the grants department of your local council. Most of us don't bite and contrary to some opinions, do the job because we love to help people who deserve a bit of break in life!

On a similar vein, I'm also responsible for other grants - also ask about these as well, you'll be surprised at the help that is available. It doesn't cost to ask and if you don't ask you don't get!

thank you for taking the trouble to give me so much useful information echohotelscar. I wont get much response from the council this week because we are snowed in but Monday is going to be D Day for me. I think I will make an appointment to speak to someone because I will probably get more information that way. Many thanks.

xx

chelsea1504

Hi,

Having two children with disabilities trying to get everything that is there for them is an uphill strugle. But keep going you deserve it too. However, try Contact a Family - there may be a local branch near you, otherwise try the national helpline 0808 8083555. They are great at advising about numerous things - benefits, conditions etc etc. Also if they don't know they know a man that does. Try the local CAB, get a list of charities that help children with disabilities and search the web for funding too. There are quite a few that will help without being means tested. Maybe you have a local Guild there are lots of unknown charities. If your child has a social worker (different to the SW we know about!) from the children with disabilities team try them - if you haven't see if you can get one. Ours is great. We have just received direct payments in order to pay for care for our 2year old for 3 hours a week. Just gives us a break. There are things out there unfortunately a lot of them you have to find - they don't ring you up and offer help. See if your local council has a children with disabilities database and get your child on that - opens up more doors. Really wish we didn't have to fight for everything but hey that's life I suppose.

Good Luck :think:

lukiesgirl

Thanks for the info - very helpful. I attended the Early Bird Plus programme last year and along with the other mums/dads/carers we pooled our resources but none of us had heard of contact a family. I hope you dont mind me sharing this info with them - all of us are now friends giving each other support. As well as the stair lift I am now fighting to get the nappy service because my DS is 6 and has no idea when he is going to toilet (linked to his spina bifida). So its onwards and upwards:rotfl:

Thanks again:A
x

chelsea1504

Glad the info was of use. Share it with all.
I suggest you make a list of all the things you need/would like for your child and yourselves. Then starting with the most important work your way down the list. You telephone, you e-mail, you write and you visit. You keep going until you get what ~YOU~ need and want, you keep on until when you call everyone they start the conversation with hello Mr/s XXXX what can we do for you now. Once you get the first success you will be surprised at what an inspiration it is and how you keep going and wish you'd started earlier. I know it sounds awful but you just have to go for it - as I say you have to keep on they don't come to you. We are lucky we also have a great Early Support Workers team (not sure if you have in Wales check website - up to 5year olds but some useful info to be found). Good Luck:rotfl:

sheraton1

I'm also an Occupational Therapist and reiteriate what Tafflyn has said.

Would also suggest you ask for a couple of quotes if you do go along the "fund it yourself or via charity route"

Try the Disabled Living Foundation (DLF), "a national charity that provides free, impartial advice about all types of daily living equipment and mobility products for disabled adults and children, older people, their carers and families. From stairlifts to walk-in baths, toys to children's equipment, jar openers to tap turners, bath seats to walking sticks, wheelchairs to scooters, hoists to beds, the DLF can help you find independent living solutions that enable you to stay active and improve your quality of life."

They have an advice leaflet about stairlifts
Contact details

• Helpline Telephone: 0845 130 9177
• Textphone: 020 7432 8009
• Email: [EMAIL="%20advice@dlf.org.uk"]advice@dlf.org.uk[/EMAIL]
• Opening hours: 10am-4pm, M-F

http://www.dlf.org.uk/