Resources for an elderly disabled relative?

Mark300zx

My Mum is 82 and registered disabled I would like to find out of things that may benefit her and ease her senior years?

If you know of any website for information with regard to help she may receive, I would be grateful of any pointers please?

Barneysmom

Trying to keep this bumped.
My mom's in her 70's and we could do with a bit of help for her too.

Savvy_Sue

My first response is that age is irrelevant, the needs arise because of the disability.

Your local Social Services should be asked to assess their care needs. And also the needs of any carers, apart from those employed for this purpose. Then a care plan is drawn up. However some of what's available is means-tested, so unless your mums are prepared to pay for the care they are assessed as needing, then the council won't provide it.

If there's a need for adaptations to make the home safe / useable, then it's an OT assessment which is needed (Occupational Therapist). Other people will know better than me what can and can't be funded, but whether it's flashing lights when the doorbell rings for someone who can't hear properly any more, or a stair lift to get to the bedroom and back, that's the best place to start.

Barneysmom

My mom really needshelp with her bathroom use, she can't bath since she had new knees, the shower is over the bath and she really struggles to get in and out, she's fairly overweight. She has a lot of arthritis.

Savvy_Sue

That, I would say, is definitely one for the OT. There are all sorts of aids available, but an OT is best placed to advise what will work for your mum. In some cases ripping the bath out and putting in a walk in shower would be best, but for other people simpler adaptations like secure grab rails in the right place would suffice.

black_paw

social services should be able to help through help the age maybe , remember an old aunt had bath taken out and walk in shower put in for her, you can get chair raisers ect. disable groups have day centers bus to collect and take you shopping. make shaw she has claimed all benefits. my mum 80 just found out can get help with poll tax ! good luck

Savvy_Sue

Jamla wrote: »

my mum 80 just found out can get help with poll tax ! good luck

:rotfl: now that is astonishing, given that poll tax was done away with a good few years ago!

However, I think there are three things which might lead to 'help' with Council Tax, none of which will happen unless whoever is responsible for paying it contacts the council.

1. Single person occupancy discount - for whether there is only one person over 18 in the property, or where all but one are full-time students, and possibly some other exceptions I don't know about.
2. Reducing in banding for a property which has had some adjustments made for a disabled person, eg downstairs toilet put in for someone who struggles to get up and down stairs - the effect of this is that a Band D property is re-banded to C.
3. Council Tax benefit - dependent on income, claimed through the local council's housing dept.

maytaurus

Lots of info here;

AGECONCERN
http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/care_information.asp

HELP THE AGED
http://www.helptheaged.org.uk/en-gb/Boilerplate/SiteMap.htm

Directgov

Health and support
Arranging health and social care
Equipment
Mental health
More about health and support
Staying in your own home

Mark300zx

Thanks for the posts people, there is one slight problem and that is my mums resistance to outside assessment!

She was raised with the ghosts of the work house and it still hangs like a spectre over her today

Savvy_Sue

Would she feel better if initial ideas came via Age Concern, Help the Aged, or any social groups she's part of, rather than through a Social Worker she's never met before coming to do a formal assessment?

Even her GP may be able to help ease the way, as it were.

And can you present it as looking for help so that she can keep her independence longer? Presumably she's in her own home at the moment, and would want to stay there ... There is all sorts of help out there, if you can just access it, and no-one can be forced into residential care if they don't want to go!

Mojisola

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

And can you present it as looking for help so that she can keep her independence longer? Presumably she's in her own home at the moment, and would want to stay there ... There is all sorts of help out there, if you can just access it, and no-one can be forced into residential care if they don't want to go!

This was the way we got changes made at home for Mum and Dad - if you let the OTs come and you get a ground level shower fitted, you will stay in control, otherwise you'll need someone to come in and help you wash. If you get a stairlift fitted, you'll save enough of your energy every day so you'll feel well enough to do things you want to do. And so on...

It can change attitudes and it's all true!