Need a shower installing

Adrift

Hi,
I live in a housing association house and have recently been awarded higher rate DLA for both mobility and care. I can manage most things in my way, but the bath is a real trial and I've already had two falls trying to get up when getting out and they were quite scary.

I could really use a shower installing. Before I got DLA I asked the housing assoc and they said it probably would be another 15 years or more before that happened. I also asked them about the tap heads on the sink as I struggled to use them as they are those plastic rounded off hexagon types. It was no deal with that either even though I told them at the time that I was disabled with arthritis.

We can't afford to get a shower installed ourselves, if we could we would have done it already. I've looked into a bit and it looks like it's all about social services becoming involved if you need any help with this sort of thing. Hell would have to freeze over before I let them near me or my family.

Is there anything/anywhere I can get help with getting a shower that's not to do with the SS? Thanks for reading.

Regards, Elaine

lolababy

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Disabled Facilities Grants - how to apply


A Disabled Facilities Grant is a local council grant to help towards the cost of adapting your home to enable you to continue to live there.

How to apply

Contact the housing or environmental health department of your local council and ask them to send you an application form.
You must apply for a grant before you start any work - you won't normally get any grant if you start work before the council approves the application.
The local council must notify you of the result of your application, in writing, within six months of the date of application.

Applying for a Disabled Facilities Grant

The decision to award a Disabled Facilities Grant is made by your local authority, or council. The following link will let you enter details of where you live and then take you to your local authority website.
Apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant from your local council

munchings-n-crunchings

Hello Elaine,

Initially, I was reluctant to make any sort of request to the SS.

You will need to have an assessment of your needs carried out by an Occupational Therapist, and these come under the umbrella of Social Services, and that is the route you need to go.

When they visit, they will have a look at what your needs are, and will make a recommendation.
This report will then go to your council who operate the Disabled Facilities Grant Scheme.

you can make the referral to the Occupational Therapist yourself, or it can be done through your GP. The self referral option just saves time.

Tap Turners may be an option for resolving your tap problems. They are quite inexpensive, and can be bought online for less then £10 including the postage.

Regards
Munchie

JC9297

Adrift wrote: »

Hi,
I've looked into a bit and it looks like it's all about social services becoming involved if you need any help with this sort of thing. Hell would have to freeze over before I let them near me or my family.

Is there anything/anywhere I can get help with getting a shower that's not to do with the SS? Thanks for reading.

Regards, Elaine

You say you've looked into it and it involves social services so why would you think there is a way to get it done without involving them? There needs to be an assessment of your need for a shower to be installed before a council or Housing Association will spend large sums of money having one installed, walk in showers can cost thousands.

What do you think that Social Services are going to do to you and your family? Believe it or not they can sometimes be helpful, although we only usually hear about their failings.

(I see that you called Social Services THE SS, surely they're not that bad:eek:)

Mojisola

When my parents had their bathroom altered - bath taken out and walk-in shower installed - they did initially see someone from SS but most of the contact was from OTs and the Anchor Trust - https://www.anchor.org.uk/OurServices/Athome/Homeimprovements/default - who were very nice to deal with.

Mupette

ditto what everyone is saying you need to contact social services, join the queue for the OT assessment.

Had mine a few weeks ago, i too would prefer a shower/wet room with a chair.. was told no, but a bath seat has just been installed, my days of lying down for a soak is over in that bath because this thing takes up most of the bath, but... i will be now able to have a bath without the need for someone to help me in and out of it now :rotfl:

Adrift

Thanks for the info everyone. Although I'd looked into it it's often the case that there is more to things than meets the eye and other people may have that information. It seems a shame that my housing assoc didn't put the same lever tap heads on the bathroom sink that are everywhere else when they replaced the sink tap heads. I'll look for tap turners as I hadn't heard of them before.

I don't think I'll ever trust the ss. I simply can't bring myself to deal with them so I'll manage as I've been managing until at some point I can afford a shower. I am grateful for the info though. Thanks

Regards, Elaine

hartzou

Maybe you can seach google.com and find something.

Invasion

Would a bath lift be of any help to you? An assessment by an occupational therapist may be helpful to you as they can recommend, and normally supply, aids that they think will be of use to you. If not, then bath lifts start from just over £200 at ableworld, which is where I got mine from