How would it work if...

Mojisola

toomuchinfo wrote: »

[It's worth getting a benefit check done every now and then. My parents have found the Pension Service very good at making sure they are getting everything they are entitled to. They come out to the house and sort everything out.

Mum lives alone but we live very close by and go over several times a day to help.
I phoned the Pension Service yesterday and they said that she might get more Pension Credits now because she lives alone and they are sending her a form.:)[/QUOTE]

Does she pay Council Tax? If so, that's another one to look at.

margaretclare

Have you had an assessment to help with any equipment that might help you. Your first port of call for this should be your GP. Social services can provide a range of equipment - not just wheelchairs and chairlifts - all sorts of bits and pieces to help you remain in your home and retain your independence.

Thanks for this, but no, I don't think there is anything.

The main thing we had changed in the autumn of 2008 when DH was in hospital and coming out with a stiff leg, was the shower. There's a bit of a story attached to that.

DH was in hospital for 4 weeks - initially the 3rd replacement of left knee blew up an infection which turned to septicaemia and nearly killed him. While in hospital I ordered 2 new chairs from HSL, one so that he could raise and lower the seat. I asked the physio/rehab/OT people about the shower because I could see that the one we had needed replacing to one with a wider door and lower step-in. They looked me straight in the face and said 'oh no, all that's required is a daily strip-wash'. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. They were serious! This, to a man, who took a shower every day of his life, as God sends a day. Mind, he didn't get a shower or a bath while in hospital - 4 weeks!!

I went to the builder 2 doors down and looked at the low-step shower he'd put into his own house. I said 'I want that!' He did it for me the following week, and once home, we coped with DH's stiff leg in the shower by means of a large black bin-bag. Money well spent.

Washing hair isn't a problem - I do it in the shower. We have grab-rails in the bathroom at all the important places. We got a new bed a few years ago, the right height, a nice firm mattress, king-size so lots of room for us both to wriggle around.

Interestingly, the rehab people thought DH needed a Zimmer frame, even though he was on crutches! And a raised loo seat, which he didn't need. Someone else's ideas of what we need - they delivered these items unasked-for and we then had to get them picked up again and taken back to County Supplies.

I did get the boiler replaced through WarmFront - I qualified for that through my AA and it has been a godsend.

Anyone on pension credit can get various other things, help with council tax etc, but we're not on any means-tested benefit so it doesn't apply to us. Our main thing at the moment is keeping the car on the road. Without it we'd go nowhere.

Mojisola

My parents were lucky and had a complete renovation of the bathroom into a wet room with level access shower but that was a few years ago now. I wouldn't be happy with only having a daily strip wash for ever! I'm glad you had the savings to do the bathroom yourselves.

I've made sure my parents have claimed everything they're able to and they are able to save some every week. That gives them some independence. When Mum was assessed as needing a stairlift but told it would be at least 18 months before the LA could install it, they were able to buy it themselves.

As they now need more care, much more of their money is going on buying that in but it is on their terms and they can choose who they want.

margaretclare

Mojisola wrote: »

My parents were lucky and had a complete renovation of the bathroom into a wet room with level access shower but that was a few years ago now. I wouldn't be happy with only having a daily strip wash for ever! I'm glad you had the savings to do the bathroom yourselves.

I've made sure my parents have claimed everything they're able to and they are able to save some every week. That gives them some independence. When Mum was assessed as needing a stairlift but told it would be at least 18 months before the LA could install it, they were able to buy it themselves.

As they now need more care, much more of their money is going on buying that in but it is on their terms and they can choose who they want.

I thought of having a wet-room at the time, but it would have been a mega building job and I wanted it done straight away so that there'd be no delay with DH coming home. Waiting 18 months for the LA is not something we'd want to do, although various people have told us 'oh you could get this, that and the other done for you by the LA' - well, they haven't tried, is all I can say.

We are especially pleased with the AA because it's non-taxable. We're still taxpayers!

I can see domestic help and help in the garden as being the next things needed. At present it's the car. This little 2-bed bungalow is already as easy-care as we can make it. We started thinking about this some years ago now, after DH came here, because we could see that - with his knees and my hips - a bath was a no-no and a proper shower unit was essential.

I would not like to have any of the additions/alterations outside - the shiny white plastic grab-handles outside the front door which scream to passers-by 'here lives an elderly/disabled person'. I don't want to announce this to the world, to every passing opportunist burglar! Similarly, when DH was in hospital for that 4 weeks the physio/OT/rehab people didn't want to let him out unless we had a ramp installed to the front door, even though there are only 2 little steps in. I didn't want that amount of civil engineering to my front drive, front path and front garden! Since then we've had the drive re-done and paving slabs laid so there's a bit more space to walk. But it's amazing how the 'experts' became fixated on one thing and yet couldn't see our point about the need for a shower.

Js_Other_Half

Stretchy bras. I had these when I was pregnant, there are no fastenings, you pull them on and off.

http://www.nctshop.co.uk/Carriwell-Maternity-Bra-White/productinfo/1186/

PurpleSky_3

Thanks for all the Bra info guys! I have looked at some of them and will have to consider my options... DH helps at the moment but would be nice to get some independence back... although he may complain if I tell him I don't need him to sort out my boobies every day!

SingleSue

margaretclare wrote: »

Please be advised:

That the form which can be downloaded from the AA site is obsolete. There's now a new one which isn't on the directgov. site.

No one should attempt to complete the application form without help.

DH has just been to DIAL locally - he had to wait about a month to get an appointment. He spent 2 hours with the benefits adviser there and it took them that long, between them, to complete the form. He had various consultants' letters, a print-out of his medications and a letter from me. Nevertheless it took that long. He's an intelligent man but he said there is no way he'd have been able to complete the form without the help of the benefits adviser. He'd downloaded the original form and partly-completed it, but was told that form is obsolete now.

It's 50/50 whether he gets the award or not. If he gets it, it will be backdated to March. It depends entirely if 'all the right boxes' have been ticked and that means someone will take about 20 minutes to read it and make a decision yes or no.

I think he was quite surprised that he was there so long and that it's so difficult and complicated. We've both had a lifetime of writing things, filling in forms, putting our point of view forward, but this was something else. It is now completely different from when I applied, a few years ago now.

Hope this helps someone else.

Margaret

I did the AA application online for my father a couple of months ago, took no advice from anywhere (but also forgot a couple of important things grr). He was awarded low rate attendance (the correct one as his night time needs are minimal) within 2 weeks.

I think it helped that the DVLA had recently revoked his licence due the effects of the stroke though

Re claiming AA, my parents put it off for a year after dad's stroke because of the stigma attached to claiming benefits but it was all getting too much for mum to cope with. On the day I did the form, mum had just had a major cry in front of me (very very unusual) as she was just so tired from all the caring and having to take on the household jobs that dad used to do but was now unable to. I decided enough was enough and got on the computer and applied for them.

Now they can pay someone to do the decorating, pay for a taxi to go shopping when mum's legs/hips are bad and she cannot drive, pay for someone to help with the housework etc and the relief for mum is amazing, in the last year with all the extra caring duties, she appeared to have aged about 10 years.

She has not applied for carers allowance, it would only be an underlying entitlement due to private pensions because they believe the AA is enough....plus they are not keen on relying on the state purse.

margaretclare

Re claiming AA, my parents put it off for a year after dad's stroke because of the stigma attached to claiming benefits but it was all getting too much for mum to cope with. On the day I did the form, mum had just had a major cry in front of me (very very unusual) as she was just so tired from all the caring and having to take on the household jobs that dad used to do but was now unable to. I decided enough was enough and got on the computer and applied for them.

Now they can pay someone to do the decorating, pay for a taxi to go shopping when mum's legs/hips are bad and she cannot drive, pay for someone to help with the housework etc and the relief for mum is amazing, in the last year with all the extra caring duties, she appeared to have aged about 10 years.

Stigma? What stigma? No one need know about it unless you choose to tell them! I find this type of benefit is extremely useful because (a) it doesn't get you involved with the whole means-testing circus and is non-taxable and (b) it can be spent on whatever you choose, whatever you decide you need rather than what someone else thinks you need.

DH thinks that what he'll do first of all is to pay off the loan he got from the bank last autumn when we changed the car. He borrowed £2K and has already got it down to £600.

My eldest GD has seized an opportunity that was given to her to do a college course in painting and decorating. She's on stage 2 at present then on to stage 3 after the exams in July. She's been told that there are people who would prefer a woman, feel safer etc. What do you think of that idea?

Mojisola

margaretclare wrote: »

My eldest GD has seized an opportunity that was given to her to do a college course in painting and decorating. She's on stage 2 at present then on to stage 3 after the exams in July. She's been told that there are people who would prefer a woman, feel safer etc. What do you think of that idea?

We use an all-female decorating firm. We chose them because they are very good decorators but they do get a lot of work because some people prefer to have women in the house. They are well known among the local disabled groups as they seem more sensitive to people's needs.

SingleSue

margaretclare wrote: »

Stigma? What stigma? No one need know about it unless you choose to tell them! I find this type of benefit is extremely useful because (a) it doesn't get you involved with the whole means-testing circus and is non-taxable and (b) it can be spent on whatever you choose, whatever you decide you need rather than what someone else thinks you need.

DH thinks that what he'll do first of all is to pay off the loan he got from the bank last autumn when we changed the car. He borrowed £2K and has already got it down to £600.

My eldest GD has seized an opportunity that was given to her to do a college course in painting and decorating. She's on stage 2 at present then on to stage 3 after the exams in July. She's been told that there are people who would prefer a woman, feel safer etc. What do you think of that idea?

That was exactly my arguement to my parents.....who is to know unless you tell them.

In regards to the painting and decorating course....tell her to go for it! And yes, there are times when some people would prefer a female to do their decorating.