My father has been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. I'm after some advice.

thatsmyusername

I'm not sure about which part of the forum was best to place this thread so if it's not in the correct category could it please be moved.

My father is 72 and has been struggling with his breathing for a few years. He has been to loads of doctors and was just having tests done a few weeks ago.

Anyway I saw him Saturday and called an ambulance for him as he was so blue in colour ( he is a stubborn man and doesn't like to admit he is ill ) he was rushed into hospital and is still in the respiratory ward at the moment. He has pneumonia and they have also diagnosed him as having pulmonary fibrosis. They are planning to release him from hospital tomorrow but they have made him aware there is no cure for him and this disease will progress and he has an unknown amount of time to live. He will be on oxygen at home when he is released.

He was a miner for almost 20 years. Now I would like to make the rest of his life as comfortable as possible and wondered if he could claim for this as an industrial disease as the hospital believes it could be connected to his previous job. He doesn't have a great amount of money so is there any other help he can get ?

If he could claim does anyone have any experience or recommendations for solicitors. I've looked on google and I'm always worried about being ripped off.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Richie-from-the-Boro

I don't have any experience of claiming and can't recommend anyone to you, you are correct there's a whole industry waiting to rip~you~off.

Black lung [miners pneumoconiosis ] in mining terms the grinding of mineral carbon can be claimed against the old NCB, the time period for coal worker claims for industrial diseases is three years from date of injury or date of knowledge of injury

You say """has an unknown amount of time to live""" .,. .. if your dad is not expected to live longer than 6 months he should be entitled to a passport to Attendance Allowance at the highest rate / without delay / instantly on receipt of the DS1500 and without proving he needs care, and other benefits under the special rules. He himself does not need to do this you or any other representative can do it for him. Go to his GP and ask for a Form DS1500.

NOTE01 - Attendance Allowance this year is :

lower rate__________________________51.85
higher rate _________________________77.45

NOTE01 - Differing Interpretations - GP's & Others :

The legislation on terminal illness under Section 66 [2] of the SSCBA 1992 states that "" a person is ‘terminally ill’ if they suffer from a progressive disease and their death as a consequence of that disease can be reasonably expected within 6 months ""

The CPAG handbook however states that : "" This does not mean that the patient must be more likely than not that to die within this period, it simply means that death within 6 months would not be unexpected "

So the CPAG & the legislation differ slightly, more interesting would be the GP's guidance on the interpretation regarding the issue of the DS1500 factual report. Does anyone have the 2011/2012 guidance for GP's ?

rogerblack

I believe IIDB may be appropriate - http://www.turn2us.org.uk/information__resources/benefits/illness,_injury_and_disability/industrial_injuries_db.aspx

This may lead onto 'constant attendance allowance'

thatsmyusername

Thank you for the above posts. I will get some paperwork moving once I have him back home. I just to make the rest of his life as comfortable as possible.

Many thanks.

margaretclare

Was he in the union during his working life? If so, they may be able to help.

thatsmyusername

Yes definitely he was in the miners union. I remember him striking lol

Was there just one union for all miners or were they region colliery specific.

Thank you

[Deleted User]

thatsmyusername wrote: »

Yes definitely he was in the miners union. I remember him striking lol

Was there just one union for all miners or were they region colliery specific.

Thank you

they were all in the NUM although that did fragment after the 1984 strike

PFFCourtney

Your post came across a Google alert and I wanted to reach out to you to let you know about the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Many patients and families feel overwhelmed and confused when they are first diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and as a foundation, we want to be able to offer support and information to you and your family. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. I would also be glad to send you our Patient Information Packet.

Best,

Courtney Firak
Support Services Coordinator
cfirak@pulmonaryfibrosis.org

Dunroamin

I know more about COPD than I do about other lung conditions but don't necessarily assume that being put on oxygen necessarily means that he has only a short time to live. My husband's been on it for more than 5 years and plenty of people are on it for much longer.

Assuming he's given an oxygen concentrator you can receive an allowance towards the extra electricity costs involved but make sure that he's also provided with ambulatory oxygen or he'll be stuck indoors, possibly for years.

getcarter

My dad had this, he was oxygen for the last year or so, we got him a mobility scooter so he could still get out and about.

I don't know anything about claiming compensation though.

Attendance allowance and blue badge though definately!

Dunroamin

getcarter wrote: »

My dad had this, he was oxygen for the last year or so, we got him a mobility scooter so he could still get out and about.

I don't know anything about claiming compensation though.

Attendance allowance and blue badge though definately!

I agree with the BB but AA may be less likely. My husband didn't really have any care needs when he first went on oxygen so the two things don't necessarily go together.