What help is available??

Misty88

Hi

I'm after some advice I'm 36 single mum not working at mo full time carer to my little boy 10 severe developmental delay and lots of other issues I receive high rate care and low rate mobility dla for him.
I to though am suffering health problems I have brittle asthma and this has for worse over the last year and I am at the hospital almost every week having a bad attack, 2 months ago I was so bad I almost died and was out in a coma and on a ventilator luckily I pulled through.
I live almost 150 miles away from family tried to get an exchange back to be near them but its almost impossible, I have few friends and no one to rely on when I am really bad. I don't go out or do much as my asthma is so bad to the point I am struggling to care for my children especially my son.
What help could I get/ be intitled to if any??

Misty88

No he is not involved the reason I live 150 miles away from my family is because I fled from him 3 years ago due to dv and went in to a refuge.
And no he don't see his kids and don't pay maintenance.

rogerblack

What are you claiming for you? IS?
ESA (with carer premium), council tax benefit and possibly housing benefit/LHA spring to mind.
DLA (for you) is possibly also applicable.

nlj1520

You could ask about respite care from Social Services.....your son might be eligible for an 'emergency bed' then if you have to go into hospital again? If he is not already in the respite system an emergency bed will be much more difficult to find and much more dis-orientating for your son. So much easier if he already knows the place he goes to.
Respite provision availablility vary wildly depending on where you live though.
Good luck

sheeps68

Ask about respite care but depending on where you live that can be tricky. I would however ask for a carers assessment as that looks at the combination of needs better. I'm afraid as you will know brittle / difficult asthma is not understood very well so that will be a hurdle for you. I would seriously talk to welfare rights worker at hospital as you will clearly be at a specialist centre for your asthma simply by having label of difficult asthma.

Misty88

rogerblack wrote: »

What are you claiming for you? IS?
ESA (with carer premium), council tax benefit and possibly housing benefit/LHA spring to mind.
DLA (for you) is possibly also applicable.

Hi I claim income support housing benefit tax credits and careers allowance as I care for my little boy, but due to my own health issues I'm struggling I know people are probably going to think oh it's only asthma but its not your average asthma I have severe brittle asthma wheezy all the time struggling to breathe have a lot of very bad asthma attacks that require hospital admission a lot of the time I have to discharge my self as I have no one to look after the kids and I worry about my little boy.
How do I go about applying for respite care for my son?
And yes I am under the royal brompton in London for my asthma.
Would I be able to apply to my old council that I left from coz of DV for housing on medical grounds? My ex no longer lives there and I would be able to cope more if I was around my family and I would have a lot more support at times when I needed to go in to hospital.

Thankyou for all your replies.

rogerblack

DLA can apply in severe cases of asthma, and it seems likely you might qualify.
You should phone up for an application form, so you do not lose out.

nlj1520

To get respite you will need to talk to your local Social Services Children's Disability Team. If you phone your County Council and ask for Social Servies they should be able to put you onto the right people. That should also be the route for a proper Carer's Assessment. You will need to stress how often you go into hospital, how your asthma makes caring for your son difficult and how desperate you are for help as in most counties there are insufficient respite places and lots of people needing them.

I really hope you get the help you need, the worry presumably makes the asthma worse. You have all my sympathy and best wishes, but you will may have to fight to get what you need, don't let them fob you off with what suits their system. fight for what you and your son really need.
Good luck