Atos Home Visit Help Please :(

Beddz

Good evening, I am a 23 year old male suffering from Ongoing Depressive Disorder with anxiety and delusional thoughts diagnosed by the physicist at my local hospital. I was able to attain a copy of this report myself and have recently sent this off to ATOS as more supporting evidence. I'm really struggling with awaiting this assessment.. I have been told even to be granted a home visit is itself in my favour also the assessment is going to recorded at my request. I'm worrying so much of how I'm suppose to get my point across that i meet the descriptors.


Please help me

Indie_Kid

Do you have anyone who can be in the assessment with you?

DomRavioli

OP, what is it you want help with exactly?

Beddz

Indie_Kid wrote: »

Do you have anyone who can be in the assessment with you?

I've got my girlfriend who will be with me the morning of the assessment yes

DomRavioli wrote: »

OP, what is it you want help with exactly?

I just don't know what to expect it's driving me insane.. My bedroom is the only room I feel somewhat comfortable in, I'm worried I will do something stupid if i fail this assessment

pmlindyloo

Have you had a good look at the descriptors?

Which ones do you think you meet? And why?

Beddz

pmlindyloo wrote: »

Have you had a good look at the descriptors?

Which ones do you think you meet? And why?

Well I myself personally think I meet alot of the descriptors, obviously most of them MH issues... just looking at the support descriptors I feel 4-5 of them describe me

pmlindyloo

Beddz wrote: »

Well I myself personally think I meet alot of the descriptors, obviously most of them MH issues... just looking at the support descriptors I feel 4-5 of them describe me

I was not being judgemental asking about the descriptors by the way.

Is it possible to use the descriptors to help you when, for instance, the assessor asks you to describe a typical day?

Could you explain why you think you could not do a job? This may help you focus on what you need to get across.

Sorry to be so woolly but not personally knowing you makes it difficult to help in much detail.

Just as an example (no idea if this applies to you)

''If I go on public transport I have a panic attack. I sweat and my heart beats very fast. I feel as if I am going to die''.

Basically you have to try and relate every day living and how you cope and what happens if you try to do something which other people do as a matter of course.

If you feel able, a little more detail on how your illness affects you might help us.

Another tip is to have all your medications available to show the assessor with them labelled and the dosages marked. If they have any side effects then you should talk about these.

Beddz

pmlindyloo wrote: »

I was not being judgemental asking about the descriptors by the way.

Is it possible to use the descriptors to help you when, for instance, the assessor asks you to describe a typical day?

Could you explain why you think you could not do a job? This may help you focus on what you need to get across.

Sorry to be so woolly but not personally knowing you makes it difficult to help in much detail.

Just as an example (no idea if this applies to you)

''If I go on public transport I have a panic attack. I sweat and my heart beats very fast. I feel as if I am going to die''.

Basically you have to try and relate every day living and how you cope and what happens if you try to do something which other people do as a matter of course.

If you feel able, a little more detail on how your illness affects you might help us.

Another tip is to have all your medications available to show the assessor with them labelled and the dosages marked. If they have any side effects then you should talk about these.

I haven't properly left my house since November 2013, unless accompanied by my girlfriend to mental health appointments or doctors. I am totally terrified of being out in public my mind tells me that someone is watching me and that they are waiting around the corners to hurt me and take me away. I have become so afraid of leaving my house that I am a prisoner in my own bedroom, I cannot sleep at night due to sounds and noises around the house, I dont shower for weeks on end as I just feel worthless and unmotivated its horrible.

pmlindyloo

Beddz wrote: »

I haven't properly left my house since November 2013, unless accompanied by my girlfriend to mental health appointments or doctors. I am totally terrified of being out in public my mind tells me that someone is watching me and that they are waiting around the corners to hurt me and take me away. I have become so afraid of leaving my house that I am a prisoner in my own bedroom, I cannot sleep at night due to sounds and noises around the house, I dont shower for weeks on end as I just feel worthless and unmotivated its horrible.

Thank you for sharing. I do hope you are getting all the help and support you deserve.

Back to the assessment.

Just tell it as it is and be who you are. Hopefully your medical report will be good evidence for your assessor.

If you google ''mental illness and ATOS assessment'' then there will be a fair bit of reading that you can do.

Beddz

pmlindyloo wrote: »

Thank you for sharing. I do hope you are getting all the help and support you deserve.

Back to the assessment.

Just tell it as it is and be who you are. Hopefully your medical report will be good evidence for your assessor.

If you google ''mental illness and ATOS assessment'' then there will be a fair bit of reading that you can do.

Thankyou apparently I'm lucky to even get a home assessment and they are going to record it as I have asked. Just hope the doctor who's doing the assessment listens and isn't one of the bad ones you here all around the forums etc

Prinzessilein

Beddz....I just wanted to wish you luck!


You have already had some very good advice on this thread.


I had my ATOS assessment last year - like you I had a home visit.


Just a couple of practical tips:




I don't want to alarm you, but be prepared for the visit NOT to be recorded. I too was promised it would be recorded, but the assessor did not bring the equipment with her. (I have reason to believe ATOS never intended to record the meeting...but that's another story!)


Make sure you have any prescribed medication on hand. The assessor will probably want to make a note of it for the assessment record.


If you are uncomfortable talking to the assessor, remember that your girlfriend can talk on your behalf - this is allowed.


Depending on when you sent off the extra evidence (the medical report you obtained), the assessor may not have seen it - you might like to take a photocopy of your own copy and give it to the assessor on the day. (If you get a receipt from her then you will also KNOW that ATOS have a copy of it_


Above all, at the assessment, be yourself! Don't try and show yourself in a 'good light' - and equally don't try and show yourself as being worse than you are.


Good luck!