What do you do when you start to lose your mobility?

Mojisola

Bennifred wrote: »

Sometimes, when you are ill or in pain, it is difficult to stand up for yourself even when you know what you are being told isn't correct. Maybe he could take someone with him as back-up next time?

I've done this as the patient and as moral support for other people. It can make all the difference.

Horseunderwater

He needs to appeal his ESA WRAG award & get put into the Support group as his condition is now much worse. Also consider applying 4 PIP as he has serious mobility issues & if he drives a blue badge.
https://www.gov.uk/pip
https://www.gov.uk/apply-blue-badge

lemontart

I became disabled last year and was advised to ask my gp for a referral to a occupational therapist who then visited my home and did an assessment for the house. As for wheelchair I bought my own from ebay and my boyfriend got me 2nd hand mobility scooters (lot cheaper than buying new) which are an absolute god send, I cannot self propel the wheelchair far so they are a lot easier.

SingleSue

What did I do? Went into denial!

Eventually, I acknowledged that my mobility (or lack of it) was having a serious impact on the children and our ability to get out and about, so I purchased a wheelchair to be used when the walk was too much for me. It has been an absolute godsend to us, allowing us to go for the walks we did before, visit the town centre and visit places.

I've not worried about OT's or such like, I've just found ways around things, for example, using a towel rail attached to my bathroom door as an aid to get in and out of the bath or using the post on my four poster bed to haul myself off the bed.

I have also not claimed any benefits or applied for a blue badge, I think about it but then back away at a rate of knots thinking that I might get better and it would be a waste of everyones time....yes, there is still some denial there :rotfl:

Tiff_2

Hi guys,
Brilliant advice as ever! :A
I was also surprised that you generally don't get a wheelchair via your G.P. It seems the route to take - at least here in Sunny Warwickshire - is via the Adult Social Services Team - Social Worker visit - O.T. home assessment - and then a decision - and then a wait for a wheelchair - and the adaptations happen fairly quickly.
You have to plan forward too. If it gets to the point where your friend is virtually a full time wheelchair user, he will need to consider whether being on the 3rd floor of anything will be possible, i.e. are the doors wide enough? Is there enough space to manoeuvre a wheelchair? The other aids listed such as grab rails etc., will be invaluable too.
I don't know his age or if surgery will solve the problems, but he does need help now. I would also involve the landlord/council/housing association now saying the property he's living in isn't suitable for him, because if he does have to move to a more suitable property, he might have a long wait on a list so it's better to request this now rather than later. He may also wish to consider applying for D.L.A.
I hope it all works out for him.
Much Love,
Tiff xxx

Morglin

quidsinquentin wrote: »

I wonder if anyone can offer a view/suggestion/comment on this issue?

I've been asked for advice as I used to work in both the health service and advice service, but tbh, I don't have a clue what to suggest. So I agreed to post a query on here.

A friend has a serious problem with walking. He's developed what appears to me to be an aggressive form of arthritis in his lower limbs - specifically knees and hips, but a touch in the ankles too.

So, two years ago he could run around a field, walk perfectly normally and do normal work, exercise & activities.

18 months ago, he developed (diagnosed) arthritis in his left knee and it became difficult - but not impossible - to do much of what he normally did

Six weeks ago he appears to have had an 'episode' of something 'arthritic' which has virtually crippled his right knee, affected both his hips and made the left knee much worse. It's also affected his ankles somewhat.

I would estimate he's lost about 60% of his mobility, perhaps more, as there are now times he cannot walk properly at all. He also needs to use a walking stick 100% of the time. He's also had two falls due to instability - both not serious though. If he's not in discomfort he's in pain, which appears to be most of the time. Prognosis is that it will probably get worse.

He's currently on ESA (WRAG). It took him six weeks to get a GP appointment, and the GP was reluctant to send him for physio but eventually agreed to.

The real question is here.

When he asked the GP for advice on 'what to do' - basically how to deal with his new immobility, he was met with a shrug and a blank stare. He's asked about wheelchairs and walking aids etc, but got a 'no idea' from the GP. And no further helpful comments. The friend lives on his own in a third-floor flat.

The issue is that he's no idea how to deal with his immobility, what he should or should not be doing, using or not using. Basically, what do you do when you start to lose your mobility?

Any thoughts/suggestions?

Thanks.

PS - the GP surgeries in and around his area are completely snowed under with work and problems. Moving surgery - first thing that occurred to me - is not an good option for him as some nearby surgeries are in an even worse state than his own. They've been in the news.

PPS - Mods - please feel free to move this to a more appropriate board if there is one.

Well, I found that you need to work through all of the issues.

Wheelchairs can be obtained, in a variety of ways: http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/wheelchairs-hiring-or-buying-a-wheelchair

Housing needs to be sorted, so he should contact his council, re appropriate accommodation.

Adaptations to the home: contact the Adult Disability Team at your local Social Services, to arrange an OT visit.

Claiming PIP: http://www.nras.org.uk/publications/how-to-claim-personal-independence-payment-pip

Takes a while, and it's a case of plodding through.

Lin

Errata

It took him six weeks to get a GP appointment,

What I wouldn't do is wait 6 weeks for an appointment. If the practice is that bad I'd be hopping off to ED after an 'episode' which has been this bad and not self diagnose.

tanith

Just because your friend has Arthritis doesn't mean he will become disabled, once he's been referred on they are lots of things that can be done , physio and pain relief as a first course of action, then referral to a Reumatologist to determine which type of Arthritis he has and if appropriate referral to Orthopedics who can decide if/when surgery is an option possible joint replacement which will give your friend his mobility back..
So you see lots of options before your friend needs a wheelchair, I have multiple joint Osteo Arthritis with so far one joint replacement and although I have pain and have to limit things I can do I live a relatively normal life and thats after 20 yrs since diagnosis.

quidsinquentin

tanith wrote: »

Just because your friend has Arthritis doesn't mean he will become disabled, once he's been referred on they are lots of things that can be done , physio and pain relief as a first course of action, then referral to a Reumatologist to determine which type of Arthritis he has and if appropriate referral to Orthopedics who can decide if/when surgery is an option possible joint replacement which will give your friend his mobility back..
So you see lots of options before your friend needs a wheelchair, I have multiple joint Osteo Arthritis with so far one joint replacement and although I have pain and have to limit things I can do I live a relatively normal life and thats after 20 yrs since diagnosis.

I agree and thanks.

What I guess I was most concerned about was the lack of input from the GP. He wasn't joking or exaggerating when he said he was met with a shrug and a blank stare. That really was the end of the GP's input. Which is why I came here.

I would have thought that with such a sudden, drastic loss of mobility more would have been required. Guess that's just the new NHS though.

bryanb

Just a thought, I had very similar problems when taking statins. I stopped statins against GPs advice and the problems went away in a couple of months.