DLA to PIP Transition Home Assessment Help Please

benrben

Hello, after some advice if possible as we just don't know what to expect, tia.
Son's dla claim due to end in Sept so he was invited to put in a claim for PIP which we duly did (I have to fill forms out for him), we received a letter today with an appt in 2 weeks for a home assessment. This will be the first face to face assessment he's ever had to undergo, I have found a little about assessments in centres but nothing about home visits. Can anyone let me know what sort of things they'll want him to do? It does say that if he wants a health professional of the same gender we can ask, if they want to see him trying to do things like washing then I think he would want to do that.
Will they ask him to do anything that could possibly endanger himself? He follows a very strict pacing regime, there are things that he could possibly do that would show no consequences at the time ie walking 40m rather than his current 30m but would have consequences for him later that day & in the days to follow, I will obviously be around, so can I stop them if needed?.
He also suffers from short term memory/cognitive issues, will they take that into account when talking to him? Will he be allowed to go to sleep during the assessment, I doubt he will be able to stay awake for the 2 hours they suggest it could take & if he does he will suffer later.
I'm sorry for all the questions, I just don't want to undo any of the progress he has made, 6yrs ago he was completely bed bound unable to even feed himself, now with lots of meds & by following such a strict management programme he is able to walk 30m in around 7 minutes twice a day & his cognitive baseline has improved to 8-10 minutes. We are very proud of him!!

rogerblack

The person doing the interview will never, ever ask to see you unclothed.
If they ask, call the police immediately.

The interview is asking about difficulties in day-day life, it does not ask you to perform tasks other than might be observed casually.
For example, if you get up to get tea, your gait will be observed.
You can be with him during the assessment.

CFS?
How are you getting this help?
Have you gotten and submitted copies of any care plans?

pmlindyloo

It might be useful to read this guide from 2.6 onwards about the face to face consultation.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/449043/pip-assessment-guide.pdf

I must stress this is guidance for the assessors but it will give you some knowledge so you feel more in control of the situation.

Permission should be granted before your son is asked to perform any physical activities and you would be at liberty to intervene if you thought any such activity would be detrimental/harmful to your son if you son is unable to do this himself.

Please try not to worry (easier said than done) but for all the bad experiences we read about there are thousands of claimants who have good 'experiences'.

If you can, it would be really helpful to have some feedback - hopefully positive.

kittykat17

Hi, I had a home assessment last year and it was fine. The assessor asked me questions about my day-to-day life, how my disabilities affect me, etc, mainly based around the descriptors. He also asked me how I manage the stairs (not one of the descriptors but went towards explaining mobility issues) and I explained that I struggle with stairs which is why I mainly sleep in the lounge. He made it more like an informal chat than an assessment. I know he watched how I got up and walked on the couple of occasion I needed to stand / walk to stop my back going into spasms. He asked me if I was able to do a couple of 'exercises' but said if I was in pain or found it difficult I could stop. These consisted on raising my arms as high as they would go (not very!), lifting my legs, bending (both of which I couldn't do), moving my head from side to side.


I don't know if I was just lucky but the assessor was really lovely and even phoned my doctor after he left as he was worried about my mental state. Was a bit down and started crying during the assessment as he asked about my mum who had died a couple of months before.


Am sure all will go ok for your son. Please let us know how you get on.

benrben

Thank you rogerblack for your reply. Yes it is severe ME, where we used to live he had fantastic input from a CFS specialist team inc consultant, OT, physio & nutritionist & had hydrotherapy too. We were very lucky as we had one of the worlds leading experts in the illness as part of that team, it was that consultant, Prof Tony Pinching who insisted we apply for dla for him.
Sadly for financial reasons (I gave up my well paid job to care for my son) my husband had to move his job & we now live in Scotland where there is nothing apart from 1 nurse led clinic in Fife & a cbt clinic for those able to attend in Edinburgh (both of which are over 250 miles away) it is all GP led, I have written to our local msp, mp & the scottish government to ask them to lobby (if that's the right word) for more services. The guilt I feel for this situation is immense, but really we had no choice, £60 a week carers allowance does not make up for a £30,000 pa wage, so we had to increase my husbands wages somehow.
The gp practice did refer him to our main regional hospital when we first moved to the area but because there isn't a specialist service he was seen by a communicable diseases consultant in a general clinic who knew nothing about it, he actually read NICE's guidance notes whilst we were in with him, he admitted that the only thing he could do was to discharge him for GP led care.
Our gp is very good, he has asked colleagues in england for advice when needed & we follow the same care plan that we have had from the unit in england, his meds have been increased on advice & a couple of different ones introduced from the pain clinic he attends.
He is very depressed & plucks at his skin, mainly he says to check he's still alive, the gp does have extra qualifications in mental health & is the "expert" in such based at the surgery so he prescribes his anti depressants & see's him on a very regular basis.
He wrote a letter of support for PIP & mentioned all I have here as well as the fact he is wheelchair reliant when out & needs to be pushed as he can't manage to self propel which I included with the forms.

Thank you too pmlindyloo, I will have a good read of that & will let the forum know how we get on.

Thank you kittykat for your re-assurances, really kind of you to take the time to reply, I hope you are doing as well as you can x

I am really sorry for the life story / essay.

BlueEyedGirl

benrben wrote: »

I am really sorry for the life story / essay.

Don't apologise! I hope the home assessment goes ok for your son. I have no experience of them myself, but when my dad migrates to PIP from DLA he shall have to have a home assessment since he can barely walk these days, needs both knees replacing but the NHS won't do them!

colin13

if son getting home assement,,they must know the situation,,,usually as u to go to a centre,,so positive start

benrben

Thank you BlueEyedGirl, so sorry to hear of your dad's problems with his knees, he must be in so much pain.


Thanks colin13, I didn't request a home visit, I didn't know that they even did them, I knew the nearest centre was an hours journey away, so asked them for some notice & a morning appt so we could change his pacing regime as required.

OldMotherTucker

OP - I was asked to show how I managed the stairs but I simply said that I didn't want to as I was in pain already. I told the ATOS nurse she could examine my knee as I was still in my pj bottoms but she told me that it wasn't necessary.

Looking back, I petered out after an hour - the assessment lasted one hour and forty minutes! I will make sure that this is documented and backed up for my next assessment.

benrben

Hello again, thanks to all who replied. He had the assessment today, no knowing how it went really as she was very polite, she was an OT. She turned up 30mins late & it took about 1.5 hrs, she had been sent info from his DLA file but had received none of the more up to date letters or the letter the gp did in support etc I had sent with the PIP claim except his prescription, luckily I had a copy of the gp letter so gave it too her.
She did ask him memory questions, he was so tired, so didn't do very well, he kept saying, I'm not thick, I'm afraid I cried a bit during the assessment, it was really hard talking about how everything affected him & how he was hurting himself to make sure he was still alive.
She did want to see his wheelchair (couldn't miss it, in our hallway) & the porta potti he has by his bed, she also asked him to mobilise a little to see him walk, which he tried to do with our help, she stopped him after about 6 or so feet & we had to almost drag him back to his chair.
So now we wait to see, I'm not sure I could cope with an appeal, I'm in bits now having subjected him to this, I feel so awful!!

suburbansteve

Over the last 17 years I have had three home visits and the the person that came to do the interviews were great they were polite and friendly and took it nice and easy in my time never trying to hurry me along, they made notes and asked a lot of questions and seemed genuinely concerned not like a atos interview I was sent to which didn't even have a wheelchair ramp and the interviewer just sat back in his chair with his hands crossed and asked me questions some just phrased differently but still the same question, imo you were lucky to have had the home visit and not have to go to an atos interview and I really hope things go well for you.

Fingers crossed for you
Suburbansteve

Long days and pleasant nights