Wet room

Liz65

Hi, my mum is 80 and is having trouble using her bathroom even though she has a shower and not a bath.  My dad has asked me to inquire for her whether they would get help with fitting a safer wet room?

They own their own bungalow and are not on any benefits.

Mum isn’t classed as disabled but suffers from dizziness, she has a benign tumour in her ear, a shoulder that pops out regularly (she wears a sling), has to have her blood tested yearly and has osteoporosis.  

She has had a knee replacement done privately (about 6 years ago) but has to walk with a stick as she suffers from dizziness.

I have done a search to see if she can get help but have found no answers!

Please does anyone have any advice?

Thank you in advance

freesha

Help from where? If you mean the DWP, very unlikely, especially if they don't claim anything. Approach the council/adult service and see if they can assist.

It sounds like she should apply for AA as well.

Liz65

Thanks, she did apply for AA last year but was refused.

Grumpy_chap

Depending on the details of your Mother's health, it may be possible to have the wet room installed without incurring VAT on the cost.  I am not familiar with the rules applicable but this might be worth the OP investigating.

elsien

Has she had an occupational therapy assessment of the space? Because you need to evidence in what way a wet room will be any safer for her than what she has now.
Osteoporosis isn’t going to make any difference (as far as I can see) as to whether she uses a shower or a wetroom ditto the issue with her shoulder and dizziness can be mitigated by use of a shower seat, and you don’t mention any issues with mobility.

So you need to clarify how a wet room will be safer, with evidence, rather than it just been personal preference, in order to apply for any grants that might be out there such as the disabled facilites. 

https://www.gov.uk/apply-disabled-facilities-grant

At the moment you’re saying Mum isn’t disabled and doesn’t qualify for attendance allowance which does rather limit your options outside of funding things yourself. 

gbhxu

The trouble getting the DFG, it takes a long time. 

Where I live, I'm 2 months into a 10 month waiting list just to be assessed 

Cairnpapple

Grumpy_chap said:

Depending on the details of your Mother's health, it may be possible to have the wet room installed without incurring VAT on the cost.  I am not familiar with the rules applicable but this might be worth the OP investigating.

There is also a 5% VAT rate for people over 60 installing a bathroom with features suitable for ageing such as shower seat. 

We looked into getting a full disabled wet room (level access shower, grab bars, raised toilet) installed recently and it sounded like the 0% VAT was just a case of filling in a form. 

In the end we decided just to go for a normal shower room plus some grab bars, which is enough for my current needs. My physio advised on grab bar placement. I already use a shower stool and we'll place the shower slightly lower than usual to accommodate that.

Edited to add: is the need for a wet room about e.g. not having a door or not having a step up? Or needing a non slip surface? Is it future-proofing for wheelchair use?

p00hsticks

Grumpy_chap said:

Depending on the details of your Mother's health, it may be possible to have the wet room installed without incurring VAT on the cost.  I am not familiar with the rules applicable but this might be worth the OP investigating.

Details of VAT exemption for those with disabilities here
Get VAT relief on certain goods if you have a disability - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  
I've just ordered a pendant alarm for my elderly mother with VAT exemption. It seemed to be a case of effectively self-certifying to the supplier that you qualify, there's no formal grounds or requirements. My mum is housebound, visually impaired and has very restricted mobility - my understanding from the customer service was that the mere fact that such an item is needed is an indication that the majority of customers would satisfy the condition.

Liz65

Thank you for comments I will pass it on to her

Murphybear

Liz65 said:

Thanks, she did apply for AA last year but was refused.

Did she appeal?  Sadly ~ 58% of AA applications are refused.  Many applications are turned down because people don't mention, or aren't clear about, how their illness or disability affects their lives. It's important that you don't downplay your needs when filling in the form.  She could apply again and get Age U.K. or Citizens Advice to help her.  They both have excellent advice on their websites.

Spoonie_Turtle

Just on whether she's 'classed as disabled' or not, the legal definition might help here:

According to the Equality Act 2010, someone is disabled if they "have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities."  - long-term meaning 12 months or more.