Disabled Facilities Grant - Do I have to have the design that my Council wants me to have?

gbhxu

Just starting application

My council wants me to have a wet room. 

I would prefer one of those walk in sit in bath/shower combination with water spa.

The water spa would help with my legs.

I'd like to keep the separate toilet and have bars fitted to help me get on and off the toilet.

Can I choose what I want?

marcia_

gbhxu said:

Just starting application

My council wants me to have a wet room. 

I would prefer one of those walk in sit in bath/shower combination with water spa.

The water spa would help with my legs.

I'd like to keep the separate toilet and have bars fitted to help me get on and off the toilet.

Can I choose what I want?

  Your needs will have been assessed by an occupational therapist as needing what they have planned. Extras not needed or assessed for medical reasons won't be given. 

Savvy_Sue

Stating the obvious,but you can't leave a walk-in bath until it's emptied. Sitting in a bath while it does that may be less comfortable than you imagine. Have you been able to try one?

gbhxu

Savvy_Sue said:

Stating the obvious,but you can't leave a walk-in bath until it's emptied. Sitting in a bath while it does that may be less comfortable than you imagine. Have you been able to try one?

Have realized that and it doesn't bother me

Albermarle

marcia_ said:

gbhxu said:

Just starting application

My council wants me to have a wet room. 

I would prefer one of those walk in sit in bath/shower combination with water spa.

The water spa would help with my legs.

I'd like to keep the separate toilet and have bars fitted to help me get on and off the toilet.

Can I choose what I want?

  Your needs will have been assessed by an occupational therapist as needing what they have planned. Extras not needed or assessed for medical reasons won't be given. 

There might be some room for negotiation though, as long as costs were about the same.

gbhxu

I've read I can apply for up to £30K

marcia_

gbhxu said:

I've read I can apply for up to £30K

 Yes but that doesn't mean you will get £30k. You will only be funded for things assessed by an OT as meeting your disability needs. You won't be funded for luxuries or improvements not assessed as needed. 

Cyclamen

I have had two DFG and am in the process of the third.. so now a little how my county works.. gosh that makes me sound greedy but its taken me time to accept some adaptations and my needs have changed over time.. 

The OT will state what is needed, but have to go for the most financially viable option for your needs.  You can sometimes pay the extra to upgrade elements.. eg i paid the difefrence to have different tiles in my wetroom and they may give choices where they can on things like flooring colour.

I miss having a bath too. just checking you've tried all the bath cushion/ bath lift options before being assessed as needing walk-in / wet room shower.

Those half seated baths can take a long time to empty during which you are sat getting cold as the water goes down and your body loses its bouyancy.. its one of those for me great ideas on paper but not practical.  I tried one back when my body worked not since becoming ill.

Saying that they don't always come up with the most practical design.. eg my wetroom was originally meant to have a door opening out into a narrow corridor.. it would have been really hard to manoeuvre wheelchair.. i asked for a sliding  door and false wall and it was granted.

Asking to keep toilet separate could be negotiable  unless the space is needed to make turning circles for mobility aids, or safety if you fell.  Things like a two way door can help with latter.  If you may need carers in the future a separate loo might be useful.    

I dont like the showerchair they offered, but as it would do the job and it was a personal choice they could only budget for that chair. Instead they gave me the 'budget' for the chair they could supply and i used this towards the chair i wanted.  Although it had to be approved as still meeting my needs.. (just in case you are wondering i wanted one tat pivoted on its legs so i could move around under the shower to get water on different areas)

I would say go and chat to your OT.. they may have reasons why what you prefer isnt the best fit or may support you or may come up with compromises.. but ultimately they are trying to help the most people with a limited pot of money. 

teddysmum

I was going to mention the fact that you have to empty a fixed seat bath before leaving, but also, it doesn't feel like a real bath. I haven't tried one but have a bath seat which is lowered and raised by electricity and at first the seat wasn't lowered enough, so it felt like being on a fixed raised seat. We have it sorted now, with the seat only being about an inch above the bath floor, so I can relax with my legs extended.

OT provided my lift. but of course it is only on a free loan. I don't own it.

I don't have bars fitted to help using the toilet, but saw a loose frame which is fixable, if needed, when leaving hospital with my loaned walking frame, asked for one and got it. It makes sitting on a toilet like using an armed chair (not as comfy as an armchair), besides saving me when falling backwards onto the toilet.

MouldyOldDough

I had to pay for a wetroom in a single story extension myself – due to having too much savings – for a grant. It cost me £63k – so I don’t know how anyone can get a wetroom built for less than £30k !!

beanielou

MouldyOldDough said:

I had to pay for a wetroom in a single story extension myself – due to having too much savings – for a grant. It cost me £63k – so I don’t know how anyone can get a wetroom built for less than £30k !!

My bathroom was converted into a wetroom for £9k!