DFG -The solution proposed!

Peter3528 · 9 March 2017 at 11:30AM

HI all,

I have applied for a DFG for my son who requires access to sleeping and bathing facilities ( upstairs). It is accepted that i lift is required to meet the need.

The HIA have provided a draft solution to fit a lift in the living room to hi bedroom. We imediately complained as we have serious concerns with other small children in the house and my wife being alone with kids during the week. Our concerns are safety of the other kids in the living room when my wife is operating the lift. Appreciate that the lift has safety measures but these mean that the child has to be struck first by the lift for it to stop.

The HIA have blankly refused to consider a solution that i presented which would remove the safety concern as their solution is cheaper and still meets the need.

The solution that i presented was a small extension to house lift. I know that it will exceed the 30k max and i have explained that can fund the excess. The issue is that the HIA won't fund the max 30k as their proposed solution will come in under that despite the grant being mandatory max of 30k for children in England.

Any one else had a similar problem in the solution being provided not being suitable to the household?

Thanks.

GlasweJen · 9 March 2017 at 1:36PM

How much space would be left in the living room once the lift is installed? You must have a very big living room to accommodate a lift plus all the normal stuff that goes in a family living room. Have plans been drawn up yet?

FBaby · 9 March 2017 at 5:33PM

We imediately complained as we have serious concerns with other small children in the house and my wife being alone with kids during the week

What are these serious concerns and how old are the small children?

teddysmum · 9 March 2017 at 5:53PM

Would the children not be alone anyway, if their mum was upstairs with any one of them or are you referring to danger from the lift itself ? Does the lift area not have a safety gate or is the gate part of the moving platform ?

Peter3528 · 13 March 2017 at 1:47PM

The living room is not huge but can accommodate a lift. The HIA are not concerned how you then fit anything else in or even use it as a living space.

The concerns are that of safety. The other children are 2 months and 3 years. The lifts drops from the ceiling into the living room. No safety gates. You can physically stand under the lift when it comes down. The lift does have safety measure whereby if the lift hits something then it stops. That's my concern...i don't really think it is acceptable for a lift to he hit the head of a inquisitive crawler or toddler..

oldhand · 13 March 2017 at 5:31PM

Very surprised the safety cut out requires the lift to actually hit someone,I would have thought a simple acoustic beam underneath the lift similar to parking sensors on a car would detect anything underneath and halt the lift.......

GlasweJen · 13 March 2017 at 10:28PM

I'm sure there's a guideline on what size rooms should be to be classed as suitable for use as a bedroom, might be worth researching if there's a similar guideline for living room area. I assume you don't have a dining too or other room on that floor that could arguable be used as a living room (as I'd imagine if there was your disabled child would be told to use that as a bedroom).

Is there any other solution? Would it be cheaper to build an extension with a bathroom and bedroom instead of installing the lift?

DFG -The solution proposed!

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