hi everyone i was on here a while back asking for advice about disabilty aids
as my wifes gran [86] was moving in with us but couldnt get in our bath .
any way she has now moved in .we have spent over £1000 of our own money to convert our dinning room into a bedroom & down stairs wc.
we saw her DR to see if he could help to get a portable bath lift for us to borrow
that was two weeks ago we have just got a letter from the council to say the can come out to access the need in about three months! what are we to do till then hose her down on the back garden ? she worked all her life since she was 14 years old paying taxes etc . it makes me sick to see how old people are treated . if anyone has any idea where we could borrow such an item from i would be greatful for any advice
cheers chaz:rant: :rant:

That sounds about right, Council don't exactly rush with these things. When my ma in law first moved in, we needed a stair lift, and got a similar response re time scale. My partner kept on phoning them, every day, NOT being rude or nasty, just emphasising how urgent the need was. In the end they got fed up and send someone along a bit quicker. Then there's the wait AFTER they've done the assessment! Again, daily phone calls moved things along.

Can't think where you could borrow a lift - but you could contact Sheffield Carers Centre, they might be able to give you some advice. http://www.sheffieldcarers.org.uk

And, when it's set up, the SF Carers Group might be a good source of info - see thread http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=209544

Good luck - and remember, you're not alone, there are plenty of people on here who are only too willing to help, if they can.

Dozy

yes thanks a lot for that just gets you mad . they rang me first to ask if i owned the house when i said yes then got letter ?
but then again what did i expect
cheers ill get in touch with the link you gave me:thumbsup:

Agree with above they do not rush!

Don't know if you know but I'd check about getting a reduction in your community charge, usually drops a band, if there is a room that's been specially adapted for a wheelchair person.
Also, if you are with British Gas, it may be worth registering the disabled person, as per a list of benefits which qualify for a reduction?

ill check that thanks .
this is all new to us . just so greatful for everyones help & advice .
we may just get sorted one day . trouble is shes 86 now ,

even living in a council, or Housing association house, and/ or being on benefits doesn't make the wait any less, I'm afraid.

it took me three-and-a-half years to get my bathroom adapted into a "wet" room, (no bath, level shower etc).

And that was not including the four year fight, before all this, with the council regarding my previous property, waiting for the two departments involved to decide what they were going to do.

medical rehousing said "oh, we can't make a decision whether Mrs Talker can have priority points to move into a more suitable place, until adaptions have decided if they will adapt the property she is currently living in..."

and Adaptions were saying " oh, we can't make a decision about adapting Mrs Talker's property until medical Rehousing have made a decision as to whether she can have priority points to move out !"

*where's the "Tearing-your-hair-out" smilie when you need it!!*

it was such a pantomime. the left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing, there was no liaison between the departments, which resulted in a stalemate, and the typical "inaction" over what was happening.

Finally, four years ago, I was offered this property, which was better suited to me, so I accepted it. but the offer didn't come through the council:- It was through appying via the Disability Housing Service.

unfortunately, it does come across that you need to know, some years in advance exactly what adaptions and services you are going to require, especially if you want them in place at the time you need them.

Sadly, across the board, unless there is a really drastic downturn in the applicants' health, it's up to an 18 month wait for the assessment for adaptions, and then possibly up to a year (depending on the scale, and the cost) before they are implemented.

The Social Services Charter of Care

We have a legal duty to look after vulnerable people in Sheffield. Social Services makes sure that people in Sheffield with social care needs are provided with help, care, support and protection to enable them to live independent and dignified lives at home or elsewhere in the community. To achieve this we work with other organisations to provide a range of care services. Social Services is separate from the government's Department of Social Security, which means we are unable to help with financial support provided by the Benefits Agency and the Child Support Agency.

Social Services gives support to all kinds of people with a variety of care needs. Everyone can get information and advice from us, and many people receive further help. Most of the support we give is aimed at enabling people to maintain their independence, in their own home in their local community.

Social Services works in partnership with housing services, family doctors, health visitors, hospitals, the police, courts and probation services and many other caring organisations to plan, provide and arrange services. If we can't help you ourselves, we will always try to put you in touch with someone who can.

You can inform the Social Services that they are in breach of their legal responsibility to your gran under their charter of care. It is best to do this in writing, or by e-mail, and to keep a copy of the letter, when you wrote and sent it. Explain fully about your grans health problem and the fact that she is unable to get in the bath to bathe herself. And that it is not acceptable to wait for 3 months for your gran to be assessed, because her personal hygiene and wellbeing are going to suffer.

you can get more information HERE (http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/index.asp?pgid=2229). I hope that this helps you. Please keep me informed.

will do that . thanks again chaz

Oops, forget - re energy charges check out StayWarm http://www.staywarm.co.uk/pages/default.asp.

We're on that because of my ma-in-law being 96, and it's brilliant for us. But check out you would be making a saving - it's mainly based on number of bedrooms and occupancy, so some people are actually better off just paying for what they use.

StayWarm also take the area into account - a friend of mine pays more than me because she lives at Lane Top and it's apparently in a "colder" band than Firth Park!!

Dozy

Back again, memory definitely on the blink today. I meant to tell you about Age Concern as well http://www.ageconcernsheffield.org.uk. They offer help and advice.

Dozy

Back again, memory definitely on the blink today. I meant to tell you about Age Concern as well http://www.ageconcernsheffield.org.uk. They offer help and advice.

Dozy

Thanx for your input Dozy, hopefully it will also be of help.:)

I'm an OT student (an OT people the person that will come and assess) and I ca answer honestly and truthfully the reason for the wait, I can also tell you now you will sadly probably not get a bath lift. These has been a lack of OTs in this country for years, but eventually the government have made more training places available, but now, thanks to agenda for change, less jobs-so basically, there are no staff to do what needs to be done.

On top of this, there are very strict (and degrading) criterea for most equipment and services. If you are able to wash yourself, be that sitting on a chair or standing you donot qualify for bathing assistance. Its disgusting and sad, but very very true.

I cannot suggest anyway in which you can get around this process, my only suggestion is hope and contcting the DLC (disabled living centre), as they will adivse what you may be able to do yourselves to help.

Good luck

Vicki

I'm an OT student (an OT people the person that will come and assess) and I ca answer honestly and truthfully the reason for the wait, I can also tell you now you will sadly probably not get a bath lift. These has been a lack of OTs in this country for years, but eventually the government have made more training places available, but now, thanks to agenda for change, less jobs-so basically, there are no staff to do what needs to be done.



This is only partly true. A lack of OTs nationally does not explain why people in Sheffield have to wait up to 6 months (or more) for an assessment, whereas in Barnsley the maximum wait is 1 month, and they can have a stair lift in in about 6-8 weeks after assessment.

In reality, a lack of resources committed by Sheffield City Council is part of the problem.

The fact that a shower (let alone a bath) are seen as non-essential (strip-washes all round) is part of a wider scandal of under-investment in social care which people are hopefully starting to wake up to.

Maybe barnsley is lucky, but in the places I have worked the wait is much longer, although obviously it depends on urgency.

It is a sad fact, but the more you try to do for yourselves, the less help you get.

I could go on, about the state of things, but feel that it would be inappropriate to do so-its hard enoughh to get a job as it is!

Maybe barnsley is lucky, but in the places I have worked the wait is much longer, although obviously it depends on urgency.

It is a sad fact, but the more you try to do for yourselves, the less help you get.

I could go on, about the state of things, but feel that it would be inappropriate to do so-its hard enoughh to get a job as it is!

Teafan is absolutely right in what he is saying. I have been involved with social workers, OT's for a very long time, this is why I suggested the way to make them move, they are in breach of their legal responsibilities, and also their care charter. And yes, being a student OT, I would keep it a little low onb here, you never know who is reading the forum, and you may give too much info away, so they guess who you are. Many thanx for your input though, and don't listen to all that the council and social workers tell you. Best of luck with your chosen career. :)

Maybe barnsley is lucky, but in the places I have worked the wait is much longer, although obviously it depends on urgency.

It is a sad fact, but the more you try to do for yourselves, the less help you get.

I could go on, about the state of things, but feel that it would be inappropriate to do so-its hard enoughh to get a job as it is!

I respect your thoughts work wise, and in no way am I having a go at you (in fact, quite the opposite, as you will be there to help people :thumbsup: ), but often the problem is with people who are NOT of a working age, who HAVE done their whack, who don't have a clue how to get help. I might add, lots in that bracket are too proud to ask for help as well.

I have worked with people with disabilities for years, and have seen umpteen awful decisions about their living conditions, and I'm talking about simple access to and from their own property.

My worry is that hundreds of people are being failed by the local authority, because they aren't seen to be a priority.

That may be harsh, but it's my view.

I respect your thoughts work wise, and in no way am I having a go at you (in fact, quite the opposite, as you will be there to help people :thumbsup: ), but often the problem is with people who are NOT of a working age, who HAVE done their whack, who don't have a clue how to get help. I might add, lots in that bracket are too proud to ask for help as well.

I have worked with people with disabilities for years, and have seen umpteen awful decisions about their living conditions, and I'm talking about simple access to and from their own property.

My worry is that hundreds of people are being failed by the local authority, because they aren't seen to be a priority.

That may be harsh, but it's my view.

Spot on happyhippy, and while people let the council get away with it, and resort to helping themselves, the council will let them. Sheffield council is one of the most uncaring councils I know, and it is time something was done to make them realise their legal responsibilities.

Spot on happyhippy, and while people let the council get away with it, and resort to helping themselves, the council will let them. Sheffield council is one of the most uncaring councils I know, and it is time something was done to make them realise their legal responsibilities.

Couldn't agree more, as I said in my first post, I am not saying that I personally agree with the way things stand, but one person cannot beat the system-we all need to do thayt with our ballot papers ;)