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[Wittsend]

Hello John,

Surely you just need a little ramp (down) inside the door - can simply be made from some scrap wood.

My Messages:
It's down to what "settings" or "preferences" you have set.

What do you see when you open "My Messages" ?

Do you see the green arrows highlighted here ?
Hello John,

Surely you just need a little ramp (down) inside the door - can simply be made from some scrap wood.

My Messages:
It's down to what "settings" or "preferences" you have set.

What do you see when you open "My Messages" ?

Do you see the green arrows highlighted here ?


If so, click on them.
You should see a screen like this:-


Over on the left hand side there's loads of options.

HTH


If so, click on them.
You should see a screen like this:-


Over on the left hand side there's loads of options.

HTH

[w3526602]

Surely you just need a little ramp (down) inside the door - can simply be made from some scrap wood.

Hi Alan,

Yes ... but the bottom of the door overlaps the frame across the floor by about 1". Forcing a 6" dia swivelling wheel over that might cause rapid acceleration ... Barbara's buggy seems capable of a 5G take off.

I have considered  "laminating" a ramp out a 10mm ply-wood, with 100mm wide (or is it long?) steps, which her buggy has shown it can handle. (the driving wheels will burn a hole in the carpet, if anything blocks the front wheels), so I'd want all four wheels on the ramp before it meets interference.

My Irish builder* (with a degree) had offered to remove the frame, move it out until it drops down the front of the step, and "nail" it back at the preferred height.

*  Lovely bloke, but reluctant to present his account ... he says he knows we are "good for it. When we are talking thousands, Barbara likes to keep a grip on the finances.

The builder has suggested extending the bathroom into the ally between the bungalow and brick built garage, then removing the wall below the window. Crunch time comes when we have to decide if we want a pitched or flat roof,  both bungalow and garage use the same size trusses, presumably at the same level, but it will still need a nifty bit of joinery. The garage is 21ft long, with the roof pitched the wrong way.

Whatever, HTH

John

 

[Wittsend]

Maybe you have the wrong buggy

They come in all shapes and sizes with big wheels that can tackle kerbs

A picture of what Barbara has would be useful.

You're talking thousands of pounds to modify your house when a buggy trade-in might be a better solution.

[w3526602]

Hi Alan,

The ramp was assembled today, and it sort of works.

The higher end is supported on short legs standing on the red tiles, and against (not on) the uPVC upstand.

As you said, there is a flap that bridges the upstand, and rests on the hall floor. I can't remember if the flap has to be lifted, or if the door closes over it.

Barbara tried it out, driving forward down the ramp. All was well ... until the driving wheels cleared the ramp ... and the tiny wheels (to prevent it toppling it backwards) took over, leaving the driving wheel spinning in mid air, Back to the drawing board!

The ramp is too steep, so it needs to be about 600mm longer.

The man who assembled it, and the Occupational Therapist loaded it into the van, and departed. They will return anon.

Par for the course!

John.

Did I ever mention that Barbara's operations at the private clinic were cancelled?

A patient "threw a wobbly" during an operation. The theatre was not equipped to deal with this (or any? ) type of emergency. How can that happen? The clinic refuses to operate on Barbara, unless they can see her walking.  Barbara can no longer walk. Stand off!

[w3526602]

You're talking thousands of pounds to modify your house when a buggy trade-in might be a better solution.

Hi Alan,

Thanks for your concern, but I think we can (now) handle anything that arises.  She is already talking about getting a purpose-built street buggy (and here's me just bought a pair of arm-pit crutches, for any journey more than a few yards).

Barbara paid £2.000 for her buggy

Big wheels might obstruct Barbara manouvering (sp?) around the house, but your trade-in suggestion has it's merits ... and so does having an indoor and an outdoor buggiy. I'll put that idea on the back boiler.the problem is putting things in priority order.

Our bungalow seems to be worth £40 - 50,000 more than we paid for it in 2018.  My target it to make it an "all singing, all dancing" single storey palace for the disabled. The competiion will be unadapted bungalows, and at least a year's wait for a Disabled Facilities Grant ... and tough if you have savings, or are able to take out a second mortgage. I found out the hard way. Keep any requests for grants below £6,000, which are not means tested. DFGs are not repayable if you stay in that house for 10 years, and incur 0% interest if you don't.

HTH

602

Beneden (Civil Service health insurers) will replace knees at £7.500 per knee, but at their clinic in Kent. On the other hand, Beneden seems to have some sort of link with the Nuffield Trust, who have hospitals in Oxford and Cambridge (Google) so not to far away.

But then again, did you read Nanuq's account of his difficulties with his knee replacements ... I think I received it in a PM, but can't remember if I copied it to you. Nanuq is a very fit (competitive skiing) 57 year old man. Barbara is ... er ...  none of those.

I won't try to persuade Barbara either way.

HTH

John (602)

[Peter Holden]

John, you should be able to get financial help to fit a door without a threshold, specially designed for wheelchairs and buggies.  My friend, who lives in Bournemouth has one fitted and I know that he would have had help funding it.

Peter

[w3526602]

Hi Peter,

Yes and No. Anything over £6,000 is means tested ... they want to know all about your savings and income, and even if you can raise money against your house.

They took one look at our bank statements, and said NO WAY.

I mentioned the OMSBUDSMAN ... and the sky fell on me. I made a rapid retreat mode.

The ramp was free, and I'm now back on speaking terms with the Occupational Therapist.

I'm saving my ammunition until I get round to appealing against a widened dropped kerb,(not yet applied for Planning Approval ... I want to research who and why instigated that ... I suspect because it reduces street parking space.

OK, so I'll park my car in the street, rather than in my garden ... which will take up even more space on the road. I think there are only four houses in the road that are physically capable of parking outside, without infringing the Milton Keynes rules, which are NO PARKING WITHIN 4 METRES OF A CORNER (I've got room) and NO PARKING WITHIN 4 METRES OF A DROPPED KERB (with implies an orfinary car needs 12 metres between dropped kerbs. Many of the houses are on plots only 6 metres wide, not enough room to park a roller skate with 4 metres each side, let alone a visiting car.

My previous lack of funds seems to have abated, more rapidly than can be attributed to Attendance Allowance. 

Rant to be continued.

John(602) who has nearly 40ft frontage, and guestimated 90ft sideage   There's posh!

[w3526602]

Hi Alan,

Refer to my mail of a few minutes ago, about security.

It was AVAST that nudged me , saying that my protection ends today.

John 602

[Wittsend]

You really need someone to take a look at your PC.

Best solution would be to wipe the HDD and start again.
Back-up/copy any of your data files/images and any special program(s) you like to use.
(You should have back-ups anyway)
Then...
Re-install Windows 10.
Windows 10 has it's own in-built virus protection.
There should be no need for anything extra.
You don't need to pay for AVAST again.

Install the Mozilla Firefox browser  This has built-in adware/malware blockers.
While you are at it install the Mozilla stablemate email program Thunderbird

If you don't like the Windows 10 desktop/tiles then download Classic Shell

This will give you a desk top and control panel similar to the old Windows 7 look.

If you can't do these down loads - get someone in who can.
It can take a day to really go through a PC and reset everything - but it's worth the effort.

The other way is to buy a new laptop.

It's never been clear exactly what laptop you have and it's spec.
There will be a label on the bottom with the model number.

A new laptop will/should come with everything loaded and be good for at least a year.
Your new laptop needs to have an Intel Core i7 processor, at least 8mb of RAM and an SSD (solid state) hard drive of 500GB size.
Doesn't matter what that means - show it to the salesman or read it on the box. You also want a good brand such as DELL 

John Lewis are going bust - maybe they'll have some good offers on

Laptops - PCs need constant work, maintenance to keep them sharp and working well.
Bit like a Land Rover - you can't just leave them to their own devices, they will eventually break down.
 
You can't let *&%^$ build up on them - they get seriously slowed down and can pick up all sorts of nonsense you don't need.

You can subscribe to Microsoft Office 365 and get automatic updates - or you can download the open source (free) office package which basically gives you Word and Excel applications.

Open Office

I think you best solution is to get a new laptop with a current top specification - the performance will blow your mind.

Then get your current laptop seen to and sorted and use that as your back-up device.
Throw your current spare away.





 

[w3526602]

Hi Alan,

Thanks for prompt reply,  I will endeavour to follow your advice.

New lap-top?

Every alternate Friday, I throw scraps of paper (each with a desire written on it), put them in a hat, and draw one out, and that's the one I buy. Oops, sorry, that's my debt management system ... I pay one creditor every second Friday ... if you keep writing to me, I won't put your name in the hat next Friday.

I AM JOKING!

The current "biggy" list contains a new Lap-top, a Disco, and laying a dropped kerb with a second hard standing. And extending the bathroom (£15,000) so Barbara's wheelchair doesn't stop the door closing. We've written-off Barbara's new knees. (Only £7,500 per knee at Beneden Health Care, but a bit more if you are NOT a member).

602