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[w3526602]

Hi,

Pretty please, Can anybody advise me on how or where where I can obtain copies of Statutory Instraments ... presumably direct from HMSO ... but where is their shop?

I think what I'm looking for is SI. No.1189 DISABLED FACILITIES GRANTS.

All I have been able to find refers to ACCESS TO A GARDEN AREA, INCLUDING HOUSE BOATS, under that SI number, but I'm guessing that ONLY refers to "Access to Garden Areas". I'm looking for the legal situation for ALL disabilities, and situations.

I understand that the Ombudsman is very "hawkish" when comes to "bathroom facilities". He also has specific interest in cooking facilities.

My LA seem the think that providing facilities is optional ...  We asked for help in getting Barbara out through the front door. They provided an aluminium chequer plate ramp, with a 1:5 slope. Barbara's power-chair grounded it's rear anti-tip wheels , lifting the driving wheels, so she stopped. Version two was longer, at 2 metres, but gave a 1:8 incline, which her power chair could manage, but my knees were uncomfortable at that incline. We asked out builder to lower the complete front door frame, so the opening door barely skimmed over the hall carpet, then raise the brick paved drive to match. Visitors do not notice that there IS a slope. Actually it's now 1 in 12, which I believe Building Regs decree is the maximum permitted.

While he was in the mood, I asked him to pave (brick) the entire front garden, giving me lots of lovely parking. £8,000 from our own pockets, plus another £1,000 to widen the lounge door, so that Barbara did not have to zig-zag her powerchair from the lounge, across the hall into the bathroom. We also had the normal WC bowl replaced with a taller version.. All academic now, as she can't get out of bed.

The hospital would not discharge her until she could be craned into bed, so, they provided a "hospital quality" engine lifting crane, before realising that our newish Adjustamatic double bed was actually a double divan, with no space underneath for the crane's front wheels (only 3 or 4" diameter). So they split the 5ft wide bed into two 30" wide divans, and dumped Barbara's half in the study, leaving me with the other 30". Thirty inches is considered a child's bed, not really suitable for my 100kg mass. So we bought me a hospital "style" bed, 900mm wide, not 100mm like Barbara's, and without the vertical adjustment of Barbara's proper hospital bed. Circa £800. I wish we had spent the extra £100, and got a proper hospital bed.

The bed arrived, and Barbara arrived home the following day. Her carer's craned out of her wheelchair then tried to push crane over the bed. Wrong! The crane's little wheels refused to move over the deep pile carpet, presumably laid by the original owner, when the bungalow was new, forty years ago. So the ambulance crew started to shake the crane, which terrified Barbara. I can't remember how they got her into bed, but they did .... and there she has stayed for several months, without a break. I moved the crane into the lounge, and that's where it has stayed.

I asked Barbara to order me a new Stanley knife from Amazon ... and have removed every scrap of carpet. Both beds, and the crane, now roll easily over what our builder calls "parquet", but I doubt that anyone will be able to persuade Barbara to be hoisted then pushed, ever again.

We both wonder if she is being punished for phoning the Fire Brigade, last time she fell, instead of waiting the forecast three hours, for an ambulance, while lying on the bathroom floor. The Fire Crew Chief got quite "snotty", demanded Barbara be taken to hospital, and  HE phoned for an ambulance ... which arrived within minutes. She spent three weeks in bed, no treatment that she was aware of, before being discharged.

I occasionally ponder on asking our solicitor in Swansea, who can (at times) act unconventionally,  and I want him on MY side, if  the Ombudsman would be interested.

Any thoughts?

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[autorover1]

Not sure if this of help , One can read online https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/1189/made

[w3526602]

Hi Autorover,

Thanks for that. It is more informative that the "Google Version", and more restrictive. For instance, I visualised a "garden area" as having grass and flowers, but that version of the act includes "yards", which I assume means my front cross-drive parking area , the original drive, the secret garden, was recently a jungle, but now a chipping covered area surrounded by 2 metre fencing, a concrete area behind my garage, and a raised lawned area with young fruit trees.

Arguably, maybe, Barbara could access, by circumnavigating the property, access to all but the raised lawn area.

Some months ago (I've lost count of how many), Barbara fell while transferring from her power chair. Recovery would have required the use of an inflatable cushion, so we called for an ambulance. THREE HOUR WAIT.. So We called the Fire Brigade, who were quite snotty, but did get Barbara off the floor, and called an ambulance. The ambulance arrived within a matter of minutes, and took her off to hospital. Social Services provided a electric crane, then realised that we had an Adjustamatic double bed, with insufficient space underneath for the crane legs. Delay while they split the 5ft bed in half, and provide an all singing, all dancing, hospital bed, leaving me with 30" wide divan, to support my 100 odd kilos.

Barbara was delivered home, put to bed .... and there she has remained ever since.

Yes, Social Services put Barbara to bed, and later tried to get her up, and into her power chair using the crane managed to lift her, but not move the crane. The crane's little wheels sank into the deep pile carpet, making it reluctant to roll. So they tried shaking, to brake the carpet's grip on the crane, which terrified Barbara. The Local Authority's social workers abandoned that project, and compensated by giving Barbara a blanket bath at least once per day, plus whenever needed. They no longer use bed pans. At one time we were filling TWO black wheelie bins, to brim, every week, with "clinical waste". That has improved over the several months since she came home, but as yet, she has not been moved from her bed AT ALL.

The LA Social Workers have been replaced by private contractors, who demanded that I should be added to their contract. I hang onto the struggling bars, while they shower me each morning, and dress me in jeans and jumper. In the early evening, change me into my night attire ... jogging pants and T-shirt. We get three cooked meals per day, but we provide the ingredients. There is a nominal charge, small enough not to hurt.

Mowing my 30ft x 20ft lawn, with an electric fFymo type thing, but on wheels, so doesn't hover, is more that my legs can take in one go, so I do about a third every week.

Girls have arrived, more later.

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[w3526602]

Hi again,

Girls have departed, but I went back to bed had a bit more kip.

Neither the District Nurse, nor a GP have visited since Barbara's fall. Her carers seem to have authority to do whatever, writing prescriptions, giving innoculations.

And I've forgotten what else I was going to say next, so I'll leave it there.

Wait while I answer the knock on the front door .....

....  One of our carers ... told me I needed a shave, before entering. There has to be a better way!

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[Gibbo103]

John, have you looked on foundations.uk.com? - it is the government site to help you assess what grants you can apply for. I’m happy to pop over in the week and help trawl through it if you like. Dave

[w3526602]

Hi Dave,

you are both welcome, and WELCOME, to call at anytime, although I usually take Wilkie to my daughter's house at lunch times ... he gets a walk which is now the other side of my pain barrier, and grandson earns a fiver a time. I have other family transport chores, but if you can hear Barbara shouting, she will tell you the number of the key safe.

If there are strange cars on the drive, at salient times, it will probably be our carers. They are not usually there for long. Barbara gets a bed bath in the morning, and again, when necessary, and an African maiden washes my back, etc, in the shower, very early each morning.

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Everybody else is welcome, too, although entertaining is not easy, so take it as it comes.

[w3526602]

Hi Autorover,

Thanks for that link. I regret that it wasn't a lot of use.

If you can find your way to the DISABILITY LAW SOCIETY WEBSITE, you may find a lot more information .... which I transcribed onto about 40 pages of A4 pages, ARIEL 12point ... and then lost, possibly when my Guru converted me Windows 10.

I still have some snippets, such as ...

6. ADAPTATIONS UNDER £1000.
6.1. There are special rules on adaptations costing less than £1000.
6.2. Grants under £1000 are exempt from any charges, meaning that a person applying for a grant under £1000 will not be asked to make a contribution themselves.

(There is then nothing to stop you making further application).

On their first visit, the Local Authorities questioned whether our Second Mortgage lenders would agree to increasing our loan limit .... which came as a shock.

We had used Equity Release as a FIRST MORTGAGE, as most of the usual culprits do not want to know you when you get wrinkly. As far as I can make out, the Equity Release firms do NOT require you to make repayments, so they can hit your heirs with compound interest, when you die. Their initial offer included about £15,000 more than we had asked for. They have since offered us further substantial sums, as the value of our bungalow has increased, thereby increasing the equity. We have been making monthly payments of several hundred pounds, way in excess of the amount that we estimate the monthly 4% interest to be.

Barbara (tightwad) insists that we only spend money on our credit cards (never the debit card), and settles in full every month.

And now our "ladies" have arrived to feed us ... I only have to get my kit off early in morning, and bedtime, but I still have sign off. from here. More anon.

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[Wittsend]

Have you contacted/spoken to AGE UK - they should be able to answer your questions and guide you through your financial/grant questions

(Mrs Wittsend worked for them until she retired a couple of years ago.)

[The Shed]

A word to the wise regarding your potential ramp. My now departed Mum was struggling to get around so the Family bought her an electric sit on scooter, which she initially refused to try until my Wife managed to encourage her to give it a go, after which she soon became adept at using it to her advantage.
The Housing Association initially refused to supply a ramp, we then used a metal one similar to what you describe, provided by a relative it was a bit steep but tackled correctly sufficed.
On one of their regular inspections the HA declared our ramp dangerous, as it was deemed too steep, and they arranged a concrete one to be installed/built.
It was actually constructed by a friend of Dad's from the Pub. Who laid it three times !
First time it rained, second time a mark was left along the edge where a 'walk the plank' had been placed. Third time was fine, YAY !
Apparently so the builder said, if it was defective in any way the housing would not pay ?
Anyway, to fit in with the guidelines with regard to degree of slope her front garden was concreted over with a very nice zig/zag ramp. 
Well that was a ramble, much like the ramp ?

[w3526602]

Hi Shed,

We seem to have shared our experiences.

I assume the original owner of our bungalow replaced the (assumed original) wooden doors and windows with uPVC.

Unfortunately, she seemed to have chosen the lo-buck version, with the door frames on all four sides, giving a 3" high barrier.

Doh! My ladies have arrived, they have no sense of timing.

I will return shortly.

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[w3526602]

Hi,

Further to the above, DISABILITY FACILITIES GRANTS are interest free, and mandatory, but are MEANS TESTED if over £1,000, and it seems our savings are too high for us to be eligible, so we have to contrive to keep our requests below £1,000.

They also check to ensure that savings have not been deliberately depleted, to keep one's wealth below the "threshold". I'm wondering if buying a battery powered WAV (Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle) would count as a "deliberate depletion"? If you or a member of your household can justify buying a WAV without VAT, I believe that you can enjoy using it incidentally. Speak to a WAV specialist.

I spoke to the local AGE UK lady, when we were applying for Mobility Allowance for Barbara. She said she would apply on my behalf, and was seldom refused. Barbara got the full night + day allowance, but I only got the day allowance, probably worth a bit over £40 a week. The Carers' Team Leader was African, with a trace of pit-bull. She said she would return after lunch, and take me down to Social Services. I never saw her again, as she had nipped off to Africa for a few weeks holiday. Her sister is now the Team Leader, but is less aggressive.

Wonders never cease ... a GP from our Health Centre actually knocked on our door last week, to see Barbara. I must make an appointment for myself, see what I can stir up.

Enough for now!

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[The Shed]

I don't think the purchase of a WAV would count as deliberate depletion and you may even find help is available ?

[w3526602]

Hi Shed,

Unfortunately, Barbara is a miser (Maiden name was LEVI, originating from a Thomas Levi, German Jewish Silversmith, who (for whatever reason) started the Methodist Movement in South Wales. Barbara is a direct descendent, and Church of Wales.   

While we were in Malaya, Barbara managed to save more than I would have earned had we been living in the UK. At the time of my demob (1967) a married corporal, "living out" would have been paid just over £1,000pa. When I started work as a Clerical Officer at DVLC in 1972, my salary was £1,200pa, plus shift allowance. We managed to buy a brand new 4-bed, detached Wimpey Super-home, I think for £14,000. I wonder what its worth now? 

We paid £5,000 for our first house (by unorthodox means, the estate agent went to jail over other, similar, deals, but when "needs must"!) The last time I checked, it was last sold for over £300,000. Not a nice house.

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[The Shed]

Hi Shed,

Unfortunately, Barbara is a miser (Maiden name was LEVI, originating from a Thomas Levi, German Jewish Silversmith, who (for whatever reason) started the Methodist Movement in South Wales. Barbara is a direct descendent, and Church of Wales.   

While we were in Malaya, Barbara managed to save more than I would have earned had we been living in the UK. At the time of my demob (1967) a married corporal, "living out" would have been paid just over £1,000pa. When I started work as a Clerical Officer at DVLC in 1972, my salary was £1,200pa, plus shift allowance. We managed to buy a brand new 4-bed, detached Wimpey Super-home, I think for £14,000. I wonder what its worth now? 

We paid £5,000 for our first house (by unorthodox means, the estate agent went to jail over other, similar, deals, but when "needs must"!) The last time I checked, it was last sold for over £300,000. Not a nice house.

602

Indeed, when the opportunity presents itself, sometimes. Needs must. 
Doesn't bear thinking about, the houses we had and lost ?

[w3526602]

Hi Shed,

Needs must? Barbara was approaching her 12th month of pregnancy, and I was a self-employed mini-cab operator, working from a basement office ... nearby Estate Agent arranged for me to have a letter saying that my income and time in the job were sufficient for me to obtain a mortgage.I gave them £10 a week, and they gave me jobs, in order of my last arrival in the queue.

I believe the Building Society Managers were happy to go along with this arrangement, but the Perp tried the same scam, using GLC mortgages ... including amending the nationality and many other details of the applicant. The GLC were not happy to play ball. The estate agent was awarded 2 years in jail. (Obtaining a pecuniary by deception? ) I was very glad to sell that house for twice what I paid for it, just four years later, and make a dash for Wales in a brand new car (OK - van), towing a brand new caravan. We paid cash for the house in Wales, which looking back was the best house we ever owned. And probably the worst area. What did we do wrong? 

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