Disabled facilities grant

[Jess_1612]

Hi!

I haven't posted in a while because my husband has been in and out of hospital and we have just moved! So lots to sort out!

I just wondered if anyone had been successful in getting a disabled facilities grant of any substantial amount? We have just bought our own home and as it is a house we need a few things done to bathrooms etc. We looked into paying for it privately and it is beyond our budget! We were hoping to get a grant from the council, but been told it can take ages. As my husband's conditions are deteriorating and he is also due to have surgery soon, I want it done sooner rather than later.

Has anyone got any advice?

TIA

[bowlingbun]

Who has told you that? Social Services, or your local council? Has an Occupational Therapist been to assess yet?

[Jess_1612]

Well my husband was in hospital and it was them who told us, even with an OT referral, it could take a while to get any kind of substantial grant through to do bathrooms and stuff.

We haven't seen the OT yet at home. It was a bit of a mess at the hospital. They said they had done the referral (and that for an active case manager) and it doesn't appear to have been done. So I need to chase/call council this week.

[bowlingbun]

Social Services should do a Needs Assessment for your husband and a Carers Assessment for you. However it's the local Housing Department who are responsible for DFG'Swhich is a bit odd. Your husband should NOT be discharged until he has the aids and adaptations he needs. I suggest you Google DFG'S. I know that if you start anything before getting the grant, they won't usually give you a penny, so be very careful.

[Jess_1612]

He was discharged on Wednesday night. We got a delivery of toilet frames and a promise an OT referral had been done. Urgh. Not looking forward to chasing all this.

I had a carers assessment when we lived in central Manchester early in the year. Now we have moved to Salford I need to get a needs assessment sorted for my husband and maybe a new carers assessment for me.

[bowlingbun]

I believe the old needs assessment should be honoured by the new authority automatically, until such time as the new one has been completed. Check with the Carers UK helpline. Have they arranged his 6 weeks (or more) free reablement care?

[Jess_1612]

I didn't even know he was entitled to that. I thought that was for the elderly?

[bowlingbun]

No, should be for anyone. I had two knee replacements after a car accident. After the first one, I couldn't get the (private) hospital to arrange it for me. Made absolutely certain it was done for the second knee. I was under 60. Sometimes it's called "Reablement Care" sometimes something a bit different. It's a scheme so patients get out of hospital back into their own homes asap. Maybe Google the name of the County you live and look at their website? Social workers and hospitals are getting more and more "forgetful" to save money!!

[SeasideDeb]

We received significant work through a Disabled Facilities Grant - a concrete wheelchair ramp to the front door and a total bathroom conversion to a wetroom. We rung adult social care & got an OT referral stating that it was urgent - which it was. She came out within a couple of weeks and assessed the house. Some smaller items were through adult social care - rising chair etc. The ramp & the bathroom were then referred for a disabled facilities grant.

This is the tough bit - from the OT made the referral to the completion of the bathroom took 14 months & to the completition of the ramp just over 2 years. To say it was a nightmare was the understatement of the century. I spent so much time on the phone ringing people & chasing things up. The surveyor lost his job in the end because he lied to us several times about having done things that he hadn't & he got caught out. However, the end results are brilliant & have made immeasurably better for my husband. Not everyone's will take this long or require so much chasing on their part (we had help from his consultant & the MP) but you do need to keep your eye on things.

Do bear in mind that a Disabled Facilities Grant is means tested.

[Jess_1612]

Hi thanks for your reply. Sorry to hear you had so much trouble getting the adaptations you needed! I'm glad you finally have them!

My husband is on the list for an OT assessment and should have one within 4-6 weeks. Will have to ask about the disabled facilities grant when they come round.

When you say it is means tested - do they take the value of your house into consideration? We don't have a lot of savings, no investments and we live on a small pension of my husband's (he got ill health retirement from his private pension).