My wife is registered blind and has recently asked for her award of DLA care 
to be looked at again.

She currently receives low rate.

She has now been turned down because:

"(They) accept she may need help when using stairs and showering however she 
could arrange for help at these times. She can move around safely indoors 
and can take care to avoid falls by ensuring that furniture is not moved.
(They) accept that she needs checking to ensure that she is dressed 
correctly however this is only at the beginning of the day."

If you couldn't laugh.... you'd cry!

On 25 Nov, 17:36, "Pocoyo"  wrote:
> My wife is registered blind and has recently asked for her award of DLA care
> to be looked at again.
>
> She currently receives low rate.
>
> She has now been turned down because:
>
> "(They) accept she may need help when using stairs and showering however she
> could arrange for help at these times. She can move around safely indoors
> and can take care to avoid falls by ensuring that furniture is not moved.
> (They) accept that she needs checking to ensure that she is dressed
> correctly however this is only at the beginning of the day."
>
> If you couldn't laugh.... you'd cry!

It depends how you fill the form out.
Mistakes are common. If they aren't told how something affects her,
how are they supposed to know?
Can't see much wrong with their decision, unless they decided to stop
the lower rate.

Just out of interest, how exactly are stairs a problem? I can
understand some help with getting shower shampoo and soap in the right
places to be picked up in the shower, but not so sure about the
stairs.

Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:522e55fd-ef74-4667-ba58-9a595d66fc66@w34g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
> On 25 Nov, 17:36, "Pocoyo"  wrote:
>> My wife is registered blind and has recently asked for her award of DLA 
>> care
>> to be looked at again.
>>
>> She currently receives low rate.
>>
>> She has now been turned down because:
>>
>> "(They) accept she may need help when using stairs and showering however 
>> she
>> could arrange for help at these times. She can move around safely indoors
>> and can take care to avoid falls by ensuring that furniture is not moved.
>> (They) accept that she needs checking to ensure that she is dressed
>> correctly however this is only at the beginning of the day."
>>
>> If you couldn't laugh.... you'd cry!
>
> It depends how you fill the form out.
> Mistakes are common. If they aren't told how something affects her,
> how are they supposed to know?

They could read the comprehensively filled in form, or take the word of her 
consultant who provided a full and detailed account of her needs.

> Can't see much wrong with their decision, unless they decided to stop
> the lower rate.

No, they haven't gone that far, but neither have they taken into account 
that she is diabetic and I have to administer the correct dosage three times 
a day, after checking her blood/glucose levels. Together with all her other 
medication.
Nor have they taken account of the fact that she may need to change her 
clothes more than once a day, or considered how she ensures that furniture 
is not moved, Christ, she can't see the nails to nail it all down with!
I also have to help her in many other ways. Ways in which are recognised in 
their own Disabilty Handbook.

>
> Just out of interest, how exactly are stairs a problem? I can
> understand some help with getting shower shampoo and soap in the right
> places to be picked up in the shower, but not so sure about the
> stairs.

Sorry, she has arthritis in both ankles and her left knee, but they have 
agreed that she needs help when using stairs, but feel that she should seek 
help at that time. We are just unsure as to where she should summon it from.

>
> Martin  <><
>
>

On 25 Nov, 20:19, "Pocoyo"  wrote:
>  wrote in message
>
> news:522e55fd-ef74-4667-ba58-9a595d66fc66@w34g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> > On 25 Nov, 17:36, "Pocoyo"  wrote:
> >> My wife is registered blind and has recently asked for her award of DLA
> >> care
> >> to be looked at again.
>
> >> She currently receives low rate.
>
> >> She has now been turned down because:
>
> >> "(They) accept she may need help when using stairs and showering however
> >> she
> >> could arrange for help at these times. She can move around safely indoors
> >> and can take care to avoid falls by ensuring that furniture is not moved.
> >> (They) accept that she needs checking to ensure that she is dressed
> >> correctly however this is only at the beginning of the day."
>
> >> If you couldn't laugh.... you'd cry!
>
> > It depends how you fill the form out.
> > Mistakes are common. If they aren't told how something affects her,
> > how are they supposed to know?
>
> They could read the comprehensively filled in form, or take the word of her
> consultant who provided a full and detailed account of her needs.
>
> > Can't see much wrong with their decision, unless they decided to stop
> > the lower rate.
>
> No, they haven't gone that far, but neither have they taken into account
> that she is diabetic and I have to administer the correct dosage three times
> a day, after checking her blood/glucose levels. Together with all her other
> medication.
> Nor have they taken account of the fact that she may need to change her
> clothes more than once a day, or considered how she ensures that furniture
> is not moved, Christ, she can't see the nails to nail it all down with!
> I also have to help her in many other ways. Ways in which are recognised in
> their own Disabilty Handbook.
>
>
>
> > Just out of interest, how exactly are stairs a problem? I can
> > understand some help with getting shower shampoo and soap in the right
> > places to be picked up in the shower, but not so sure about the
> > stairs.
>
> Sorry, she has arthritis in both ankles and her left knee, but they have
> agreed that she needs help when using stairs, but feel that she should seek
> help at that time. We are just unsure as to where she should summon it from.
>
>
>
>
>
> > Martin  <><- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Ah, more info. Yes, diabetes is a problem if in addition to something
else.
Not so sure about changing clothes - I wouldn't think its common to
change many times a day.
Or furniture not being moved? Surely thats simple - don't move it
without telling her.
Can't say I know anyone who moves their furniture regularly. Even such
things as waste paper baskets or magazine racks can be left in the
same place every day.

Help needed and where to summon help from are two different things.
They give money for help needed. Its up to the person (if they can
handle own affairs) to arrange where help should be summon from.
Or someone else (if the person can't manage their own affairs) to
arrange.

Its amazing you managed to get her consultant to provide a full and
detailed account of her needs. In years of reading consultants
reports, can't recall more than a handful of times I saw anything more
than details of the medical condition.
Consultants tend to be specialised, they know exactly what some
disease or condition is. But specifics about what an individual can do
themselves, they do tend to vary with the person to a degree to start
off with.

Martin  <><

"Pocoyo"  wrote in message
news:5qtq2hF11revcU1@mid.individual.net
> My wife is registered blind and has recently asked for her award of
> DLA care to be looked at again.
>
> She currently receives low rate.
>
> She has now been turned down because:
>
> "(They) accept she may need help when using stairs and showering
> however she could arrange for help at these times. She can move
> around safely indoors and can take care to avoid falls by ensuring
> that furniture is not moved. (They) accept that she needs checking to
> ensure that she is dressed correctly however this is only at the
> beginning of the day."
>
> If you couldn't laugh.... you'd cry!
>
YES know the feeling although daughter has a diploma she still needs 24/7
care more so after taking a overdose of her anti de's but who are we to say
we need more help????????
They just go by the book at the end of the day feck us that have to give up
our lives to look after them.....

On 25 Nov, 21:35, "Cuddly"  wrote:
> "Pocoyo"  wrote in message
>
> news:5qtq2hF11revcU1@mid.individual.net
>
>
>
> > My wife is registered blind and has recently asked for her award of
> > DLA care to be looked at again.
>
> > She currently receives low rate.
>
> > She has now been turned down because:
>
> > "(They) accept she may need help when using stairs and showering
> > however she could arrange for help at these times. She can move
> > around safely indoors and can take care to avoid falls by ensuring
> > that furniture is not moved. (They) accept that she needs checking to
> > ensure that she is dressed correctly however this is only at the
> > beginning of the day."
>
> > If you couldn't laugh.... you'd cry!
>
> YES know the feeling although daughter has a diploma she still needs 24/7
> care more so after taking a overdose of her anti de's but who are we to say
> we need more help????????
> They just go by the book at the end of the day feck us that have to give up
> our lives to look after them.....- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Of course they go by the book.
The book you write telling them what help is needed.

Thye don't know you from Adam. They don't know all the heartache,
tears, joys, depression and pain. Thye can only look at the tiny slice
of information you tell them that fits in their pre-determined limited
benefit.
Then decide to award or reject, and if awarding how much care is
needed, how much help getting around is needed.

Many people aren't eloquent. They don't know how to put in words in
the best way what goes on in their life, or the life of their loved
one.
Probably why some organisations make a fortune from helping fill in
forms. Hell, do it myself with my organisation.

How else would you have them decide on what is a very subjective
issue? Full-day medical? Brutal, very brutal. How about just awarding
benefit to those who have greatest visible need, such as those missing
all limbs or those totally unable to do anything? Cruel on everyone
else.
Wide ranging benefits that don't come down to simple figures do tend
to create problems. Partly because neither side can simply say 'this
is how it is' in plain and simple terms like most benefits can.

Martin  <><