Despite ATOS cancelling my last home visit (they said DLA shouldn't have requested one!) I have received one for tomorrow?!

[Em1610]

I have 2 rare forms of epilepsy, severe complex PTSD, fibromyalgia, I also have a partially paralysed leg due to a surgical error in a cancer unit.

I have been on DLA for the most part since I was 16, I only had a catch up with them a few months ago & they sent me a letter to say I will be on the same rate till October when I'll then be sent forms for PIP.

I need help, I don't know what to do tomorrow & don't know what to say. I'm panicking!

[Hidden]

Hi Em

First thing is to grab a cuppa, sit down and get comfy and breathe nice and deep.............. and again.

I had a DLA home visit assessment last year and the best thing to do is to be yourself but to remember to have all of your aids handy, appointment letters and medications etc just as if you were going to the centre for the assessment. The doctor will discuss your illness and how it affects you, your medications and probably take a little history from you and ask you to perform a few tasks. Don't do anything you cannot do but you must also try to show that you can't if you know what I mean? Don't over exaggerate the doc will notice!!

Have you got someone who can be there with you to bear witness to the assessment and take notes?

I asked the same question: Hello all, has anyone any advice for a DLA home visit assessment by ATOS? 9 months ago

healthunlocked.com/fibroact...

You may also find this interesting from our mother site fibroaction.org benefits section:

fibroaction.org/Pages/Benef...

A Post from from the Past for you that is also really quite interesting: Answer to question at DLA Medical - Are you able to prepare yourself a simple meal, such as Beans on toast. It is 2yrs old but I think it's still viable

healthunlocked.com/fibroact....

Okay I have bombarded you with lots of information when I meant to calm you down and reassure you, I hope that the information helps to do that and please let me know how it goes. I shall be thinking of you tomorrow.

One last link is for relaxation breathing exercises that I posted a little while ago:

healthunlocked.com/fibroact............................

Good luck xxxsianxxx

[Sarah-Jane]

Just to let you know you are being wished all the best and I hope the visit goes well. Make sure they know what things are like for you on your worst days as you may seem quite well when they come. You know the scenario - walk into the dentist and the pain disappears? Anything you really want to mention or questions you want to ask, have written on a notepad near you. Take notes or have someone there who can back you up, make tea, take notes - but mainly just be there to support you if you can. When they ask you questions do stop and think before you answer. Its easy to forget something or say something you didn't mean.

Take care and soft hugs

[rosewine]

Hi

Firstly - best of luck for tomorrow. Zeb has given you excellent advice especially as to having someone there with you if at all possible. If you can't could you ask a friendly neighbour just to notice when the doctor arrives and departs. . You might think this is strange but I used to be an advisor and I managed to catch out a doctor who came on a home visit and refused an amputee DLA and put on his form that the visit had taken 1 hour and in fact he was only there 15 minutes. Fortunately a neighbour happened to notice the doctor come and then remarked to his wife that the doctor had hardly had time to sit down before coming out again and he decided his friend must have looked so ill that he had decided to abandon the visit! That enabled me to start to pick holes in the rest of the report. If for any reason you were refused ask for a copy of the report as I found errors in medication, etc, etc.. You have also lived with your disability for many years and have naturally made changes to your everyday life to accommodate this and this has become the norm for you. Just really think actually how long things take you because you might be surprised by the answer to that. When I used to ask people to make a little log of what tasks they found difficult and how long it took them to do certain things they were all shocked by say how long it took them to get up. When asked by me in the first instance they might say half an hour but when they timed it was more like one and a half hours they had jsut got so used to adjusting every day life to their disabilities. What was normal to them would not be at all normal for a fit person. Hope eveerything goes well for you and let us know how you get on. Will be thinking about you tomorrowxx

[TheAuthor]

Hi EM1610

I can see that you have been given some wonderful advice so I will just say good luck to you. I a genuinely hope that everything goes really well for you tomorrow.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken x

[Hidden]

Hi Em

How did go hunny? Are you alright??

xxxsianxxx