Floor thru lifts: Hi, anyone know how to go... - PSP Association

PSP Association

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Floor thru lifts

Megabrew88 profile image
20 Replies

Hi, anyone know how to go about applying for a floor thru lifts? Is it through the local council equipment and changes to your home?

Can I call social services whilst waiting for Ts CHC assessment after checklist submitted by hospital?

I’m keen to bring him home from hospital BUT the house needs to be adapted for him to be safe, and I just want to know what I can do whilst waiting for hospital staff (OT etc) do their bit!

Any tips please, thanks

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Megabrew88 profile image
Megabrew88
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20 Replies
JA10 profile image
JA10

Hi, my parents have a through floor lift and it works really well for them. It was partly funded by the local council, however rather than being put in for my Mum (PSP), it was actually installed for my Dad (MS). He has now been in a wheelchair for about 8 years and the lift was sorted when he could no longer transfer from his wheelchair downstairs to the stair lift and off into a new chair upstairs.

Although the local team, OT, SALT etc have been helpful for my mum, it is more about putting the odd grab bar in and sorting carers. I am not sure that they would have sorted the lift, or the wet room bathroom they also have, just for Mum with PSP.

Megabrew88 profile image
Megabrew88 in reply to JA10

Thanks

Kevin_1 profile image
Kevin_1

Hi Megabrew

With regard to CHC and Social Care adaptions - They are independent. So you can push ahead with applying for equipment. It will not compromise your CHC application.

When we talked about a through floor lift we were politely told that the living room should be made into a bedroom, a commode could be used and bed baths would suffice.

However rattle the tree and see what comes out.

Good luck.

Megabrew88 profile image
Megabrew88 in reply to Kevin_1

Thanks once again for your invaluable tip.

I will certainly rattle the tree, 😍

And did you get the floor thru lifts?

Kevin_1 profile image
Kevin_1 in reply to Megabrew88

No, they would not have worked here. The rooms are too small.

So I didn't make any fuss over it.

aliciamq profile image
aliciamq in reply to Kevin_1

Is that what you did, Kevin?!?! I am still in the middle of making a toilet ,powder room with some kind of shower system in my 5x7 kitchen nook. Right now, I'm thinking making the liv. rm. a bedroom, using a commode, and bed baths may suffice?!?!?!?!?

Kevin_1 profile image
Kevin_1 in reply to aliciamq

No - We never got there.

Liz's deterioration was somewhat unusual for PSP - She has elements of CBD and her behaviour put her beyond home care before we got to that stage.

Best laid plans etc.

I guess every flat or house has different opportunities and then there is that affordability thing.

We might have been able to throw a huge amount of money at the problem, but now that money subsidises a place at a superb, but expensive nursing home.

aliciamq profile image
aliciamq in reply to Kevin_1

Hmmmm. Thanks. I just want someone to tell me what I want to hear😆😆😆 and not need to change my cute little house😑 Thanks again, Alicia. I joke about putting a kiddie pool in front of the kitchen sink and using the sprayer for a shower😆I just think if he can't get to the toilet where it is ~ he won't be getting to it in my kitchen either!?!?! He/Jack! Already can't make it in time, but can still get to the existing bathroom(downstairs😬) for cleaning up😑

Kevin_1 profile image
Kevin_1 in reply to aliciamq

Yes, popular culture now is that everything has to be perfect. If we care we will change heaven and earth etc.

I wonder how you would manage without the kitchen ;)

PSP can throw very difficult choices at us and the best route is not always the best route with the the hindsight of developments.

Its nice to sit under a shower or use a real toilet, but as a retired yachtsman I got by with a bucket of sea water... the trick was to use it for purposes in the correct order. e.g. wash first.)

;)

Waiving.

aliciamq profile image
aliciamq in reply to Kevin_1

I had the same observation about the popular culture~ like with the little ones birthday parties😆- How did we manage to enjoy life with hot dogs, homemade cupcakes and kool-aid?????

😆😆😆We have done our share of roughing it up north etc... too. Hear ya there!!!!!

The kitchen has a little nook area for a breakfast table. That is where this toilet/shower something would go. I use it for plants, projects with grandkids, artwork, and recently a reading spot while Jack watches TV too loud in the other room.

Kevin_1 profile image
Kevin_1 in reply to aliciamq

I just edited my post - oops

Ratcliffe profile image
Ratcliffe

We had a through floor lift installed by the adaptations team at my local council. It was set up in a way that the council did all the repairs and maintenance and then when David died the agreement was that they could come and take it out again and make good the hole etc, plastering and the likes. It worked very well.

That way, your house can do what it needs to do for you now, and you can get it out back to normal in the future should you want to.

Just as an aside, if the local authority decide to install a lift, make sure that the bathroom will be usable with a wheelchair etc, mine wasn't, and it turned out that they could have used the lift money and the later bathroom conversion money to build a custom fitted out extension on the back of the house, rather than having to lose two of our three bedrooms to accommodate the lift and wet room.

Don't get me wrong, we were eternally grateful for the adaptations that we received, but with better planning it could have been even better for no cost.

Julieandrog profile image
Julieandrog

Hi

Worked so well for us, we had to pay , they base structural changes on income not savings so got you every way! Doors had to be widened to accomodate wheelchair.

It enabled me to care for rog with giving him privacy and peace , i am leaving it in situ now he has gone , if i move the house will be marketed as adapted for disability, but my plan is to leave in a box!!!

My grandson calls it grand dad's spaceship , keeps sending things upstairs to me!

Have a good one

Julie

Ratcliffe profile image
Ratcliffe in reply to Julieandrog

Yes, it was the one time that not being married or civil partnered worked for me and David.

Because we were not legally partnered, everything was based on Davids income and not mine, so is income was state pension and nothing else so he qualified for help. Oddly though, because he was legally a lodger in my house although only contributing to the bills as I cared for him, meant that I had to guarantee all the finance, as technically I could have kicked him out leaving the council having spent money for no help for David.

I found that a very fair way of doing it, but it was sheer luck as we had no idea how the finances would pan out when we asked for help.

Megabrew88 profile image
Megabrew88

Thanks Julie, who do (which department) i contact. Sorry I’m new to social services.

And also how long does it take from application to installation?

Thanks

Julieandrog profile image
Julieandrog in reply to Megabrew88

Hi

Most councils now have a generic hub number, if not ring advertised number and ask for someone who deals with disablement grants or alterations for house for disability, gov.uk website useful, also use your local carers association. They still may not fund lift if they can come up with a cheaper option. The process took over four months, then they told us we were not eligible!

If you self fund it is done as soon as you pick up the phone!

Julie

vlh4444 profile image
vlh4444

Meg, think this tells you what you need to know gov.uk/disabled-facilities-...

However I think you have to have a Social Services Financial Assessment and they will tell you how much they will contribute. They take savings and income into account.

We ended up paying ourselves for a wet room and wider doorways (bedroom was already downstairs). The upside of that was we could have whichever contractors we wanted and could have a nicer looking wet room which, although equipped with grab rails, foldaway screen and non-slip tiles, does not look like a disability wet room so is an asset to the house and does not now have to be removed.

I don't have any knowledge of lifts.

Love Vicki x

Megabrew88 profile image
Megabrew88 in reply to vlh4444

Thanks Vicki,

Hope you feeling better

vlh4444 profile image
vlh4444 in reply to Megabrew88

Thanks Meg. A slight improvement this morning I think but this bug seems to go on and on! 😪😷

Megabrew88 profile image
Megabrew88 in reply to vlh4444

I know, I still have remnants of a flu of 2 months.

Take care rest and get well soon💕

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