Any ideas on how to get a bathroom converted to a shower./wet room with financial help from the local council?

[jillannf6]

AS mosto f you good bloggers will know I am moving to a ground floor flat in january and need the bathroom converting to a shower / wet room

I haven not had a bath for 3 /4 years as i can no longer get ojut of a bath and enjoy a daily shower still ok on ,my own

But the shower -over- bath will not work as i fall/ trip at the slightest thing and often in the bathroom - been a problem for a no of years

so any thoughts of a tasteful bthtroom with raised toilet and bidet woudl b appreciated

Jill

[ray-wiffen-1958]

hi jill,

hope your keeping well glad to here that your moveing

to a ground floor flat, i hope you have better luck getting

it converted , i have been waiting nearly four years to have

a shower put in , social services didnt wont to know so i went

to the local council they said they would do it but only a over

the bath shower then when they come to do it they changed

there bloody minds on the grounds of health and safety, so

i cant get in the bath any more so i have to get in the car and

go to my brothers for a shower witch is a five mile round trip

just to keep my self clean, so i wish you all the luck in the world

take care,

ray xx

[gp1943]

Hi, I am new to the forum but when my husband was diagnosed with PSP the neurologist arranged for social services to visit. The occupational therapist assessed our accomodation, we had an over the bath shower, and arranged for grab rails to be fitted in the bathroom and for a walk in shower to be installed. This was done within a month. We also had a visit from the welfare rights team who guided us as to how and what to claim for financially. My husband has since been given a rise-and recline chair to help him get to his feet and a bed loop to assist him in getting out of bed. I hope you get some assistance soon.

[jillannf6 in reply to gp1943]

thanks ,gp, for your advice

i hve replied to yoru qu too

love jill

[jillannf6]

h\I GP1943

(the rise and recline chair is somehting i could do with too)

Iit is good news that your consultant is so supportive

and that the OT and welfare are good in your area

I htink the team is grat but they r so short of money adn item iwth the cutbakcs that egerh time i need somehtign i hav e to re refe rmyself to the team

I emailed my social worke on tuesday but have not had a reply yet

I am on my 3rd spreech therapist as the service is so stretchedt

I shall ask the psp nurse who si superb what i cna /could do/

thansk 4 your reply

love jill xx(

[riosenior]

Hi Jill

You need to apply to your local Social Services team for a Disabled Facilities Grant.

All the details are outlined at the following link

direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPe...

Copy and paste this into your browser.

It will tell you all about DFG's.

What they can be used for ,ie walk in showers , how and who to apply to etc.

They are means tested however.

Good luck

Roger

[jillannf6 in reply to riosenior]

hi roger

thanks for your help

i have accessed the site and am not too hopeful of gettign much financial help but there maiy be something worthwhhile

(I assume it si the very Roger frojm the merseyside area?...

love jill

ps the annpoying thing which should not be th e case is i have to re refer myself to the OT / SALTS et c

[Kathy]

Dear Jill,

I hope the preparations for the move are going well!

Unfortunately, like the others I'm afraid I don't hold out much hope of you getting a wet room anytime soon

We looked into it for Mum. It took a year for someone even to come and have a look at their existing arrangements and then they told us that it could easily take upto another year before they would start work and that it was by no means guaranteed that we would get a grant towards it. We decided not to wait and are in the process of having the downstairs loo converted into a wet room by a local builder. Mum and Dad are paying for it themselves.

However, some time ago (when Mum was still able to manage the stairs) the OT provided us with "SWIVEL BATHER" seat which fitted over the bath. Mum could sit on it and then we would pivot the whole thing over the bath and shower Mum while she stayed sitting down - maybe something like that would help?

I have found a picture of the sort of thing I'm talking about and have included the link below

myco-uk.co.uk/

You may have already tried something like it before but it worked really well for Mum for about a year or so.

Good luck!

Love Kathy xxx

[jillannf6 in reply to Kathy]

THANKS KATHY

I THINK YTHE SWIVEL BZATHER WOULD ONLY BE A V TEMPORARY SOLUTION LIKE

AND I AM GOING TO B BEYOND THAT AT SOME POINT

SO EVEN OFIF THE FINACESC ARE NOT AVAIILABEL I WILL STILL GO AHEAD

LOVE JILL

XX

[Kathy in reply to jillannf6]

HI JILL,

MUM WAS ONLY ABLE TO USE THE SWIVEL BATHER FOR ABOUT A YEAR BUT IT WAS GREAT WHILE WE HAD IT!!

IT WAS PROVIDED BY OUR OT, EVEN ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WAS LIKELY ONLY TO BE A TEMPORARY SOLUTION, SO I HOPE YOU CAN GET ONE TOO!

LOVE KATHY XX

[hazelb]

Hi Jill....so pleased you're finally going to be moving. As for a walk-in shower......SHOUT really loud to anyone who will listen & keep shouting until someone takes notice. Contact your PSP nurse if you have no luck with your Social worker, I'm sure she will help you. We contacted our Local council when we wanted to convert our garage into a bedroom & extend it to include a wetroom.....unfortunately we weren't entitled to a DFG so had to pay for it ourselves but I have to say it's been a godsend!! Our local SPRINT team are fantastic & equipment quickly appears whenever we need it. We are very lucky I know!!!!

Good luck, take care & keep smiling.

Love Hazel B xx

[jillannf6]

hi hze;

THANKS FOR ur reply

what is A

SPRINT T EAM

DO WE ALL

HAVE THEM?

LO VE JILL

[PSPA_JillL]

As you can see speed of services canvary from area to area but dont let that stop you asking your OT/ Social worker to get this sorted, if you need more help contact your PSP nurse.

[maggieh]

Hello Jill

Re your question about a wetroom. I believe it does depend where in the country you live; this so called post code lotterty again - but we asked the OT about the possibility of having our existing small (upstairs) bathroom converted into a wetroom as Richard too was having lots of trouble getting in and out of the over-the-bath type shower. He was also having a struggle getting upstairs- even with assistance and the fitting of a stairlift was not possible due to the layout of our tiny house.The best bet our OT said, was to convert the garage into a bedroom with en suite wet-bathroom.She arranged for an architect to call and take the necessary measurements and before long plans were drawn up.We had to apply for a particular grant from the council - which we did and it was passed; it wasn't going to cost us a thing by the way. From first mentioning it to the OT until the work was about to begin took only about 12 weeks.

One thing I do remember about the plans was the fitting of a super-duper toilet; one that not only flushed, but washed and dried your rear end afterwards!

All this took place just over three years ago in Nottinghamshire and things may have changed by now - but as it happened the work never went ahead - Richard's condition worsened and it was decided he should go into a care home where he could have 24hr one-to-one care.

Richard also used to attend a Day Centre early on in his illness and he could often have a shower there, with the help of a carer.

Good luck and see what you can find out.

Maggie x

[jillannf6]

hi maggie

how r u?

it is great that u are on the blog and giving us such gooda advice as you did when richad was alivel

i really need one of thio toilets as my "wiping abilti"y ihas gone and my paratner iwlll not accept htat i need one

(he has nothign to do with the blolgging either )

but i am gettinf in a right.. s,,,. y state with this probelm and with moving into the g

oveondh floor fla t adn havigng n nrtew bathrooj dnne it woudl eba ideal tiem to get 1

love jill