Hi, my name is Balkar! Accessible Housing

Balkar

Hi Everyone my name is Balkar.  I hope you well this evening.  Just a quick question, I have lived in a ground floor flat in Welling in Kent for the past 23 years. Although I am very happy here the whole flat is not what I would term as Wheelchair Accessible.  I have a small galley style kitchen which is not Wheelchair Accessible at all.  I have to eat standing up.  The bathroom is small as well.  I have been given a bath stool to step on to and into the bath

I have been bidding for suitable housing recently and nothing suitable and accessible is coming up.  In early July I wrote directly to the Housing Team at my local council.  I sent them a really nice letter outlining the difficulties that I was facing and they responded fairly quickly with the offer of a mid terraced bungalow  near to where I live. 

At the moment the property which is an old mid terraced bungalow has been termed as wheelchair adaptable as it has had some of the doors taken off internally is being doecorated.  When I went to view the property today, internally the dimensions are significantly smaller than my current flat and although it may look wheelchair accessible my concern is that the  property may look accessible when bare but not be accessible with my personal possessions including my wheelchair and so is not really accessible at all there will not be adequate turning circles in the living room and also the bedroom and bathroom.  I am not prepared to move into a property and leave half of my personal possessions behind

The council have agreed that I view the property in the presence of an Occupational Therapist.  I really do not feel that this property will meet my needs in the long term.  I am within my rights to turn this property down and write to the council explaining my reasons why.  Will the Occupational Therapist actually listen to my concerns or will it be about what she feels is best for me?  Obviously I want to get it right this time and I do not want to keep moving.  Any advice given would be much appreciated.  Balkar

Sandy_123

Hi @Balkar welcome to the forum. Great news that you are being offered  a property. Also good that an OT is going with you to view it. They may suggest things that may help you adapt to the property or if its a no go may intervene and liase with the council. Show the OT what difficulties you may have. Good luck with this and let me know how you get on

Balkar

I am really stressed Sandy, my worry is that the Occupational Therapist will look at the situation from their perspective and see what is right for me in their eyes and not really look at the situation from my own point of view.  I am unhappy at the possiblity of moving into a property significantly smaller than mine and the thought of leaving half of my possessions behind!

poppy123456

My concern would be that if you refuse this one, they may not offer another.

Sandy_123

I can understand you feel stressed when is your veiw date?  A lot of OTs I've ever worked  along side with,  are usually mostly doing things that benefit the person. They may have suggestions with equipment that may help. It might also be a case of downsizing with furniture. 

Hannah_Alumni

@Balkar Are you able to have someone else with you, not just the Occupational Therapist? I'm thinking it may help keep you calm and not let those anxieties cloud you. You'll be able to hopefully communicate more effectively about how it would or would not suit your needs as you may feel like you are just talking to that friend or family member that is there. 

Balkar

Hannah, I have Cerebral Palsy which has affected all four limbs including my legs and arms.  My concern is that the property is significantly smaller than what am I used to.  The living room is half the size, the bedroom is half the size.  I need space around me to mobilse and not knock into things.  Although the property has been modified internally and classed as Wheelchair accessible, with my personal affects and belongings in there, my concern is that I am going to feel quite claustophobic and closed in and this in turn is going to affect my mental health. 

I know that the Occupational Therapist has a job to do, but my concern is that they will just talk about what they feel is best for me and not really listen to my concerns.  If this property is not suitable given that I am a Wheelchair user, is it not best to wait until something more suitable becomes available.  I have been prioritised as Medical Band Two.

L_Volunteer

Do you have contact with mental health professionals who could review this for you @Balkar and make recommendations for the accommodation if you were to accept it? As you acknowledge, the occupational therapist has a duty to ensure it is appropriate for you and to listen to your concerns as far as possible. Could you maybe take someone with you when you speak to the occupational therapist if you are worried you might not be heard? I can really hear worried you are feeling at the moment 

Hannah_Alumni

Oh @Balkar I'm so sorry and I understand you wouldn't want to part with your belongings. Like L and I have said it may be best to have someone with you. I'm going to tag @Richard_Scope and @SaraC_Scope who may be able to give some more advice

Balkar

Hello there and thank you for your message and also for reaching out to me.  I have decided on the day of the viewing, I will take somebody with me for moral support who knows me quite well and knows that sometimes my Mental Health can be fragile at the best of times.  The property is being decorated at the moment and as of yet has not been handed back to the Housing Association.  I just hope that by refusing the property on very valid grounds that my points or priority are not reduced from Band Two which is a Medical Priority to Band Three which is general needs housing.

I just feel that at the moment, I have dug myself into a hole and it will be difficult for me to get out of.  Hopefully with somebody there on the day of the viewing the Occupational Therapist will listen to them as well.

I just wished that I had not written to my local authority now.

Richard_Scope

Hi @Balkar
Good to meet you! The job of the Occupational Therapist (OT) is to listen to you and ensure that your needs and safety are taken into account in every room of a property. If the OT deems the property unsuitable for your needs that will be communicated to the Housing Association and you will be placed back on the list pending a suitable property becoming available. However, I must add that bungalows can be hard to come by so some compromise might be needed.

It would be a good idea to take somebody with you to this viewing appointment with the OT and also have a pre-prepared list of your questions and concerns for each room of the bungalow.

Balkar

Hi Richard,

That is what I am planning to do.  To have a list of pre prepared questions for each room of the bungalow. 

I am hoping with somebody with me for moral support and guidance that the Occupational Therapist will actually listen to my concerns and given that this is a direct offer if I do say that I don't feel that the property will suit me in the long term that the Occupational Therapist will actually listen to me. 

Due to my Cerebral Palsy Richard which has affected all four limbs,  I have very tight and stiff limbs and the only way that I can get myself going during the day is to have a soak in a hot bath to let the muscles relax.  After I have had my bath and dried myself I am very tired and must sit down and rest before getting dressed slowly.  I really do not believe that having a wet room will have the same desired affect.

All I can do Richard is go armed with my questions with my Wheelchair and hope that the Occupational Therapist will actually listen to my concerns and not complete a tick box exercise.  As I am sure you are aware, its not a case of one size fits all.

Thank you so much for your comments they are much appreciated.

Hannah_Alumni

@Balkar Please keep us updated and keeping everything crossed it goes they way you want it to and you feel listened to