Lack.of communication from housing

majora2402

Hi. Wonder if anyone has advice.Sorry this is a bit long. First of all just a bit about my disability. Up until last June, I was healthy apart from diabetis type 2. One day I woke up on the Monday feeling unwell. I had a viral infection but plodded on with work until the Friday when I felt very weak and tired. I took the day off work and then struggled to get back upstairs to my bed but I eventually got there. On the sat, I woke up and couldn't move from the neck down. I was taken to hospital and diagnosed after tests with Guillian Barre Syndrome. I then went to another hospital for rehab to learn to walk again. i am still not better as i have a wheelchair and arms are very weak and the fatigue is awful. Now here is the problem I have. I was able to get back upstairs slowly but my right leg has got more weak and i took a fall down them so my physio said they did not want me going back up them. I am in a private rent and my landlord will not allow any adaptations. Here is my frustration. I registered with the council and added all of my medical support and explained I can't get upstairs to have a bath or shower as this is where the bathing facilities are. I have a toilet and tiny sink downstairs but cant use this to wash as the water goes everywhere . I know there is a housing crisis but despite sending emails they are still offering flats and 2 storey houses. If they let me bid on a 2 bed bungalows I'm always over 20 and not allowed to bid on other housing associations, not sure why. I have sent numerous emails and none are replied to which I find very rude. I am at wits end. Having to go to friend's houses to bathe or shower is embarrassing and I feel I am being a burden on them. Can anyone advise what else I can do. This is also taking a toll on my mental health.

OverlyAnxious

Generally, you have to have a connection to the local area to bid on the HA properties for that area. That may explain you can't bid on others.

Sadly there just aren't enough bungalows to meet the demand. The number of bungalow bids is very similar in my area. Are you in the highest priority band for medical need?

majora2402

No they have put me in band C

OverlyAnxious

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/871575#Comment_871575

Ok, that sounds like the first thing that needs to be changed.

It might be useful to have an occupational health assessment done. The assessor should write a report confirming why your current property is not suitable which will hopefully help get into a higher band.

majora2402

Ok thanks I am seeing my.physio on the 7th so will discuss with her about seeing the occupational health as its my physio and the community physio team from the hospital that have said I can't do the stairs

Kimi87

Definitely get some more evidence and ask for your band to be re-assesed, but Band C might still be the right one.

I was put in Band C but with medical points for needing ground floor & wet room.

Of course I'd have preferred a bungalow but the demand for them is so high. I decided my health came first and I didn't want to add what would have been years onto my waiting time.

I was offered a beautiful ground floor flat after 13 months.

Own bins, own front door, in a two storey block of 4. The wet room is amazing and this year I'm getting a new kitchen. I've been so happy here ❤️

poppy123456

You can refer yourself for a needs assessment. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/help-from-social-services-and-charities/getting-a-needs-assessment/

An OT will visit you in your home and do the assessment. They will then write a report with their recommendations and you can send that to your LA.

For bungalows it may depend on your age because a lot of LAs have age restrictions for those.

I was in the same boat as you last year and my landlord also refused the adaptions needed on the house I lived in. I added my name to the housing list and was placed into band D, which is almost zero chance of being rehoused.

I referred myself for a needs Assessment and was sent a copy of that report which went into a huge amount of detail. I sent that to my LA and also filled out the medical form for social housing. From there I was then moved up to urgent medical priority in mid August last year. I was told it could still be a very long wait. I could only bid on adapted properties and placed 5 bids. In December I was contacted and offered a 2 bedroom house. I viewed it, loved it and collected the keys around a week later. I then moved in, in mid Jan.

My house has a wet room, various handrails inside out outside and a month after I moved in they installed a stairlift free of charge. I'm slowly making my house my home, I have wonderful neighbours and love it here.

I could only bid on one local authority because other areas would mean I would have needed to be added to their list. For this you need to either have lived there for X amount of time or have a local connection to the area.

You mention flats and houses, is there any reason why you don't want any of those? If it was a house they could do adaptions such as a stairlift. Even ground floor flats are possible. Some flats have their own garden so you could have some outdoor space for yourself too. Bungalows are almost like gold dust and even then you may not qualify depending on age.

majora2402

I would take a house if I could get adaptations . I have 2 dogs. 1 is a support dog for my daughter and the other is a very old man who I would never part with as he has seen me through some hard times and flats don't normally allow dogs