Hi, I'm lonelymum20! Does anyone know where I could get help with decluttering/cleaning my house?

lonelymum20

I'm a disabled single mum of 2. I have no family, and only a couple of friends, both work and 1 isn't local. I've spent the last couple of years begging for help and breaking down because my flat looks like it's been fly tipped. My children's father is unreliable and irresponsible. Despite help from support workers at my children's school, so far we have been unsuccessful in finding me some practical help around the home. There is a decluttering service but costs £50 just to be assessed and they mainly deal with hoarders. I'm not a hoarder but my children have a lot of toys that need to be cleared from here and help to reorganise the flat, and a deep clean. It makes me feel dirty and disgusting. I can't take it anymore as I can no longer manage the home, its made me heavily depressed. So I'm hoping that maybe other people like me may have found a place that I could contact to help me get my flat back to looking like it could be a home. Sorry for the essay 

Sandy_123

Hi welcome to scope forum, I have a link that be of interest @lonelymum20

http://www.cluttergone.co.uk/Answer-12.html

chiarieds

Hi @lonelymum20 - & welcome to the community. I can appreciate your frustration in now having difficulty keeping your home as you'd wish, & please don't apologise for saying how things are for you.

I wonder if you could contact local charities to collect the unwanted toys, & anything else you feel appropriate. That at least would be a step in the right direction.

The service above also charges, unfortunately: Prices - http://www.cluttergone.co.uk/Prices.html    which might be excellent, but again likely out of your price range.

The only other thing I can suggest is to get a needs assessment, which you can self refer yourself for. Please see: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/help-from-social-services-and-charities/getting-a-needs-assessment/     perhaps they may also know of some help for you with sorting your home.

Have you tried ringing your council to see if there would be any volunteers in your area able to help reorganise your flat & clean? Please let us know how you get on.

lonelymum20

Thank you all for replying. I've finally been able to get social care to refer for an assessment again. Tho last time I needed their help it ended me in large debt as their financial assessment was rushed and they wanted half of my esa. And I have been lucky enough that an old school friend I have recently got bk in touch with helped me declutter a lot. So it's now the deep clean then just maintaining the housework after. ? I get somewhere this time as I have been going round in circles for 5 years now. Thank you all again x

Ross_Alumni

lonelymum20 said:

Thank you all for replying. I've finally been able to get social care to refer for an assessment again. Tho last time I needed their help it ended me in large debt as their financial assessment was rushed and they wanted half of my esa. And I have been lucky enough that an old school friend I have recently got bk in touch with helped me declutter a lot. So it's now the deep clean then just maintaining the housework after. ? I get somewhere this time as I have been going round in circles for 5 years now. Thank you all again x

Thanks for the update, hope all goes well  

toptippytoes1

hello
i don’t know how old this post is but I’m also in need of help but I’m older adult with no small children however I found a website might be helpful to you it’s called grant a smile it sounds like it might be helpful to your situation.
i hope you find some help I know how overwhelming it can be when you can’t physically do things anymore and the place you have to spend most of your time has become so hard to cope with. If social care isn’t enough or exactly what you need maybe these guys could help. 
all the best.

Biblioklept

Have you managed to get help @toptippytoes1?
I've not heard of grant a smile before but their website and what they do sounds great

toptippytoes1

Hello no not managed to get help as yet they started a carer assessment so long ago now Iv heard nothing but they  sent me a bath lift that looked like it had just come straight from a very sick persons home although they had a notice with it saying it had been cleaned it clearly hadn’t it was very old and it had covers on  it which looked like blood stains on them I actually cried because I thought it would help me instead it made me feel so depressed I couldn’t help thinking of the poor person who has obv used it for many years previously and i just felt so downcast. 

I know money is short for these things and there are so many people in need of care and help but it was very dirty and the wire and plug and battery all looked worn thick dust on them but it was the stains on the covers which I know could be removed and used without covers but it just added to how desperate and in need I felt.’if that makes sense. Perhaps I am being too fussy I hope that doesn’t sound ungrateful. 

I don’t really need a lot of heavy care mainly cleaning of dust as I’m allergic I have chest problems as well as osteoarthritis in several joints. 

 

Alex_Alumni

Hi @toptippytoes1 I'm sorry to hear that the condition of the bath lift was upsetting, and expressing those feelings is completely valid. Do you have an occupational therapist, or someone at your local authority you could speak with about it? Apart from it's condition, do you feel like you're being supported enough using it as an aid?

I wonder if you feel like you're not getting enough support with cleaning, whether it might be worth chasing this up with your local authority, or asking for a review of your care needs assessment?