Is it possible to get funding for sensory room equipment as an adult?

AchyFlakyCake

Hi,

I'm 27 and I live with my parents and my sister. I have ASD and severe ADHD. 

My parents have their own buisness where they sell and upcycle old clocks and that means my entire house is full of these ticking, chiming monsters that mess with my sensory issues severely. I keep getting migraines and sensory overload and I'm struggling a lot. 

My sensory issues don't just affect me at home but affect me everywhere. Lights are always too bright, noises too loud and everything just feels extremely chaotic. 

Pre-covid I went to a mental health day centre that had a sensory room and it completely changed my life. For the first time ever, I could relax and it was incredible. 

But then COVID came and the place shut and it hasn't re-opened since and probably won't. I have been buying a few broken second hand sensory equipment stuff online, hoping to fix it and use it but truthfully, I don't have the funds, or the intellect to make this work for me. 

There are no "public" local sensory rooms that I can go to (since I am an adult and they only allow children)

My inability to relax and constant, overwhelming stress and anxiety are causing significant physical health issues too at this point, and unless I relax I truly believe that my health will decline further.

I am desperate to make my bedroom into a sensory room, I would do absolutely anything for one.

Because I am on the housing register and I'm hoping to move out at some point within the next 3 years, I won't be able to get a DFG.

But, without trying to be melodramatic here, I do truly believe that this is a viable need and I am hoping that there is some way to get funding for it, but my social worker says the only things they fund are things like handrails and that sensory rooms/ sensory room equipment is not disability equipment and therefore they "don't fund that sort of thing". 

I'm not trying to be difficult about this, but I really do think a sensory room truly could help me immensely and I don't know what else to do. 

Is it possible to get my local government to help me fund this? 

Or are there any other ways to get funding for this?

I know that if I was a child this process would be much easier but since I'm not I'm starting to feel like my sensory processing issues are thus being discounted. 

Thanks

Hannah_Alumni

Hi @AchyFlakyCake

I'm so sorry that you are in this situation of needing something you know is going to help you and struggling whilst you find out how to obtain it. We are always here if you need to talk. 

I don't know much about sensory equipment, but I did come across this company; Sensory Room Funding - Rhino UK who have grant options but also lease out equipment. That may be an avenue to explore especially with waiting for your turn on the housing register, which I'll keep my fingers crossed, comes sooner rather than later. 

poppy123456

You may struggle to find funding for this because they are usually for children under the age of 18, this includes the link posted above. 

My only other suggestion is to look into privately renting in your area. If you need to claim for help with any rent through benefits then it won’t be easy and you’ll need to do some internet searches to see if any landlords will accept those claiming benefits, not many do.
Im sorry I don’t have any other suggestions.

AchyFlakyCake

Hi

Thank you both for your kind responses, I appreciate them very much and that's very helpful. 

I don't understand why it's only funding for children when the evidence clearly shows it helps anyone with sensory processing difficulties and neurodiversities. 

I'm wondering if there is a way I could possibly make my case to someone? Perhaps if I got an OT from the CMHT, they could perhaps make a recommendation... But to whom I have no idea. 

My other idea is to bring my case to the HIA through a formal letter somehow...

Given how important this equipment is, given how stress is one of the lead causes of death in the UK, and how many physical disorders/ diseases are occuring from my intense, and chronic stress levels, I struggle to see why this cannot be funded on some level...

The other option I have thought of is perhaps through the personal health budget with CHC, as that can fund equipment too. However, I can't figure out if I'm eligible for it or not. 

Eitherway, I think my priority here is to make my case to the right authority so they can be fully informed and make an appropriate assessment from there. If they say no, that's fine, but I believe I need to do what I can to try. 

The issue is how dismissive everyone seems to be regarding this; and by not giving me a chance to be heard is extremely frustrating. I truly believe that sensory equipment can be live changing, and since I have no access to a sensory room, I'm pretty sure it's within my rights, either through the care act or the autism act to make my case here. But I don't know who to go through to do it...

Do you have any ideas?

Sorry this is long and rambley. I've only had two hours of sleep and everything's a bit chaotic mentally. I hope this makes sense x

poppy123456

I can't find any information where CHC personal health budget would fund equipment such as a sensory room. https://www.england.nhs.uk/personal-health-budgets/personal-health-budgets-in-nhs-continuing-healthcare/

https://continuing-healthcare.co.uk/continuing-healthcare-guidance/what-does-continuing-healthcare-cover/

The only information i can find is related to children under the age of 18.

I have no idea of the cost of this but are you able to fund this yourself? You also mention the situation at home and the noise of the clocks, have you thought about trying to find somewhere else to live so that you could make your surroundings more suitable for you?

I have no idea of your financial situation and just trying to think of ideas outside of the sensory room, which you may struggle to find funding for.