How can I get a hoist? — Scope | Disability forum
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How can I get a hoist?

Abigail
Abigail Community member Posts: 11 Listener
I have two grown up children with cerebral palsy. It will be nice to share with you all...
I have a particular problem that I would like to discuss. 

Can anyone tell me if direct payments can be used to buy a folding mobile hoist (to be transported in a vehicle). I desperately need one, but I've been told by Occupational Therapy that they can't fund equipment for outside the home. So I wondered if a direct payment could fund it.

Has anyone received a direct payment to buy equipment? Has anyone been funded for a mobile hoist - the kind that folds and goes into a vehicle?
I'm thinking that charity funding might be the way to go. Or maybe a second hand one.
Although if direct payments can be used to fund one, then I would like to know. The professionals in my Borough don't seem to know the answer to this.
Thanks for any advice... 

Comments

  • Blue Frog
    Blue Frog Community member Posts: 358 Pioneering
    Hi @Abigail my brother has Direct Payments, and we were told that the money is only to be used to pay the carers, not for anything else at all, even equipment to help him. 
  • Abigail
    Abigail Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    Hi Blue Frog,
    Thank you for your answer.
    I think it depends on what the Care Plan says. Your brother's Care Plan must have only mentioned carers.
    I have definitely managed to get a direct payment for equipment before (an armchair). I'm wanting a portable mobile hoist for my son to use in the community this time, and I don't know if this can be put into a Care Plan. It's a special case because he needs it to take out in the car and used in the community, and I really don't know if this sort of equipment can be funded. They usually only fund equipment for the home. I could be wrong though. 
  • Jean_OT
    Jean_OT Community member Posts: 513 Pioneering

    Would obtaining the hoist meet an identified need in the care plans of your children? (Such as enabling social interaction) If so you could argue that it does it would be worthwhile to pursue it with the local authority to seek their agreement for a direct payment. However, a word of caution, what  is given with one hand can be taken away with the other......so if for example, you are currently funded for a support worker to take your children out but the hoist would allow you to take them out yourself it might be argues that you don't need so many support worker hours any more!

    As you identified charitable funding might be another route to getting a hoist. There is a grant search tool of the Scope website that might help with this:

    http://www.scope.org.uk/support/disabled-people/search-grants

    Jean Merrilees BSc MRCOT

    You can read more of my posts at: https://community.scope.org.uk/categories/ask-an-occupational-therapist

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