Some 40,000 people a year receive a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to make their home safer and more accessible for them to live in.

Yet a recent report commissioned by Foundations, the umbrella organisation for Home Improvement Agencies, which often administer the grants, shows that in many parts of the country, the disabled and elderly people who could benefit are not aware of their existence, or have to find their way through a confusing and fragmented range of support services in order to access help.

DFGs can pay for adaptations such as installing ramps, stairlifts or accessible bathrooms, and they have a really important role to play in enabling people to continue living independently in their own home for as long as possible, as well as reducing emergency hospital admissions and speeding up discharges.

Read more about them here

 

The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) service is there as the last resort, if you have a problem with the local council, and you can't resolve it through their complaints procedure.

The LGO can intervene in most council activities, including adult social care, education and children's services. It includes situations where care services are provided privately, but paid for through the local authority.

If the council has taken too long to do something, or has not followed the rules of procedure; if it has provided incorrect information, or reached the wrong decision, the LGO can investigate and direct them to put things right.

You can't go to the ombudsman just because you disagree with the decision reached, unfortunately.

The latest annual review shows the majority of complaints being upheld, and a significant increase in complaints about home care services.

You can read more about the LGO here

 

This week, hard-pressed rail travellers have learnt that they can expect a 1.9% increase in regulated fares, as British rail companies hone their skills at providing the most expensive journeys in Europe in the greatest discomfort.

Plenty of  media attention has been given to the ongoing strikes and timetable adjustments (solution to inability to run a full service = cull some 15% of trains in the futile hope that the rest might run on time). I have not seen any mention of the extra difficulties faced by disabled travellers.

We've been making up for the lack in the Independent Living Facebook group, where Tourism for All's Carrie-Ann Lightley highlighted the little-known fact that most rail companies will provide a taxi to the nearest accessible station, if the local one is not suitable. And Fraser Bowe got an encouraging response when he challenged the train company in East Anglia over their accessibility plans... 

More information here

 

In case it's passed you by, Carers Trust have produced a report looking at the effect that the Care Act has had on unpaid carers.

One of the major changes brought about by the legislation was to give carers rights to have their needs addressed, in the same way that those they care for do. Unfortunately, the report shows that a large majority of carers are completely unaware of their rights, and two-thirds of them have not had a needs assessment. For those that have, the quality of assessments is not always good: a third of respondents said their assessment was not helpful.

Local authorities don't necessarily comply with their legal obligations with regard to carers; often, it seems, due to ignorance of the law on the part of practitioners.

There is more information about the report and its recommendations here

 

Natasha Lawrence, aged 25 from Mill Hill, north London, lives with a challenging disability and is dependent on full-time carers. To assist her carers and to gain greater independence, Natasha has recently taken ownership of a specialist Rotoflex turning bed system from Theraposture.

This dual combination bed provides powered adjustment on one half for Natasha and her carers, and on the other, a static mattress for her disabled husband who requires less support when getting in and out of bed.

You can read more about how a specialist bed has made life easier, here

If you provide high quality products and services, and you would like to reach our site visitors and newsletter readers, please email derek@independentliving.co.uk

 

Latest updates on the Independent Living website include the section on special function wheelchairs, where you can find information about a range of chairs that go beyond simply providing mobility.

So if you are looking for a chair with an elevating seat; a highly individual comfort chair; or perhaps one which provides a fully extended standing position, like the one shown here from Ottobock, you can find out more in special function wheelchairs

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Until next time, all good wishes,

Frances