carers allowance refusal again

cindrella

hi i am looking for some advice i had to give up work feb 2011 as my mothers health deteriorated she severe visual impairment as is registered blind,mulitiple physical problem ,arthrits,leg ulcers and urinary incontinence she suffers from psychiatric problem resulting in delusional thought content and behavioral problem and is on anti-psychotic mediation she is incapable of doing housework cooking and needs assistance with self care medication etc i provide full time care for her from 6 in morning till ten ant night seven days a week i applied last year for carers allowance and was told in February that in the chief medical examiners opinion she does not require full time care as she is not so invalided or disabled to need full time care which is a load of c..p i asked for a review supplied further medical evidence support letters from doctors and public health nurse and they have now refused me i am at my wits end i am going to ask for a review from longford again have support letters from doctor who is applied with there decision and public health nurse i am also going to appeal it in dublin any advice what to write in letter to both i have contacted all tds and Councillors and have had some responses saying they will raise this issue in the dail so fingers crossed it will help i am desperate at this stage as i have a mortgage of my own which is 600 and i am only receiving 750 social welfare my life is caring for my mother and going back to work is not an option i have some graphic photos of my mums ulcerated legs i was thinking of including them in appeal so they can see what i have to deal with not sure if its a good idea any advice would be welcome

Lux23

My advice is to just keep applying, my parents applied in 2011 and just got two years worth backdated.

And they got shocking treatment from some of the staff.

cindrella

i intend to re apply as i have no other choice

d9oiu2wk07blr5

OP, you need to make an access request for all records that exist in hard or electronic format on the DSP file under S.7 of the Freedom of Information Act 1997 and 2003. Those records will should provide you with information on the departments decision that you can use in your appeal. You should make the appeal and state that you're reserving the right to provide supplementary material in support of your appeal after you gain the records through FOI.

In writing your appeal, outline the living arrangement, if you were living elsewhere and moved home to care for your mum explain why you felt the need to move home. Explain the minute specifics of the care that you have to provide for your mother on a day to day basis.

Her personal and physical care needs (like washing, dressing, cooking, feeding, toileting (continence), personal hygiene, washing etc.); her psychological condition and how it manifests itself in graphic detail; any risks that she poses if she's left alone and unsupervised in the home environment; her concept and awareness of danger (within the home, tendency to wonder outside if unsupervised day and night etc); any needs that she may have around eating and drinking (ie, can she cook her own food, can she be trusted to operate a cooker, is she at risk of burning herself from the kettle or cooker, is she at risk of leaving the cooker on, or is she at risk of becoming dehydrated due to her physical and psychological condition etc); her healthcare needs (ability to self-administer meds at prescribed times, her ulcers and how often they're dressed, does she need help in arranging and attending medical appointments etc); mobility (ability to walk unaided, if she uses an zimmer, walking stick etc). Is she able to go upstairs unaided or does she need assistance? Is she able to get in and out of bed unaided? Has she been assessed and deemed to be at risk of falling in the home? Do you use a hoist or any equipment for manual handling (lifting her)? Has the house been adapted and does she use any disability aids? Her limitations in maintaining the household (carrying out domestic chores, laundry and cleaning etc.); her level of participation in recreational activities and whether she needs assistance; and her ability to maintain personal finances ie, deal with her own bank account and pay bills etc.

Explain that she's under the care of x, y and z, detail info on the frequency of public health visits, consultant visits, any assessments that she may have had, and reference the point that's been made in any medical report is based on their informed clinical opinion having informed knowledge of the patient, and in their opinion she needs fulltime care, and particularly if that opinion is coming from a consultant in elderly medicine.

Good luck.