Blue badge - autism and dementia sufferers

[nitram]

"People with dementia and autism could get blue badge parking permits in England under new government proposals.

It is hoped that providing the permits for those with hidden disabilities will create equality between the treatment of physical and mental health."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42763767

 

[Spamar]

But OH had his pretty soon after diagnosis and he didn’t have anything else but dementia at that stage. Perhaps depends on where you live at this time?

 

[nitram]

It all changed in 2011 when a national systems were introduced, systems because as usual different parts of the UK had different legislation.
For England the rules were very strict, some LAs used their permitted discretion some did not, I obtained one for my wife using a letter from a consultant psychiatrist.
I am on an Alzheimer's steering group and took it on myself to argue at high level for a change of attitude on the LA's behalf who are now more lenient on discretions.

 

[Philbo]

Got a blue badge for my wife without any problems last year. From what I read on the TP forum, it has still been a bit of a post code lottery. Hopefully, this should help those people in areas where the LA were not so understanding?

It at least raises awareness, as I for one, was not aware my wife would be eligible until a local carer support coordinator suggested we apply.

 

[LynneMcV]

I had quite a battle getting my husband a Blue Badge last year - the LA had set their own criteria which was that he would have to be in severe pain 100% of the time in order to qualify - and that none of the complexities of the disease affecting his well-being or safety when out walking mattered one hoot.

I cut out the LA altogether and had my husband reassessed for PIP by declaring a change in circumstances (he was already on the maximum amount payable, but when he had been originally assessed five years previously he had been walking fine so didn't have points in the crucial section to qualify for the Blue Badge at that time).

Quite rightly, the reassessment for PIP led to those points being added to the crucial category and the LA had to automatically allocate the Blue Badge.

I am delighted to hear that, if this proposal goes through, others will not have to face this time-consuming and stressful run-around.

 

[Rolypoly]

Mum has had a blue badge for quite some time now and when it was up for renewal last year she had to go for an OT assessment to check mobility and dementia was not even taken into account. Hopefully this will make the next renewal a piece of cake and not involve question/ answer session or someone judging her walking, both of which she found difficult.

 

[nitram]

I had a refusal because my wife could go into hostess mode and pass the basic walk test.
All the usual arguments based on dementia failed.
My solution was this.

 

[Baker17]

I didn’t even know that you could apply for one, as someone said it seems to be a bit of a lottery and you only find out by word of mouth

 

[Ludlow]

My mum would never have passed the walking criteria for getting a Blue Badge round here - well, maybe she would have very recently - but she qualified on the grounds of blindness. We never had need of one all the previous years she was blind, but I was very glad to have an easy way in when we did need it due to dementia.

 

[Bunpoots]

A friend of mine never did manage to get a blue badge for her dad, severe dementia and almost immobile, because she and her sister couldn't fill in the form.
We've recently re- applied for dad's badge and the form is a nightmare!! Dad doesn't have any of the automatic qualifications so we had to fill in a lengthy form detailing his every problem and were still not certain he'd get the badge. He did.

 

[Rolypoly]

Luckily mum was with it enough to know she couldn’t put on a ‘look what I can do’ act and when we came out she turned to me and said ‘how did I do?’ with a wicked grin - made me chuckle.

 

[Coulddobetter]

A welcome development and high time too!
Was turned down initially when I applied on behalf of my Mum. Reapplied, but was told I needed a supporting letter from Mum's GP. Three trips later to GP's practice to pick up letter, and payment of £15 for said GP to write letter and application successful. However, less than a year later and Mum lost all mobility following a hip fracture.

 

[Risa]

I wouldn't have known about getting a blue badge if it wasn't for this site. I applied for a badge for Mum two years ago and got it without a problem. I did use a lot of medical terminology on the form, wrote paragraphs where probably a couple of sentences would have done LOL plus gave the names of Mum's psychiatrist, GP and District Nurse if they wanted further references. Don't know if this helped or we are just lucky with the LA in Essex. We are grateful to have it but boy is it difficult to find any empty disability bays where we live, especially in the supermarkets. Makes me cross as people park there without a badge on display and despite complaints, the stores do nothing to stop them

 

[Amethyst59]

We were offered one by one of the first professionals who came to visit after diagnosis. I think it might have been the Admiral Nurse. To be very honest, I was cross. My OH doesn’t need one yet...and I fought for literally a year to get one for my late husband, when he was dying. He could barely walk, but ‘they’ decided he had an undiagnosed fracture of the leg. How the heck do you break a leg without noticing?
When we were at The Maudsley they discovered that the cancer had, indeed, spread to the bone in his leg. I am still REALLY angry about it, as you can probably tell!
As for my opinion as to whether we should have them for our PWD? Yes, we should. Anything that makes life easier for us. I just don’t need it yet.

 

[Izzy]

I think it's been easier in Scotland for a while to get a blue badge. I had one for my mum and then I had one for
Bill.

I can understand how you must feel @Amethyst59 but don't leave it too long to think of one for Martin.

Bill could walk when he first got the badge. It was only in his las year that walking became difficult. We needed the badge for reasons other than walking. I found it extremely difficult to get Bill in or out if the car in a normal parking space. He often refused to get out and I needed the car door open wide so I could try to manoeuvre him round to get his legs out. I couldn't leave him standing anywhere so I could move the car out of a space as he was in danger of wandering away. Toilets were also an issue. Before Bill became incontinent we often had to quickly find a disabled toilet I could take him to. I couldn't drop him off near a toilet then go and park the car as he was again in danger of wandering. I needed to be able to park as close as possible to where I knew there was a toilet. Of course as Bill's dementia progressed he tired easily. Even though he could still walk he used to lean heavily on me and we were in danger of him toppling forward, taking us both to the ground. These were the kind of reasons I emphasised on the form.

I know Martin isn't at that stage yet but do make sure you consider things like these as his dementia progresses. Sorry @Amethyst59 - teaching granny to suck eggs!

 

[LynneMcV]

We were offered one by one of the first professionals who came to visit after diagnosis. I think it might have been the Admiral Nurse. To be very honest, I was cross. My OH doesn’t need one yet...and I fought for literally a year to get one for my late husband, when he was dying. He could barely walk, but ‘they’ decided he had an undiagnosed fracture of the leg. How the heck do you break a leg without noticing?
When we were at The Maudsley they discovered that the cancer had, indeed, spread to the bone in his leg. I am still REALLY angry about it, as you can probably tell!
As for my opinion as to whether we should have them for our PWD? Yes, we should. Anything that makes life easier for us. I just don’t need it yet.

It's a crazy situation isn't it? When my mother was suddenly struck down with a fatal illness giving her six weeks to live we were given a form to fill in for a fast track Blue Badge. We threw it away, my mother could barely breathe or lift her head off the pillow and was considered too ill to be taken home to live out her final days - quite what they thought we could do with an unrequested Blue Badge at that point is anyone's guess.

With hubby nothing could have made us happier at his original PIP assessment to declare he had absolutely no mobility problems and could (and did) walk for miles and miles. Sadly, last year (year five since diagnosis) mobility issues hit quickly and big time - leaving us having to battle for a Blue Badge, only now we were being judged on a very strict local authority criteria - which is why I decided to take it back to the DWP for a PIP re-assessment based on national criteria.

Thank goodness those days might be over for others!

 

[Amethyst59]

I think it's been easier in Scotland for a while to get a blue badge. I had one for my mum and then I had one for
Bill.

I can understand how you must feel @Amethyst59 but don't leave it too long to think of one for Martin.

Bill could walk when he first got the badge. It was only in his las year that walking became difficult. We needed the badge for reasons other than walking. I found it extremely difficult to get Bill in or out if the car in a normal parking space. He often refused to get out and I needed the car door open wide so I could try to manoeuvre him round to get his legs out. I couldn't leave him standing anywhere so I could move the car out of a space as he was in danger of wandering away. Toilets were also an issue. Before Bill became incontinent we often had to quickly find a disabled toilet I could take him to. I couldn't drop him off near a toilet then go and park the car as he was again in danger of wandering. I needed to be able to park as close as possible to where I knew there was a toilet. Of course as Bill's dementia progressed he tired easily. Even though he could still walk he used to lean heavily on me and we were in danger of him toppling forward, taking us both to the ground. These were the kind of reasons I emphasised on the form.

I know Martin isn't at that stage yet but do make sure you consider things like these as his dementia progresses. Sorry @Amethyst59 - teaching granny to suck eggs!

Thank you...lesson taken on board...I guess my head is a bit buried, hoping we will stay here for ever...that it will be different for us. Stupid...I will look into it again x