Hi, I posting this on this board to see if anyone has any experience with this. While my DM has not had an official diagnosis of vascular dementia, she has had 3 strokes and to all intents and purposes vascular dementia accurately describes what she has.
She is the owner/occupier of a extra care suite/flat attached to a nursing home. As it is a separate dwelling she is assessed for council tax (band A) while she gets the discount for living alone, I really feel she should be entitled to the disregard for serious mental impairment, From what I have read, and what the council told me, provided she gets the full AA based on mental incapacity (which she does) all she then needs is a certificate signed by her GP. Unfortunately, he has decided that her mental impairment isn't serious enough, and will not sign.
Has anyone here successssfully applied for a disregard, and/or been turned down by their GP? There doesn't seem to be any way around this, except seeing another doctor. I was wondering if a memory clinic would be more inclined to certify this (I'm planning on getting a referral anyway).
So - what constitutes a serious mental impairment? The GP seems to be going by the definition in the Mental Health Act for involuntary commital. If his interpretation is accurate, then she's not entitled, but I do not believe that his interpretation IS accurate. Specifically, she is not a danger to herself or others within the meaning of the act. As an example she understands why you shouldn't leave the gas on after cooking (she doesn't actually have gas, but you know what I mean) but she would not remember to turn it off, and as far I can see, to be seriously mentally impaired within the meaning of the act you need to be unable to understand that fact, or show that you actively intend harm.
Any advice or pointer would be very welcome.
Jennifer
She is the owner/occupier of a extra care suite/flat attached to a nursing home. As it is a separate dwelling she is assessed for council tax (band A) while she gets the discount for living alone, I really feel she should be entitled to the disregard for serious mental impairment, From what I have read, and what the council told me, provided she gets the full AA based on mental incapacity (which she does) all she then needs is a certificate signed by her GP. Unfortunately, he has decided that her mental impairment isn't serious enough, and will not sign.
Has anyone here successssfully applied for a disregard, and/or been turned down by their GP? There doesn't seem to be any way around this, except seeing another doctor. I was wondering if a memory clinic would be more inclined to certify this (I'm planning on getting a referral anyway).
So - what constitutes a serious mental impairment? The GP seems to be going by the definition in the Mental Health Act for involuntary commital. If his interpretation is accurate, then she's not entitled, but I do not believe that his interpretation IS accurate. Specifically, she is not a danger to herself or others within the meaning of the act. As an example she understands why you shouldn't leave the gas on after cooking (she doesn't actually have gas, but you know what I mean) but she would not remember to turn it off, and as far I can see, to be seriously mentally impaired within the meaning of the act you need to be unable to understand that fact, or show that you actively intend harm.
Any advice or pointer would be very welcome.
Jennifer