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What constitues a disability ?


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I find this perplexing as I have only one leg and severe problems with my hip and pelvis meaning I can only use my prosthesis 50% of the time. Yet I am not disabled - even my doctor tells me so. I am a little confused - perhaps the good weather, wine and food encourages fresh growth ??
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[quote user="Debby Tutton"]- perhaps the good weather, wine and food encourages fresh growth ??[/quote][:)]

Change your doc? 

Seriously though, I attend a rehab centre and have got to know quite a few amputees around my area so I'll ask them what their situation is but it does surprise me that you cannot register as disabled.  I may be a while as I'm going into hospital on Tuesday but I will try to find out more when I can. Is this for social security/parking permit etc purposes or what?

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A French friend who lost  half the fingers of one hand, was able to retire on medical grounds as a result , and has been registered as disabled ever since - she gets 100% with all medical treatment now, forever, as a disabled person.

It is so hard to believe that one would not be registered as disabled after the loss of one limb, whichever country one is in.

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[quote user="5-element"]It is so hard to believe that one would not be registered as disabled after the loss of one limb, whichever country one is in.

[/quote]

You couldn't in the UK; there's been no such thing as "registered disabled" for many years.
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  • 1 year later...
My dad was clearly disabled after having a stroke.He couldn't walk talk, eat by himself,was paralysed down one side. He was over 65 when it happened so could not get disability,car or anything.This is in England.

I used to see other people with their disabled posh cars just get out and walk on carparks, and to be honest it made me physically sick.

How someone that fought during the war for his country and worked all his life got treated like this is a joke

My old frail ma cared for him and got no benefits or help

She wrote countless letters to the then PM Tony Blair but got no answers
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There is lots of help you an get even after 65 - maybe not a car but other things such as aids or alterations to  house etc..... we got them for my mother. She also gets attendance allowance .....depending on extent of disability you can get get carers too, but that depends somewhat on the financial situation

Your mother should have spoken to Social Services

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My mom was too old to get carers, even though she was caring for him.

She wrote to the PM many times, her MP, social services etc.

It was so frustrating for her.

If she needed anything then she paid for it. Dad fought in the war, was never out of work, sometimes holding down to jobs between shifts to bring his brood of eight up.They commented how many stamps he had on his card, NI contributions.

He had a small private pension and this was the worst thing that he ever did. Without this he would of got some financial help,but it was the same old story that if you help yourself you end up worse off.

Besides all this, I don't understand why they class you as not being diabled after 65 even though you can't walk.It is disgusting
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 My mothers 90years old - she has carers four times a day - she is a self funder as like you my father worked hard and she has too much in savings  and small income from his pensions. It is frustrating but some help is available, though not much, even if its called something different when you get past 65
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  • 1 month later...

 I don't think phil can have had the system explained to him very well, or its a long time ago. I have never heard of anyone being too old to receive the allowance....

 My mother gets carers allowance, its not means tested as far as I know, but she still has to pay her carers because they are needed far more than the allowance would pay for and she doesn't qualify financially for help with the extra expense.

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I have a child who is handicappe.  After years of managing on our own, we finally decided to sign up to a system as we have to think about her long term care if we are no longer around to look after her.

In France, adults and children apply to the MDPH (Maison Departmentale des Personnes Handicappe).  The form takes a long time to fill in and needs all types of attachments,  The usual such as passport, photo, recent utility bill etc but then various other things such an assessment by your doctor, a social worker etc.  There should be someone at the MDPH to help you.  It is so complicated that even the MDPH helper can get it wrong (as they did in my case but corrected it later).  Several visits are needed to MDPH - about 6 in our case.

The form takes a long time to process (6 months for us) before you get a date for a medical.  Be warned, you are not allowed to cancel or postpone the medical except in very exceptional circumstances.  The medical is stringent, no doubt to weed out the miscreants.  Another wait of about one month has brought a bright coloured card in the post, stating the degree (in percentage terms) of the impairment of her disability.  This is really useful as it can be shown to all sorts of officials to prove disability.

As for the OP, having been through the system, I would have thought that having one leg in an older person should result in a successful application.  But you do need a sympathetic doctor, social worker and MDPH medical and so nothing is assured.

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I have just re-read the OP's original post.  I would think that a starting point for you is to get the forms from the MDPH.  One of the attachments is for your GP to fill in and you need to take it with you otherwise you will need 2 meetings.  Then you need a meeting to have a frank discussion with your doctor.  Perhaps he or she does not truly understand your difficulties?  Can you take along someone independent with you, who can explain on your behalf?

What is your reason for registering?  Mine was to prove that my daughter has learning difficulties because of her long term care but also she was being admitted to a hospital and they were going to put her with adults and not children.  We weren't applying for the allowance.  Perhaps if they suspect financial reasons, they are less likely to be sympathetic?  Just an idea?  It is a minefield of difficulty and I got the impression that they deliberately make it hard.

If you want to PM or email me, please do so.

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