Attendance Allowance

A friend suggested I should apply for this.  I have never claimed a benefit in my life other than child benefit many years ago.

She also said it would help towards the  payment of the cleaner and gardener we now employ.  The cleaner comes once a week and goes through the part of the house we inhabit like a dose of salts.  The 'gardener' comes when he can and before the grass needs a scythe.

So I down loaded the form and the advice on how to fill it in

Which you need.  Never ever have I come across a form which is so unuser friendly.  But I persevered.  Then I became so severely depressed with the stuff I could not do and required an attendant to help me with I almost added suicidal to the list. As it made me think of all the things I could not do but got round.....one just does doesnt one.  Bright light I bought a golfing peaked cap. This cuts out glare from above. The sky. I can still draw and paint, drive, use the computer. 
 I make sure I am facing the person I am speaking to and listening to.
No good on the phone tho!

COPD
Osteo arthritis
Cataracts
Loss of hearing.
Hypertension.

One just copes doesnt one.

Help with dressing/undressing.  I cannot do buttons so I dont wear anything that has buttons.  I cant do zips.  So I 'forget' they are there and wear a baggy jumper. Osteo Arthritis (OA)

I cannot open jars, bottles, cans.  So I do not eat or drink anything from them.  Fortunately wine bottles I can manage....(OA)

Cooking smells make me choke.  I do not cook. (COPD)

I need the zimmer to walk anywhere, shops, doctors, etc.(COPD)

Thats if I can get in as still so many shops including my opticians do not cater for those in wheel chairs or with wheeled zimmers.

I cannot read small print.  So food labels , drug labels and instructions I just chance it.(Cataracts.C.)

Make up?  God knows what I look like after the morning plaster on of. (C)

Still managing the loo.  Shower, I like to have someone around but can manage on my own so long as they are in ear shot if I fall over the bath edge getting out, or cannot turn it off.
(C & OA)

And so it goes on.

And on and on.

If I were a dog or a cat I would be down the vets and now planted under a tree.

The attendance allowance is mainly about personal care.  Which I had not really addressed.  One just bumbles along.  Adapts. When one has to fill a form in and focus on what one can no longer do it is horrific.

My sight. The optician can no longer prescribe glasses so I am on the waiting list for the operation for cataracts. Fortunately I passed the part that says I can still drive.

Hearing.  Not much of a problem for me but drives every0ne else mad as I have to ask them to repeat , repeat, repeat.  Now on another waiting list for an audiometrist (?).

Osteo arthritis.  No cure. Progressive. 

Hypertension Controlled by drugs.  

Sense of humour just gets me in to trouble So for now has disappeared. May be back blogging but not for a while. 

Bear with me. Apologies. But thats why we blog. Letting it all out.