Quote:
Originally Posted by joeysteele
I know of a family whose Father started to get Dementia,he was aged 54,He had to go to one these assessments and fortunately someone went with him.
The questions overall were about what work he'd done and apparantly to one question he was asked did he use computers in his last job,he said Yes, he was asked did he get out,go for walks, he said Yes,he was asked if he went shopping,he said Yes.
The problem being he says Yes to almost everything,as I said fortunately someone was with him and eventually insisted on making their points which were, that this man always says Yes,and the friends fears were that the ?doctor?(I use the term doctor loosely) assessing him was merely ticking boxes based on his responses.
His friend pointed out that he did use a computer at work over 4 years ago but now would not be able to do anyhting much than look at the screen now,he did go out,yes he did go out, to the gate of his house and often stand there waiting ages for someone to come and take him back in the house,did he go shopping Yes with help and had to be stopped putting 4 cartons of 2litres of milk in the trolley and loads of other things he didn't need.
That's all I know of that scenario but had his friend not gone in with him for the assessment but waited outside I guess he would have likely from his answers been deemed fit for some work and had benefits stopped ( with the then process of an appeal to go though to try and get them back) without the expansion and further detail of his answers by someone who knew the real facts.
His friend said the interviewer was rather hostile to him and his presence there with him and really concentrated little on his health and only asked what medication he was on after his friends intervention.
That does not sound to me a correct or sensitive way to do these assessments.
It had taken a year to even get him to see his own Doctor due to his problems, the only thing is that because of his dementia the trauma of the assessment will be forgotten quickly by him but nonetheless it seems more sensitivity is needed but I would advise anyone going to these assessments to take someone with them and go in with them to the assessment too.
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Unfortunate as this may have been...... and given that you weren't there personally and are hearing only a 'one sided version' (which of course could be very true, it could also have been exaggerated) - did the claimant qualify? If they did..... I'm not altogether convinced that 'one unpleasant assessment' is enough to complain about - if they passed and are in receipt of what they are entitled to. If the man in question has now qualified for his due rights -I'm not sure why this is deemed as such a problem.
Edit: to make my point: my mother underwent an assessment with me also being there. She too said yes to similar questions - going out / shopping...... and I pointed out that when she went grocery shopping: she thought nothing of placing 8 dozen eggs in her trolley - because in her mind, my father was still alive and was was stocking up for the Cafe he owned, as well as purchasing dog food for dogs that she hadn't had for over 8 years. I didn't find having to explain the full scenario as intrusive, my mother was answering 'truthfully' and my being there to quantify and explain - was part and parcel of the process.
Also: you mention that it took a year for this man you mention to attend his doctor due to his problems:- I'm not sure I'm in total acceptance of that..... again, years aso, my own mother was at one point suffering so badly that not only did she have her GP visiit her home, Psychiatriasts also came to her because the thought of her having to leave the house, quite literally (and I mean literally) had her overdosing due to the terror that thought brought her.