Hi all re the above, my assessment was with Capita, the assessment lady was a nurse who rang about 10 mins prior to being due to tell me she was going to be half an hour late. She turned up at the new time as spoken of.
Once in my home we sat in my living room & went into no other rooms at all. She sat on one sofa & me the other. I offered no drink or anything. I made sure I had my ID with me which was my passport & a number of ESA letters as they require to ensure that they are speaking to the right person, I also made sure I had my medication next to me so that I didn't need to go looking for stuff. First thing first the assessor examined my ID stuff noting my passport number. She had a laptop and we started discussing my issues and the fact that I had been medically retired from work just under a year ago.
I was asked about my injuries one of which I picked up at work in 1999 in a car crash (industrial accident) and several other crashes at home after this which aggravated my injury later resulting in me requiring spine surgery in 2007.
I was also asked in detail about my other injury (ankle damaged and keyhole surgery in 20110,2012 & ligaments rebuilt early 2013) and possibility I have Lymphedema in the ankle and the lower leg but waiting to see a specialist to confirm diagnosis.
My history re crashes causing my injury to my neck gets a bit complicated but tried to iron this out and the fact that I don't like taking prescription drugs but would prefer to use over the counter drugs as and when I need to as I had had a bad experience a few years back using prescribed tramadol and amatryptaline. I was examined the usual way, chin on chest, head back, look to the left/right, push my hands up/down, squeeze my fingers and the usual stuff. I'm a big bloke and even with my weakness in my right arm due to my neck injury I'm still strong especially as I was towering over the assessment lady.
I was asked about bedroom locations, bathrooms, where I wash, do I get help, do I walk, what are my hobbies, do I sort the banking, have i purchased anything using my ipad on line, who sorts the bills (direct debits/standing orders), do I drive, is my car auto or manual, is the car mobility, what are my bad/good days, what housekeeping do I help with, what's my sleep like, what am I like with my injuries in the morning, what things to I have to help me ie walking stick, shower etc, do I drive or my wife, is it harder at home when my children are at home not school, who drives the kids to school and walks them into school, how to I get downstairs, how is my mental health like due to not going out much, do we take the kids out for meals or go out anywhere with them, how do I dress, do I get help dressing, can I do buttons/zips, do I forget things, can I plan a journey, how far do I go from home, do I forget to self medicate or refuse to take medication, have I put weight on (yes), can I walk on my tip toes, how far can I walk in comparison to the length of a bus, could I walk a mile.
I made the assessor aware I can't wear proper shoes due to my right ankle issues and showed her my deformed croc shoe.
The assessor examined my foot and tested the feeling in it by using a vibrating tuning fork. I told her I was starting to have trouble with my right knee and she stated that it appeared to be swollen. I showed her some photos I'd taken of my ankle and leg when they were very swollen , I made her award that my foot and leg had swollen in the short time she had been at my home address even though I'd done nothing prior to her arrival.
I explained in detail about my job (the one I was medically retired from) and why I was not coping when I was working.
I'm sure I have missed quite a bit, I'll add some more when I've had a think. Sorry it's a bit like a list but I've written it down as it came into my head in no particular order. X
Originally Posted by cookiesmum
