Wet room

[Christoff]

Hi there

We are looking to convert our garage to a wet room and was wondering what, if any assistance, the MNDA association can offer. When we have looked into what is required the most expensive piece of kit is a specialist toilet which washes and dries.

Any assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Also do you know if any grants are available and could you point me in the right direction

Thanks

Christoff

[MNDConnect]

Dear Christoff,

Thank you for your email.

Your first point of call should be the Occupational Therapist (OT). The OT will assess your home and advise on the most suitable adaptations and equipment.

Even if you were going to fund the conversion of the garage yourselves I would suggest speaking to the OT first of all as they will be able to anticipate future requirements and incorporate them into the adaptations as they are carried out.

The OT will also be able to apply to your local authority for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG). This is a means tested grant, meaning that a financial assessment will be undertaken before the council consider your application. The assessor will look at household income as well as any savings or second property's. Applications for Disabled Facilities Grants can take some time to process and it may be several months before your application is approved.

If you are successful the council may award the full amount of the works or you may be asked to make a contribution towards the cost of the conversion. This will be based on your financial assessment.

Alternatively you may wish to fund the conversion yourself, either way the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association may be able to help with a contribution either to help with any amount you may have to pay through the DFG or help if you have to fund the adaptations yourself. We would ask that any application to the MND Association is be made by the Occupational Therapist, this is to ensure that any adaptations or equipment has been assessed for as suitable.

There are several types of wash/dry toilets which could be put into the bathroom these range from Bio-Bidets which cost around £800. The Bio-Bidet is fitted to your existing toilet rather than the other type of wash/dry toilet such as a Clos-o-mat which completely replaces your existing toilet but costs around £3000.

It would be part of your OT's responsibilities to assess for the most suitable toilet. Sometimes they can be provided through statutory services or included as part of the adaptations in an application for a Disabled Facilities Grant.
The MND Association may also be able to help fund either one of these although for a clos-o-mat it would probably be a contribution towards the cost.

Please be aware that the MND Association does not offer retrospective funded so any application should be received before work commences.

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us again.

With kind regards

Jacqui
MND Connect

[miranda]

Most of the work and equipment might be VAT exempt.

[Terry]

Hi Christoff;

If it is a single garage it might be quite narrow once the insulation etc are fitted.

If you have a room that is made for disabled or mostly used for equipment for you or you use a wheelchair indoors , you could well be entitled to a council tax reduction of one band .

Love Terry

[lorret]

Hi christoff, we have just finished ours but it was purpose built. A friend had half of their garage converted, it really works out the same dimensions required by OT. Tom was allowed the cost of through the floor lift as a grant because that was the cheapest way to get Tom to his bedroom and wet room. As we decided not to have the lift we chose the extension, but as there were conditions to using recommended builders it worked out 48,000 pounds. As Tom was in the trade he had alot of friends who were willing to help out, so not having the grant meant we were able to complete it for half that.
The OT still got us a grant to pay for the toilet geberit type. Lorret

[Sueb]

Hi Christoff
We applied to local council DFG but had to put £6,000 towards any works that needed doing. All we needed at the time was a path on the front of our our house and the Geberit toilet which wasn't going to come to this amount. We paid for the path ourselves , we had a friend who could do this for us at cost. We applied for different grants for the toilet. Steve applied to the civil service charity and the fire fighters charity as he had been a civilian firefighter for the MOD so was a civil servant, and a retained fire fighter in the town we lived in. We also applied to the MNDA through the OT, and between them they all put money towards the toilet.
We are now needing some more help with wet room and ceiling hoists so are applying to Iosh because Steve is a Charted Safety Practitioner and they have said that we can apply to them. We can also go back to the other two charities because it is over a year since they helped us before. They are all means tested apart from the MNDA so do have to fill in lots of forms. It is worth looking out there for grants. Our OT was very helpful and was the one who directed us to look for grants from work places.
Sue x

[Christoff]

All

Many thanks for your input - I am now feverishly looking at all and every type of grant we may be entitled to.

[Terry]

Hi Christoff,

Some times there is a small works grant that is not means tested of about £1000.

It is for specific jobs like a purpose made internal ramp.

Love Terry