This is about the help that you need, most days, to get on the toilet, to use the toilet, to clean yourself, and get off the toilet; and to deal with incontinence.
And to do this:
- safely,
- in a reasonable time (no more than twice as long as a person without your disability would take),
- to an acceptable standard,
- whenever you need to,
- without too much pain, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, need for recovery.
Do not tell DWP about problems that you have getting to and from the toilet. These are not part of the assessment.
The Questions:
Aids: What physical things would you need, to use the toilet, or to manage your incontinence?
Prompting: Would you usually need someone to prompt, you, remind you, encourage you, or explain things to you to use the toilet? If so, which and why?
Physical Help: Would you usually need another person to physically help you to use the toilet, or to deal with incontinence. If so, what help and why? If you need help with incontinence, say clearly whether this is of the bladder, bowel or both.
Safety: Would you usually need someone with you all the time that you are using the toilet to keep you safe? If so, why?
Can’t do it: Is it true that even with all the help that you have described above, you still can’t use the toilet:
- safely?
- to an acceptable standard
- in a reasonable time?
- at all?
Download these questions in a word file
Example – Kevin
Aids:
I always use the rails and seat raiser in my toilet
Physical Help:
Most days I need physical help to get off the toilet. I lose my strength through the day. If I use the lavatory in the afternoon or evening (and I often do) I need someone to help me stand up again after using it.
Example – Maria
Aids:
I always use the grab rails and seat raiser in my lavatory.
Physical Help:
My illness makes me so tired that once I have used the toilet, I usually have to sit and rest for ten minutes before I can stand up.
If I needed to use the toilet in a reasonable time I would need physical help to get off it.
There is nobody to help me, and even if there was, I would not want this help, so I struggle along independently.