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SECTION 2— Supervision needs (1)
The supervision - type issues raised by AA and DLA forms can be very important.
There is only one page devoted to them—entitled ‘Someone Keeping an Eye on You’
- Not much space is left on the form—add pages if needs be, but tape or staple
them on!
- Remember to explain how any ‘dangers’ have a knock on effect on other
illnesses/conditions and detail any past mishaps - e.g. ‘when there was a fire
because I’d left something on the stove I got a panic attack and asthma and was
so breathless that I couldn’t speak when I tried to call for help’
- Make connections for the DWP - e.g. ‘ When I am at my worst with my mania I
think I can do lots of things that could be dangerous for me. It feels like
nothing can harm me. Most of the time my medication prevents this, but when I
get worse I don’t realise it. I stop believing I am ill at all and stop taking
my tablets. I get much worse very quickly then.’If you don’t realise that you’re
becoming unwell when it is happening, or try to hide any symptoms from other
people it’s worth saying so in this section
- Questions about self-harm, self-neglect and aggression can be especially
painful to answer. You may decide you want to ask a friend to help you or get
help from someone else to fill in the form.
- For some people, when they have insomnia, are anxious, become very ‘unwell’ or
suffer from chronic pain, the distinctions between night and daytime can become
blurred. If this applies to you, you may well be up and awake for long hours at
night. You may have to stress this on the form. In DWP terms, night-time begins
when the rest of the household would usually go to bed, or, if you live alone,
when you would ‘usually’ go to bed.
- Remember that to qualify for the daytime rate of the Care component on
‘supervision’ grounds, you must have that need ‘continually’. Because of this it
can be better to write ‘throughout’ on the forms where they ask ‘how long on
average do you need someone with you each time during the day? and ‘how many
times a day do you need someone with you?’
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