Naya was diagnosed with COPD three years ago. She made lifestyle changes and exercises daily to help with her breathing issues. Naya uses two inhalers one is a preventative inhaler and the other she takes on her worst days.
Naya has 1-2 good days each week. She quickly becomes short of breath. In the last eight months Naya has had three bad chest infections and has been admitted to hospital for treatment.
Naya requested advocacy support when her GP suggested she should claim for PIP. Naya said she did not feel confident enough to complete the PIP form herself and felt overwhelmed by the process. Naya was worried the DWP would think she was lying about her health condition and may be followed and or even spied on.
Our experienced advocate called talked Naya through the process of a PIP claim. Explaining the PIP descriptors and how her COPD impacts upon on her life more than 50% of the time. Our advocate completed the PIP form with Naya, reassuring Naya along the way. It was important to detail the impact her COPD had her daily living, such as, when Naya is in the kitchen it is difficult to move around due to feeling breathless. Sitting on a perching stool when preparing food due to swollen painful ankles and using the microwave rather than the oven to avoid hot steamy environment which causes her to have coughing fits. Naya also had difficulties climbing in and out of the bath and had fallen twice in the last 3 months due to dizziness caused by shortness of breath. No longer bathing because it was becoming increasingly unsafe, Naya now had short showers to avoid the hot steamy environment and only showered when her mum visited so she could be physically helped in and out of the shower and assist in keeping her safe.
The advocate went through each of the descriptors for daily living and mobility with Naya giving recent examples as to why she struggled with each of the activities due to her COPD. The completed form with the additional medical evidence was sent back to the DWP by Naya. Our advocate told her to get back in touch with us if she needed to go to a health assessment as this was something that we could support her with.
“If it wasn’t for my advocate, I would have left the PIP form in the drawer and I would never have completed it.”- Naya
It is paramount to our work as an advocate that clients find their voice and feel heard. Reassurance from an advocate to a client is key in building Naya’s confidence and showing her that she had the tools to be able to make a successful PIP claim.
“You can’t help but go home happy when your client achieves the right outcome!” –Advocate – ICANN
Howick House, Howick Park Avenue, Penwortham, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 0LS
Tel: 01772 746 061
Email: admin@i-cann.org.uk
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