BBC Wells News
BBCA disabled woman who has not been able to bathe in her home for four years, says that there is a lack of urgency in addressing her needs.
41 -year -old Catherine Dutson, may not walk or stand and use a customized chair to walk around their home in Grangtown, Cardiff.
But his low mobility means that despite the requests of the Council and Housing Association for a solution, it does not need to fit his bathroom.
The Cardiff Council has earlier stated that it was “searching for all the paths” to find suitable housing “as” urgency “, but this process” for longer than what we would like “.
Mrs. Dutson says that the issue of her dynamics, which she has experienced since childhood, deteriorated in the 20s, and now she would have to use a wave to move between her bed and the chair.
She was earlier able to use a shower in her home, but her deteriorating health, including an uncontrolled genetic position on the spinal cord and scoliosis, now means that she needs a particularly customized shower chair that can expand horizontally.
However, as he is 6 feet 6in (1.98m), the only piece of equipment for a long time will not fit with his carers in his bathroom.
“It’s really hard and is really fragmentation,” he said.
“This is just four years of hell, and there is no hope that we can find a bathroom that is going to work for me and give me the dignity.”
This means that Mrs. Dutson is now dependent on bed-washing from carers, but says it comes with “high transition risk” to someone in her position.
She and her husband James were told by her Housing Association that it would be very expensive to expand her current property, while they have been waiting for years for the residence of the optional council.
“They are not understanding the grief that I pass on a daily basis,” said Mrs. Datson.
“I think it has been normalized, to allow bed-washing as an acceptable solution.
“A lot of capable people will not like just washing in a bowl every day, and I think I lack urgency to find somewhere.”
Charity Disability Wales says that housing is one of the main concerns among those who contact them for advice and help – and that Mrs. Dutson’s experience is very common.
“It is often around general access issues,” said C Charity’s Business and Membership Officer ,. “said.
He said: “If you can’t have a house where you can really grow and be independent, it is difficult to go out and live an independent life as an independent life.”
He said that in many councils, “limited capacity” is a “huge issue” to fulfill people requiring accessible housing.
He said that “in all fields” is also required for more disabled representation, work is going on to join the Welsh government on an action plan.
“If you do not have access to living experience, you never understand how big the priority issues are, and how serious they are,” said Ms. Krin.
“A very common topic when we talk to people with disabilities that they feel that they have forgotten and pushed on one side are being built to feel the burden for the society, when they want to live with a little more dignity.”
Three years ago, Mrs. Dutson began documenting her struggles on Tiktok, and said that her video encouraged other disabled people to share similar stories of housing difficulties.
But she still feels “no hope on the horizon of finding a suitable house”, despite accepting the Cardiff Council in a letter 16 months ago, that the process “more time than what we would like”.
The letter in April 2024 also states that the council was “currently searching for all routes” to find suitable housing “as urgency”, but admitted that “it would not be resolved in short -term”.
It felt Mrs. Dutson that she is not a “priority”.
“I think there is a can-do attitude to find a solution that is necessary, not indifferent and a ‘very difficult’ is being dumped,” he said.
“This is a terrible feeling when … people with more complex needs are often left without any help, as it is very difficult and costs a lot of money.
“You need to take an active approach to this situation, and understand how much the situation is suffering.”
Cardiff Council and Linak Simru Housing Association have been contacted for comments.
