dla-reconsideration

[jenk1]

i am in the middle of writing to the dla as i have asked them to reconsider the amount that they pay us for dd and i have come stuck for ideas.

DD has eczema,asthma,anaphylaxis,various food allergies and hayfever

i have detailed about her waking in the night and not being able to play in the garden due to grass,pollen or getting splashed with water but i cant think of what to put re her diet.

She gets food on prescription and i have to make every thing else from scratch.

Please can anyone give me some ideas as i only have a couple of days before i have to submit the letter
TIA

No experience of DLA but hope you don't mind if I make a few suggestions until someone with more expertise comes along

extra time it takes you to supervise her diet - checking labels, looking for foods that are free of her allergens), time cooking absolutely everthing from scratch, time you spend ensuring she only gets food that's compatible with diet if she's at friends/daycare/school that wouldn't apply to a child without her health issues?

thanks mts

time taken to explain to your dd that she can't have birthday cake, that she can't use the bubblebath her friend bought for her birthday

what about suncream?

sending packet lunches everywhere - when otherwise she could have school dinners

No convenience food/eating out/take aways/going out for tea/children's parties/school dinners

(I'm thinking on my feet here - i don't really know)

bump

describe EXACTLY what would happen IF the wrong food is eaten....

sorry cannot offer anymore advice... allergies etc are not something i have any useful advice on.

but imagine the lengths you have to go to if a total stranger were to be looking after her for the day...go from the very fist thing you have to do EVERY day...list it in a timeline fashion....you will soon see just how much MORE you HAVE to do...you may think you do alot...but you write it down this way and you will be shocked.

remember the words to use...EVERY DAY...ALWAYS...HAVE TO....MUST....USUALLY....ON A TYPICAL DAY....FREQUENTLY....

And remember to state how what you have to do is different to what you'd do with a tot without excema....

it's hard with a child her age.... she may have 'tantrums' due to her discomfort...be clingy due to her discomfort etc...THAT is totally different to the 'normal' clingyness....or normal tantrums a tot may have....

do you have to restrain her to prevent her scratching her irritated skin????

Do you have to 'train' someone how to 'cream' her skin???

let us know if you need more!

MrsF, you are invaluable.

a big thanks mrs f

also add the various hospital appointments and the time you take to give medications apply creams, what things does your DD react to?

how old is DD?

Again I have no experience of food allergies etc but I would also add that unlike other children she can't just be left with someone who doesn't have all the relevant information. Mention the time that you have to spend writing down lists of what dd can't have, where she's not allowed to go, what she can't wear etc and also what the carer would need to do if dd had an allergic reaction, eg apply cream, use an Epi-pen, take her straight to hospital etc. If there are certain substances/materials that she can't touch then add the extra supervision she needs if around children (or even adults) who are likely to have those things, eg peanuts, latex, milk etc.

Good luck!

onlyjoking-dd is 17months old
coppertop-thanks for your help i really appreciate it