Join us in the Goose and Carrot Pub thread.

[ExistingonCoffee]

A thread for all who have DC with SN. The thread is deleted and 90 days and doesn’t show in active. The fire is on and the bar is well stocked.

I would like to wait until the kitchen needs replacing as it’s only 15 years old but waiting means we can’t get on with learning safe cooking skills.

@Lougle I hope the agency listens to you and changes.

@HedgehogsAgree glad the pan was empty! Well done DD for mastering the hob. I find induction so much easier. It takes a little getting used to, and I missed my gas hob for quite a while, but I wouldn’t go back now.

@ExistingonCoffee she needs a separate fridge to start getting things out of it. Our one is full of questionable smelly food. I want to slide a pan from hob to sink. How is DS1 in the heat today?

@HedgehogsAgree DS1 hasn’t been too bad with the warmer weather because we have aircon now and it has been on! He is asleep now, though. He had his normal afternoon sleep too. I am hoping he is sleeping now because of the warmer weather or because he is ‘just’ tired and he isn’t ill. How has DD been?

@ExistingonCoffee what! What?? Aircon has landed, brilliant news. Are the noise levels tolerable on the fixed units? I’m so excited for you and DS1 this summer. DD is doing ok so far, a few grumbles but nothing major as the nights are still cool.

@HedgehogsAgree DS1 has tolerated the noise of the units being on as long as he isn’t in the room when they are on. We haven’t yet had a unit on when DS1 is in that particular room. So far, that has been enough to sufficiently to cool the house in general. I don’t know if that will be enough for him in the height of summer, but it will still be better than without aircon.

I hope the aircon doesn’t add too much to the electricity bill. It is high enough as it is. Do you find it adds a lot?

@ExistingonCoffee we use that technique of cooling the room DD is going to be in next but she does tolerate the noise. It should be enough in the summer to get the house cooled down a few degrees as it affects the room that’s not being directly cooled too. My electric bills are higher but once DD has gone up to her room we switch it off downstairs. I have everything crossed that DS1 is not bothered by the noise as that will keep the bills lower. Caring in the heat makes everything harder so I hope you feel the benefits too.

I would say about £100 per unit (April/May-Sept/Oct) so for us an additional cost of c£500 per year.

DH and I did 2 and 1/4 hours of garden turf prep so about 9.5 hours each remaining of lifting soil etc by end Saturday. Tomorrow have the dentist check and clean but hopefully we can do some after then DH has Fri afternoon off then lay turf on Saturday.

@Squirrelsandhedgehogs good time to lay turf as next week is rainy and will help establish the grass.

Do we think it's a coincidence that DD1's WCA appointment has come through now that it's too late to get the higher LCWRA rate?

I hope we get a good assessor because it will be stressful enough for DD1 to do a video assessment, let alone having a negative outcome.

@Lougle I thought DD1 already received UC? If so, she will be what is being called a pre-2026 claimant if she was waiting for a WCA before 6/4 and is subsequently awarded LCWRA.

I am surprised it isn’t a paper-based assessment for DD1. As appointee, you can speak on her behalf.

I would also think you would have a case for the severe conditions criteria anyway.

Thanks @HedgehogsAgree. Not as expensive to run as I thought.

It's DD2. All a bit irrelevant since she can't claim UC until September anyway, but I just thought the timing was interesting.

DD1 gets UC & LCWRA, although her review date was ages ago and nothing has been done.

@Lougle I think it is just a coincidence since it wouldn’t matter whether it was last month, this month or next month.

UC’s LCWRA doesn’t have a review date in the same way PIP or DLA do. It is a ‘prognosis date’ rather than an end date or a set review date. Not all cases are reviewed once the prognosis period is up or are not reviewed straight away. For a long time, none were being reassessed.

Went to dentist for me and had teeth cleaned as well, prices have gone up so much was £169 and had already given £30 deposit. I had to go private when had cancer treatment to get seen quickly but it was similar price to nhs before, well it was slightly more but lovely dentist gave me lots of free things. Luckily my teeth are fine and not been for 2 years. I have to be careful as lots of people have massive dental issues after chemo but so far no issues and I think its due to the great care of the previous private dentist.

Then DH and I did 2.5 hours more gardening and are feeling rather worn out as gardening yesterday. But we need to be gardening tomorrow and Saturday to get turf down. When I was preparing soil I found a pair of kitchen scissors which DS must have buried. Threw them out. He's wearing his trainers now which is good and T-shirt and adidas joggers. He took a bath whilst we were at the dentist, no mud on floor or in bath but bottles knocked over and overflowing conditioner. Does love conditioner. DD says he has hair like a female model.😂
DD is off at rowing camp. I wish I had her energy levels. So many bulbs out and silkies following me round.

@HedgehogsAgree what about one of those induction hobs you just plug in like a toaster (Ikea)?

@ExistingonCoffee it makes the direct debts for electricity and gas higher over the whole year so I don’t build up any credits over the summer months but for people that are at home and can’t just nip out to an Airconed cafe/supermarket/any venue/swimming pool/woods for relief I think its the adjustment that makes the biggest difference for us. Added bonus windows are shut in summer so less noise going out or in. Was DS1 unwell or was it the heat yesterday?

@ZairWazAnOldLady thanks it’s the slide I’m after. A portable, I’m assuming has a lift off the kit to work surface. I’m also assuming an induction hob is a slim fit to work surface, it might not be.

At the tail end of an assignment. DD can understand and apply everything. The transition to doing it took 4 hours. Managed 90 mins of work as absolutely knackered from the transition as am I

Induction Is very “slide off” if you get one set in the counter. They are easy to fit so if the hole you have for your hob now is standard size and you have an appropriate socket under the counter easily done yourself. I find them a good alternative to gas (better in some ways though harder on pans). There’s an even posher version where the counter IS the induction hob if you are looking to go swanky.

We really like our induction hob, though we did have to have the counter built around it. But that was because the previous space was for a freestanding cooker.
The DCs seem to manage it well but my DPs find it challenging. I think it is probably quicker to learn to turn on and off a gas hob but that has its own challenges.
Just found out we will have no access to dining room for a couple of weeks while the ceiling is fixed. We will have to set up fridge and appliances in the play room though water will be tricky. The insurance company might buy us an air fryer which will be fun to try - not sure it's a good long term purchase for us though as we have nowhere to put it!

My mum had an induction hob when she moved to a retirement flat. For her the trickiest thing was knowing if it was on or off. A visually impaired friend in the block introduced her to tactile dots which meant she could mark the off position easily.
I think we need an induction hob for Dd but we also really need a lot of kitchen adjustments for her (and probably for me as I get older and more arthritic). The dilemma is that she doesn't know what she needs until she practises but it is hard to practice with the kitchen as it is.

Drspouse I hope the lack of access isn't too painful or drawn out.

lougle I hope you get some sense out of the care company. Not knowing who is coming is really not on.

It is very difficult to practice in the wrong set up and expensive to try a new one without testing first. Open flames and lifting were alarming but maybe better with practice.

It’s the wrist strength. Same as using a knife with floppy wrists.

Ok, I'll admit I've never used one, but the Pan Buddy looks good? https://amzn.eu/d/00HLEKnb

Also, lift out basket inserts to allow vegetables to be lifted out of the pan of water, rather than lifting the pan.

@NoHaudinMaWheest an unusual suggestion that you may want to ignore, but if you can afford it and DD can cope with holidays, have you thought about a holiday to a holiday home with an accessible kitchen?

I don’t know if any of the NHS services locally to you have a rehabilitation kitchen, but if they do, it might be worth asking if it would be possible for DD to be seen there. They are often used for inpatients, but I know in some areas it is possible for outpatients to access it too.

This year’s Kidz to Adultz exhibition for Scotland is in September. I don’t know about the Scottish events, but Innova Care usually attends the ones in England. They offer guidance on accessible kitchens. They are busy events, so I don’t know if DD would cope, but Innova will also provide free home consultations. The company provides things other than kitchens and we have found them helpful for other things.

@HedgehogsAgree have you tried different specialist adapted knives? I think it was just the warmer weather.

Thank you ExistingonCoffee those are great ideas to follow up.