@tomas The issue that’s being decided is whether his care needs are “primary health needs” that require medical professionals, or “social” needs that can be taken care of by less trained carers. I honestly think it’s borderline at the moment, but it’s a progressive condition, and they didn’t really take that into account. The main grounds for disputing their decision are that they didn’t consult people who know about PSP or have worked with him. They really just used the hospital notes from when he had pneumonia, so they just didn’t gather the information they needed to make an informed decision.
The reason the distinction matters is that if someone has a “primary health need” then their care will be paid for by the NHS. If it’s a social need, then they have to pay for their own care until all their money is gone and then the Local Authority will start to pay.
Sometimes people with PSP qualify for payment earlier in the disease when they’re more likely to fall and injure themselves, and then have it revoked later on when they are unable to get up and therefore not at risk of falling. It’s a really stress-inducing system!
// @kdfrawg