So far… I’ve only experience of French folk needing Care… it will be interesting to hear of any Brits entering into what is (at present) unknown territory…
Personally, I’ve needed a wheelchair (hire) and crutches (bought)… prescribed by my Doc, Social paid part and my Mutelle covered the rest…
Not forgetting various slings and braces … also on prescription and covered as above.
I haven’t been able to find what these benefits are, @Nigel-at-BUF-House , as most I’ve seen require you to be UK resident 
Do you have any pointers as to where we could find out? (I’m probably missing something obvious here!)
I have no need to know at the moment but that doesn’t mean I won’t!
Hi Angela, the following link may be of use:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/benefits-and-pensions-for-uk-nationals-in-the-eea-or-switzerland#benefits-if-you-were-living-in-the-eu-eea-or-switzerland-by-31-december-2020
Thank you Nigel! It looks like some of the benefits such as Attendance Allowance and PIP may be payable if very seriously incapacitated, plus Carer’s allowance for the person looking after you. Not a fortune even if you get the full allowance but worth looking at if you are in that position…
I admit, John, that the thread has developed largely around our own problems, but I think nevertheless they have highlighted the help available and the various hoops that need jumping through to get that help.
This morning for instance I had great difficulty in getting Fran from bed to bathroom and then to chair. She seemed to be gradually sinking towards the floor after the toilet and washing and it was impossible even to help her walk away. So I had to grip her round the waist and lift her and half carry, half drag her to her chair. This was just after I got back from the doctor because of my mysterious persistent abdomen pain which started a week ago. The doc couldn’t be sure of the cause, so gave me some pills, for pain I think, and an instruction to get a blood test tomorrow, but did say it maybe down to stress and strain!
The point I am making is that help is available, yes, but when? It is 3 weeks since we appealed to the doctor for help and 2 weeks since the Assistante Sociale came to see us and collect the details for our dossier. Even though she acknowledged our need we have heard nothing, and Marie-Paule says that is quite normal, she has heard it can be months not weeks. If Fran had fallen this morning before I could get to her, it would have been another call to the Pompiers.
One more thing, about access to doctors. A week ago I requested a rdv for Fran and was given one nearly 3 weeks away. Yesterday I rang for myself and was told that there were no spaces available this week, but said I should ring again at 8am today. This morning, 8 on the dot, I rang and was answered by a different person, he gave me a rdv for 9.45. Now who’s playing silly buggers, 3 weeks, 1 week, 1 and a half hours?
Sorry .. should have mentioned that my elderly friend is Scottish 
OTOH she has been here about 30 years now.
She ‘rents’ her wheelchair, hospital type bed etc etc.
She bought her own comfy relaxer help-you-up chair which has been amazing.
presumably/hopefully her Doc has provided prescriptions for stuff which is needed (?) so that the cost doesn’t fall on her…
Personally, I am horrified hearing your tale… hereabouts… one of the Mairie folk is the “link” between us and the social-care/health/Doctor side of things… not always easy these days but I know she can and does move mountains to get stuff dealt with swiftly.
She knows everyone for a wide radious… Perigueux to Limoges and beyond… and uses her contacts to find the way through the system…
does your Mairie have someone like that ???
I doubt it Stella, very small commune, but the secretary is always very helpful there.
We are also a small commune, with 35 in the village… plus a farflung 500 (men, women, kids, dogs etc… ) hidden amongst swathes of magnificent countryside…
The person of whom I speak has been elected to the local council, time after time… because she is so good, hardworking and genuinely cares about people and their lives.
She is in her late 80’s and is unstoppable… 
Born here, midway she moved to Paris to work, came back here on retirement… at 50 something…
Even smaller than ours then, however, I think that my go to conduit may well always be Marie-Paule. She is inexhaustible, the only drawback is she doesn’t speak English, but then neither does anyone else around here who may be useful.
As you say… M-P is your best link. she sounds a similar treasure.
Until my French improved, I would listen intently then say (in French) something along the lines of … “are you saying xyz? Yes or No??”
breaking the conversation down into small sections makes things easier… I have found.
the answer was either Oui or Non… and if Non, then I would try another tack…
You did well then, I have found that the most difficult thing to do is to get a French person, and many English too, to say yes or no. 
I used to take Omeprozale for my reflux, but a neighbour , who is a surgeon, told me that I can have Gaviscon on prescription.
I take a tube of liquid after each of my three meals a day and it works wonderfully well.
We went out to dinner the other evening, which is not a normal practice for us as we normally eat at mid day, but with my tube taken after a three course meal with wine, no problems.
I can always take another tube if something gives me a problem.
smiling persistence pays dividends… in my experience.
The 9.45 sounds like the specific timeslot my UK doctor kept for urgent bookings every day. That specific time was held free and could only be booked on the actual day by someone needing to be seen urgently.
That’s why they might tell you to ring at 8am - that was the cue from the British doctor’s receptionist that this would be how to get that slot - the clue was being told to call at or by an early specific time.
In my doc’s case the slot held was always the 10.40 one.
The first two in particular, anecdotally were practically very hard to get.
Good point though Angela. It’s worth our finding all the info on things those qualifying for the WA still would get now. As arrivals in future won’t qualify, and I am doubtful of the UK’s ongoing care in keeping WA-qualifying people informed particularly as time goes on.
When I was first diagnosed with hiatus hernia (reflux) , some 20 odd years ago, I was prescribed both Pariet and Gaviscon. Later I realised this was overkill but dumped the wrong one, Pariet, so later when I realised that I stuck just to the Pariet. I take it every morning but very occasionally I miscalculate when I am about to run out and always have a bottle of Gaviscon available to tide me over. Generally speaking I can last about 2 days without either.
@KarenLot That is interesting and makes sense. I’ll bear it in mind for future use. 
Had a letter from the APA people the other day. They confirm receipt of Fran’s dossier and say that a further visit will be forthcoming, on agreed rdv, soon to discuss and evaluate her needs.
With her fall injuries gradually reducing, a little scab on a knee the larger bruise on her upper harm now dark black in colour, and her fingers now seemingly regaining some limited use, but not completely, I have forgotten where we were mentally before it happened.
Now she is reasserting her independence and resisting loudly my attempts to help. My own lower abdomen pain is a little better, whether from the pills, now finished, or the fact that I have been able to get her to her feet using both hands under her armpits rather than one hand dragging which put a great strain on my side, I don’t know. However, the last 2 days she has rejected my efforts to get her out of bed and yesterday, after I left her alone for some time I discovered that she had got herself to a sitting position and pulled a blouse over her head. When I asked what else she wanted to wear she did not reply but made it clear that she didn’t want my help. 2 hours later she was still in the same position but when I finally got her to her feet and managed to get a skirt and jacket on her she refused to go to the toilet.
She had her minute portion which passes for an evening meal and then nearing midnight I said it was time for bed. She protested against being lifted from the chair and seemed mystified as to where she was going but at least I did get her undressed and, for the first time that day, to allow me to take her to the toilet. Going to bed after that was comparatively easy. Mainly because she was cold and I was able to persuade her that the bed was warm.
Not sure what this impending visit will produce. If, as is highly likely, Fran is sitting quietly in a chair and smiling, will I be able to describe how different that is from the way she often is? And in any case what will they propose which could possibly help? Getting her up in the morning instead of afternoon or early evening would be good for a start I suppose. But that all depends on what time of day they are able to visit.