How long ago was she diagnosed? Poor thing. You are amazing to be helping her like you are. What sort of a budget does she have for rental? There are some flats in the riverside developments in Putney that have lifts and are very open plan and claim to have "disabled access" but they are expensive. I know it isn't as near as you would like, but it is an improvement on North London. And when she is unable to do very much, she will at least have a good view.

I feel your frustration - you must be on the edge
I'll keep my eyes peeled too, on the off chance.

We could all do with friend like you

X

many thanks for replying. I've been in touch with the MNDA and they've given me great advice on adapting etc...I think I'm feeling particularly, well, furious, today because I found a flat which was almost great - just needed two doors widening (by 2 cms either side) and some ramps put in form front and back doors and...we were so nearly there and then the landlord just decided that it was 'too much hassle' after initially agreeing. I suspect someone else came along and didn't have the special needs. We would consider buying if the situation wasn't quite so desperate. They basically want and need to move as soon as possible so that she can make the most of the time she has left (and whilst she can still operate a wheelchair/sit up/speak) - unfortunately buying and selling houses takes too long although we haven't ruled this out. And your eyes are much appreciated!

If you find somewhere ok but not perfect, you should talk to the South London MND Association as I think they have a budget for house adaptations. I have the contact details of the head of that branch. My father died of MND so I can picture what you are dealing with. I will keep my eyes peeled for a flat. Good luck.

Hi All,

This is something of a longshot but longshots sometimes work out. I have been looking for a rental property in the Balham, Tooting or Streatham Hill area for a about 3 months now. Easy you say! Unfortunately not. The property I am looking for must fill some seemingly tough criteria - it has to be either a ground floor, 3 bed flat or a 3 bed house with a room on the ground floor that could be used as a bedroom. It needs to have doorways of at least 80 cms in width (or a landlord that is willing to have the doorways widened), as few steps as possible or room for ramps and preferably an open plan living space, all to accommodate a wheelchair. A wetroom on the ground floor would be amazing but not vital. And the reason for all this - One of my closest friends has recently been diagnosed with Motor Neurone disease. She currently lives in North London in a maisonette that is completely unadaptable for purpose. As a result she has not been able to get out of bed for nearly 4 months now (she is physically unable to walk and has now, as the disease progresses, lost the strength in her arms).The pressures on her, her husband and her two year old son are enormous and we desperately want to move her closer to us (we live in furzedown) so that we can help look after them all and give them a much better quality of life. I have looked at ALOT of flats in the area and have come so close to finding somewhere for them only to have landlords throw spanners in the works; I have been lied to by ALOT of estate agents but have also come across some amazing people who are genuinely willing to help. Social housing is a no go - even if they didn't own their own property, have jobs and savings (all of which make them ineligible for any sort of housing help ) they would still have to wait about 2 years for a house by which time it will, to put it bluntly, be too late. So I thought of trying here - just on the offchance. Can anyone help?