Family fights to keep disabled man at home in Lancing amid funding problems

A family is fighting to keep their disabled son and brother in his Lancing bungalow after funding problems meant he may have to move into a care home.
Tony Rainford, Grant Rainford, his dog Sonny, and his sister Debbie AdamsTony Rainford, Grant Rainford, his dog Sonny, and his sister Debbie Adams
Tony Rainford, Grant Rainford, his dog Sonny, and his sister Debbie Adams

Grant Rainford’s house is one filled with laughter.

He loves to crack jokes with his father Tony, who he lives with in Grinstead Lane, Lancing, and his sister Debbie Adams.

The Brighton and Hove Albion fan has a wipeboard covered in football fixtures in his living room, where he can see the buses which stop outside his home. He is a familiar face to the drivers and regular passengers, often taking trips with his best friend, his King Charles spaniel Sonny.

Tony Rainford, Grant Rainford, his dog Sonny, and his sister Debbie AdamsTony Rainford, Grant Rainford, his dog Sonny, and his sister Debbie Adams
Tony Rainford, Grant Rainford, his dog Sonny, and his sister Debbie Adams

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He said: “I don’t want to go into a home, because I love my home here.”

The former computer programmer from Worthing, who created the worthing.co.uk website, fell from his mountain bike on Chanctonbury Ring in 1997 and was in hospital for 17 months, including four months in a coma. Now, he cannot walk, struggles to talk, and has a poor memory.

His funding can pay for day carers, including his sister Debbie, from Durrington, who gave up a job in insurance to look after him.

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But it is not enough for 24-hour care, so Tony, 82, has to look after him after 10pm.

In a letter sent on August 20, the county council refused an appeal of his personal budget, saying his needs could be met with live-in care, respite care, or by moving him to a care home.

But Debbie said they would need to hire two live-in carers, which is out of their budget, respite care is only a temporary fix, and Grant does not want to go into a home. She said: “Every case should be held on its merits because everyone has different needs – but it isn’t.”

Tony has his own health issues, having had treatment for prostate cancer and suffering from stomach problems.

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Last September, his wife Grace died aged 82, a month after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer – leaving Tony to make sure their son’s future is secured. He said: “I’m not going to be around much longer, and I need to get his plans fixed now, not in some hazy future. I need some peace of mind now, not when it is too late.”

A county council spokesman said: “We are working closely with the individual and his family on these matters.”