ESA50 Question 11

Never done anything like this before, and am stumbling into it without my son being here to take me through it step by step. Perhaps my asking this question highlights one aspect of my cognitive difficulties. But in the ESA50 form, Q 11 is "learning how to do tasks" then underneath "Can you learn…..alarm clock" and "Can you learn…..washing machine." I am confused by the ‘Benefits & Work’ guide to the mental health part of filling out the form pages 27 to 32 the guide seems to refer to whether or not one can actually do the activities, rather than could one learn how to do things now as it were. My problem (one of them) being that there are many things I can do, that I learned to do years ago. But I am, and have been for the last 2 years or so, unable to learn anything new. Sorry to be such an idiot.

Hi Susan

Quote from guide:-

If you can’t set an alarm clock then tick the No box.

But remember that setting an alarm clock is only an example of a simple task. If you are able to set an alarm clock but there are other tasks which you consider equally simple that you can’t do, then you should tick the No box and explain in the ‘Use this space’ box below.

Indeed, this activity is all about learning to do new tasks in reasonable time, retaining the knowledge and being able to carry out the tasks successfully.

Hope this helps

Derek