But the multiple sclerosis sufferer has been refused basic help adapting her home because it is considered a "static caravan".

The 60-year-old, who needs a walk-in shower because she is unable to climb in and out of a bath, said: "I couldn't believe it when they said they couldn't help because it wasn't a permanent home.

"I've lived here for eight years – some folk have been here 30 – and I pay my council tax and all other bills. It's cemented into the ground – it's not like I live in a tent – I couldn't take it anywhere even if I wanted to."

Midlothian Council has said her home at Nivensknowe Park, near Loanhead, does not qualify for a grant because it is not a permanent address.

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Since her MS diagnosis seven months ago, the former librarian has been forced to wash at a sink as her muscle pains don't allow her to lift herself out of a bathtub. She needs two sticks to walk.

Oddly, the council has helped her in the past, installing a rail to help her get down the front steps and offering a "bath aid" to help lift her out, which ultimately proved ineffective for her.

Ms Douglas, who is originally from Burdiehouse, said: "They contradicted themselves by installing the rail, they've just not looked at it all.

"It's hard to wash your whole self at a basin at the best of times, but when you've got MS your muscles are sore and you become tired very easily.

"With a shower I could just walk straight in and out."

She has now contacted the MS Trust in the hope it can help pay for the £5000 conversion work.

Dr Belinda Weller, a consultant neurologist with NHS Lothian, is supporting her, having written to the council, saying: "I think that this (a shower] is very crucial for her as she is at risk of falling if she has to get in and out of the bath."

A Midlothian Council spokesman said: "Under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, static caravans are not eligible to qualify for the Home Improvement Grant Scheme.

"Occupational therapy staff, however, work with clients in these circumstances to provide aids and assistance with the general tasks of daily living."

Source: edinburghnews.scotsman.com