With the help of caring GP’s and some excellent medical services I have managed to care for David for nigh on 20 years. As his spine continues to degenerate he needs more help, support and treatments. The injuries he sustained are now compounded by the additional disintegration of his shoulder and hip. Further complications of memory loss caused by many years of strong opiate based prescription drugs make life very hard for him.
He has many other related conditions – some minor, others more invasive. His package comes untidily wrapped with chronic pain ribbons and reactive depression bows.
The calendar is filled with hospital appointments; follow ups with his GP and little crosses to remind him to change his morphine patches. His drugs, which started in a biscuit tin, now take up 4 shelves in the kitchen cupboard, with an overflow to his bathroom and bedside locker.
A gentle man who can be reduced to a screaming wreck when the pain becomes so unbearable not even the morphine works. A screaming wreck hurling obscenities at me whilst banging his head to make the pain stop. A screaming wreck who is my gentle husband, and I can do nothing for.
I am told I am valued by society. I am told there is help for me to deal with being a carer. Oh really? Let’s start with social works. They can’t visit, as they are 3 social workers short. They only have 4. Earliest appointment is 3 weeks away but they may be able to squeeze me in before that. They manage a squeeze – likely at some other’s cancellation – and I am assessed. The assessment joins the previous one with the same words written on them. ‘No services available.’
This isn’t a dress rehearsal. This is reality. Who do we turn to? We keep being told; ‘vulnerable people’ will be supported. No they won’t – they aren’t. No one is.
Ignore them while their conditions deteriorate which then needs costly treatment. Help them before they become unable to function with some normality. Hasn’t it always been ‘prevention is better than cure?’
Maybe, but not any more. Welfare Reform has slashed Services at local level. Benefits cut to disabled people across the country. No longer any services provided and you don’t have any of your disability allowances to look elsewhere. Doctor – help me. What can they do? Nothing without that fall back safety net of care. Suddenly more and more people are admitted to hospital. No beds – no resources. If you do manage a bed you will get no care on discharge. Back on the merry go round again.
No government would completely abandon those in real need would they?
You’d better believe it – they would, and they do.
Sign my petition and share, asking your family, friends and contacts to do the same. It asks the government to -
Stop and review the cuts to benefits and services which are falling disproportionately on disabled people, their carers and families
Pat x
Tags: benefits, blindness, carers, carerwatch, disability, disability living allowance, employment support allowance, hardest hit, maria miller, Pat's Petition, personal independence payment, spartacus report, universal credit, welfare reform
This is quite a good article but unfortunately the condems are not listening .They are determined to cleanse the disabled from social life unless folk can produce some wealth Thats what its about MONEY/POWER not a lot elsenyone not producing ,get rid of them .
A council in the midlands possibly, is planning to corral all of the disables into ‘homes’ as its cheaper but its against European law and Human Rights Declaration so why is nobody challenging and instead just complying ???.
What then is to happen down the line to all of the disabled soldiers coming back from their wars ? They are arriving back more and more disabled In the long term they will try to be rid of them also!!
All I can saw is start getting angry as it could be you in the future or friends or family BEWARE CONDEMS LIES
I work for a Council in Scotland and am fighting a losing battle to prevent them using the cuts as an excuse to take people out of their homes and put them in “extra care accommodation” – the new institutions. Beware. Sadly its not just the cuts you have to fight, but local authorities that don’t have enough gumption and are more concerned with safeguarding their own backsides.
If the politicians and bankers stopped robbing all the country’s resources then there would be enough money to care for the disabled and the elderly.