We Have Movement!!

Over the last few days things have progressed somewhat on some of the issue's i am having to deal with at the moment.

I owe a lot of this progress to my local councilor Mr John Thomas who, since getting involved seems to have made more in roads into these things than all the rest such as my mate, John Smith MP and Jane Hutt AM, who is most probably busy trying to safeguard her political future as the fiasco that is the Welsh Assembly rumbles on, put together. He is the only one that has actually come and spoke to me face to face, responded to every Email, Letter etc unlike some i could mention.

Okay then, whats been happening?? firstly on the matter of the DFG (Disability Facilities Grant). The local council has been continually telling me for some time now that i am on the only list that is currently moving and that they will eventually get around to assessing me. What John Thomas has managed to find out by contacting the officer in charge of the department is that yes i am on that list and very high up it too. Also the main reason for the slowness is not just down to money, although there is no hiding from the fact that they are £5 Million in debt they have also been running the department on very minimal staff. They have just employed 2 new Occupational therapists who they hope will be starting the beginning of June. They are also going to concentrate their attention on this particular side of the backlog so it shouldn't be long before they get around to the assessment. So there may be some light at the end of the tunnel after all, although this would just be the first step towards getting the work done.

The next thing that Mr Thomas has been trying to look into for me is the issue about a complete lack of sloped curbs in the area. He had visited a while back and saw first hand what it was like. He agreed with me then that it was not acceptable and something needed to be done. Well, he has managed to get hold of the the Chief Executive of Highways, who would have overall control in this matter and has arranged to come and visit me along with himself of course, next week. So a chance to put across my case to the person who pulls the strings and mot the usual body hanging from the end of them.

Here goes the hat trick although this one isn't down to Councilor Thomas. I have finally got around to having a re-assessment done by my Social Worker concerning the amount of hours of Home Care they provide. Up till now i have been given 6 hours a week which is supposed to be to help with things like coming shopping with me, some sort of social outing i.e trip to the park to play on the swings and slides, ohhh i do love being spun around really fast on the roundabout, don't you?? The other thing it was given for was to do some general housework etc. At the time the last assessment was done i guess 6 hours was about right for my circumstances then although what with one thing or another it is nowhere near enough now. My circumstances and therefore my needs have changed quite dramatically. I now need more help with basic things like washing and dressing which i think should not be assumed to be Judith's responsibility just because she is my wife, also as i am not as mobile as before i am not getting out the kitchen as often as i would like. Sometimes i will wait for hours for someone to come home and make me some lunch say, instead of struggling out to get some myself and ending up in a right state. It is quite a complicated issue, funding for all this, as up to a certain level financially i think she did say it was around £250 per week, the Social Services would be responsible for paying. If the total cost of the package went over this then they would have to request funding from “The independent Living Fund” which i believe is under the remit of the local Primary Care Trust, which is another ball game completely. One of the problems with this is that i would have to hand over ½ of my DLA to pay towards it, which is rather strange when they are continually telling me that i am actually living on far less than the government says i need to live a basic existence. There are as well a whole load of issues involved in going this far not least of all yet more people to have to deal with. There was also the suggestion that in the future if it appears that my medical condition is the cause for my needing further care then they would have to seek funding from the Health Authority along with all of their services etc which would probably prove to be a nightmare. If you bear in mind that the cost for the 6 hours a week i currently have a P.A for is just over £55 it won't take too much to reach these various levels. What has been decided and indeed what will be put forward for approval at next Tuesday's meeting is a request for an additional 14 hours taking it up to 20 per week in total. The additional hours are officially to be used as follows although as i am responsible for employing my own P.A there is some flexibility. 1 hour a day in the morning for help with washing and dressing, also to make me a snack and a flask for lunch if i will on my own during the day. It was discussed about having someone in over the lunch time but the additional 7 hours a week would take it over the limit i have said. It is also for 1 hour per day in the evening again to help with washing and dressing and generally tucking me in for the night including reading me a bed time story and a nice glass of milky horlicks Mmmmm!!!! i might not suggest the rocking to sleep and the winding though as i can forsee some pretty messy problems there. It looks hopeful that i will get these changes and then it's just a case of getting on with it i guess. It should make some difference i think but we shall have to wait and see.

So as you see, things are moving in the right direction at least, all be it in short jerky movements, but as a certain person would say Onwards & Upwards, is very much the order of the day.

See Ya!!