In Strange World Gets Even Stranger I described that Mrs Carr was unable to receive support from a voluntary organisation, a fact we found out about after months of believing help was at hand. Support was means-tested and no-one mentioned this throughout our application. Amazingly I was told that, as a carer, I was eligible for free respite for 2h a week - the voluntary organisation providing a companion for Mrs Carr.
This seemed strange: respite for a carer is free but support for a "patient" is means-tested. Weird! But there is more!
Not only is my respite free, the person provided for Mrs Carr is the SAME person who would have provided support had Mrs Carr been eligible. The only difference is that now this person will be more focused on companionship than on being a support. That's clear isn't it.
Don't get me wrong. I am delighted that, after more than 9 months, there is some form of help but ....... I am a beggar. We are beggars and anything which is offered we will accept willingly but we should not need to beg. We should be priorities to a caring NHS.
Priority? Caring?
We have seen no understanding, no empathy, no caring but we have seen obstruction and obfuscation and, I am sure, dismissal as troublesome "patients".
All family members are struggling: even the kids. We can see their stress and anxiety rise. Even I have moderate depression and have been prescribed anti-depressants.
But Mrs Carr!! Her (lack of) appropriate diagnosis and treatment is a shabby reflection on a so-called caring profession. Each of our NHS contacts would be shaken if they looked into the mirror and saw themselves as they present to us. I have no idea what is the rationale for their inaction but if only they could live Mrs Carr's life for a few minutes they would support our calls for urgent diagnosis and treatment.
We are all breaking apart under the strain.
The more I write this post the angrier I become and I realise that this post is too reasonable. Reasonableness runs through every word and this may have hindered Mrs Carr.
Our family's treatment, Mrs Carr's treatment at the hands of our NHS is not just shabby it is a FUCKING NATIONAL DISGRACE and the sooner these FUCKING BASTARDS get off their FUCKING ARSES and treat Mrs Carr properly the FUCKING better for us all.
The worm has turned!
UPDATE: After this outburst, I am expecting a referral to adult speech therapy for an expressive language problem!
3 comments:
It's a very fine line to walk between being an advocate for the patient and pissing off the people who are supposed to help.
No doubt they are bogged down by more rules and regulations than you can imagine and are frustrated themselves but they could show some compassion and understanding.
Hang tough Calum.
I have a friend who had a brain hemorhage (spelling?). He was put in a ward with 2 old men - he was only in his 30s - one of whom was continually talking, making my friend stressed and stopping him from sleeping. He, needing to sleep to help his recovery, asked to be moved. He was refused. After he was refused twice, at the end of his tether, he began to scream loudly. And kept it up until he was moved to a quiet room.
Sometimes you have to scream.
Bizarre...
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