OM ... OM ... OM ...

meditatinginwalesdotnet

Weak title, I know, to introduce the Local Government OMbudsman, but you know how it is when you have been praying, keeping your fingers and toes crossed, wishing, saying little spells, even meditating (OM OM OM) and touching your favourite bit of lucky wood, and then it comes right, it happens and you think, crikey, which little superstition actually worked this time !

None of them. Just the Universe turning and the System working. And just a little smidge, a light sprinkling of fairy dust.

ancientworldsdotnet

Way way back in April I finally plucked up courage to ask the LGO to investigate Dorset social services delay in providing wheelchair access into and around my home, first discussed with my social services Occupational Therapist in 2002 and formally requested in 2003.

An LGO Investigator came to see me in June and yesterday he emailed me to confirm that:

" ... On behalf of the Local Government Ombudsman, I am investigating your complaint.

That, since March 2003, the Council has delayed adaptations to your home. ... ... ... As a result, ... ... ... . You have also suffered stress (exacerbating your health problems), financial loss, a limited social life and have fallen in your home."

(I have thought long and hard on whether to blog it here, as I don't think I am entirely anonymous anymore, and even though the Ombudsman's findings when published, will be in the public domain for anyone to read, the Complainant is not identified. However, blogging is an essential part of my support system, and I need to put it out here. It is what is happening to me.)

The Investigator goes on to summarise my complaint, which is lengthy, and not noted here because DCC have yet to answer my complaint, and until the Ombudsman makes his decision on their response, they are innocent until proven guilty, except this is not a process in a court of law so there is no criminal or civil case being investigated. Just an 'Ombudsmanial' process. I don't know what the proper word for it is either.

What decided me to contact the Local Government Ombudsman is that the LGO can DIRECT a local authority how to put right their systems so that they are acting correctly in their procedures, systems and in arriving at their decisions. So not only can the LGO tell a local authority what to do to put right an individual's complaint, and order compensation to be paid to the complainant if appropriate, but also the fact of a complaint being made through the LGO ensures that the local authority has to change its bad practices, which will benefit other service users.

In the bigger picture, I am hoping that the Director of Dorset social services is able to use the LGO's directions (whatever they may be) to ensure the social services directorate has its necessary share of the County budget (from central government) to fulfil its statutory duties under the 'Fair Access to Care' criteria and the central government guidance on 'Providing Housing Adaptations for Disabled People' .

So, having got to this stage in the process, I am bursting to celebrate, but its early days yet.

And finally the Company converting the VW Caddy into my Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle have restored my faith in them, sorted out the adaptations specification with Motability, which I have confirmed I am happy with, and they have given me a delivery date for next week, and I even know the registration number so I know it really really now exists and is mine, all mine. I will soon be able to wave from my WAV !

brotherwooddotcodotuk

And, no, I don't need them to provide a man to push me - this is one of those occasions when all that is needed are batteries ! And a powerchair with a small turning circle to fit in my small cottage, part-funded by the N.H.S., topped up with donations begged from charities, for delivery when the adaptations for wheelchair access are, finally, in place. Five years on, and counting.

Pride Quantum 600 - geraldsimondsdotcodotuk

Any questions on LGO, grants for adaptations, or equipment, please comment, or email me in confidence.

Brmm Brmm, Beep Beep - Wave at my WAV

Thank You to Motability
for the government grant for the fan-dabby-dozy
B.........d conversion WAV -
wheelchair adapted vehicle.

Its beautiful but its not mine yet. Now that Motability have given the go-ahead, the conversion company will assign a vehicle to me and start the 'build', which will take three months. It is very quiet, a revolution in WAV design in the last five years since my first WAV which is a noisy open van, with a rattling wheelchair tie down bracket. The noise and echoing affects my Meniere's condition and restricts me in the time I can spend driving or being driven in it. Once I have the ultra quiet new WAV and ultra quiet wheelchair tie down system, theoretically I should have wider horizons. There will be no excuse (other than medical) for not visiting family in Yorkshire and once that duty is satisfied, if I survive it, I am so loooking forward to going further afield more often, to the beach, maybe even to London, for I so want to go to the Globe Theatre. I may just need a triple dose of the systemic steroid injected in my butt to achieve that, please.

Will there be room for one more in the pit with the Disabled Ramblers on their London tour?

The WAV design to my needs includes a remote ("it will fit in your handbag") operated auto opening rear door. Cool. And what they describe as "a dog lead with a bungee" for me to let down and bring up the power assisted ramp. I'll have a red one please.

I make no apology for mentioning a commercial enterprise. The company was created twenty five years ago, to address the specific needs of a specific newly cripped crip. This is my second B.........d conversion; they are the only company who lower the vehicle's entire rear floor, so that the floor is flat for its entire length, long enough for my six wheeled electric wheelchair - other WAVs have sloping floors, to accommodate the fuel tank or something, so the wheelchair passenger is permanently tilted back, an uncomfortable reminder of being in a dentist's chair, and in my Meniere's balance disorder, tilted me straight into a M's attack at the initial Motability assessment.

And B.........d do it with such style - and a CD player ! And loads of cup holders (one each for the gin, coffee and mineral water, if I was so inclined) and cubby holes for everything one ever thought one needed but forgot about once it was stowed away.

The only problem I have with B.........d is that ALL their advertising shows a man driving/pushing/loading a woman in a wheelchair. I have gently suggested they diversify a little and show the occasional variation of a woman pushing/loading/driving a man in a wheelchair, or maybe even a man/man or woman/woman combination; you know, as in real life.

I have known people who baulk at seeing £11,000-odd of their DLA mobility component disappear over the five year lease into Motability's coffers, never to be seen again, but I think it is a bargain, not just for the (stylish) independence but also for the peace of mind. For years I drove ancient cars and worried about them getting up hills/stalling in the rain/failing the MOT again.

It's perhaps easier for me. Being dependent on means tested benefits means I qualify for a full grant for the vehicle conversion, without any contribution from me. Also, strangely, I am better off without a 'better half' - being single means I qualify for an independent solution to transporting my wheelchair. Also, I live in a rural area, with just two buses a week (one to the nearest town and one back again) so public transport is virtually non existent. And no, the bus is not wheelchair accessible.

Transporting me and my wheels is one aspect of disability that works, for me, thanks to Motability.

Beep, beep, brmm brmm, zoom zoom.

I can't title this without swearing

So, ...., ...., ....ity, f...

My laptop is causing me physical problems, someone very kindly picked up my blog about it and posted it on The Science Forum but I cannot engage with that without ... physical problems caused by my laptop, let alone cogdysfunc to relate it and respond to further questions.

I cannot engage with it, because I am not taking the tablets that give me a few good days each week, which enable me to engage my brain and think things through.

I am not taking the tablets because I am going into hospital very very soon. Possibly. Maybe.

On the way out of the house to the hospital (a different hospital) on Friday morning, to see the Rheumatologist, I fell. Only two inches down a step, but OMG you should see the state of my foot. Three times the size and black. It hurts. The Rheumatologist saw it an hour later, before swelling and bruising and didn't think I had broken anything, but my driving there and back was a mistake. Rest it, she said. I am awaiting advice, as to whether this will complicate surgery. Or even postpone it. Again.

On Saturday the stair lift failed. My only loo is upstairs (until Adaptations and Disabled Facilities are built). Within two hours the technician replaced the batteries. Excellent service.

This afternoon the stair lift failed again. The technician (again, excellent service) said it was the motherboard. Should be able to get the part to fix it by Tuesday (Tuesday !).

So I have spent the weekend going up and down the stairs seated on my arse.

At approximately 8 am tomorrow the world will begin to sort this little lot out.

I may be back. Or I may be gone. Or I may just stay here until after Christmas !

Which would be quite good actually, because then I can go to all those concerts and carol services and exhibitions and films that I have not been thinking about because I don't want to face the world with a strip of hair shaved off and stitches across the top of my head.

My 'Bump' bless her, arrived this afternoon with her entire collection of silk scarves, for me to practice fetching arrangements with.

I would rather just stay where I am and let my foot heal (joke! foot - heel !) and watch the Rugby. With a remote control to let visitors in the door. With a laptop that does not fry my hand and arm.

But if I don't go into hospital because of my foot, I might miss Mac from Green Wing on his motorbike.

(Pic goes here ... except ... Blogger has joined in the general mayhem and won't let me upload a fabulous fantasy picture.)

Do It Yourself

In recent days there has been an avalanche of forms to fill in and information to gather together onto bits of paper - and all remind me that my handwriting which I used to take great pride (before a fall etc) in, is not what it was; cannot hold a pen for long, so I transfer answers to forms onto documents prepared on laptop, but that causes pain until my

Whinge whinge, that sentence was too long.

Cut to the chase - I cannot blog or email without pain and I need to reserve laptop time to essential form filling. So I have not done much social laptopping. Laptop socialising ? Thanks blogging friends for comments and visits. I am way behind in reading yours and regret posts I have missed.

Update:

Motability are brilliant - in eight months time my current vehicle lease ends so huge forms to fill in, but this time their forms allow me to research and find the Wheelchair Adapted Vehicle to suit my disability needs and the requirements of my wheelchair. So I have been doing it myself - and having fun fun fun choosing my next WAV. I am thinking VW Caddy Life (imagine a Golf with sleek van on back) with cd player, tinted glass, auto tailgate lift but manual wheelchair tie down. I can dream, but some of it will become reality. The designs have improved since my last vehicle five years ago, so I am hoping I don't have to rely on a noisy rattling mechanical auto tie down on the vehicle floor. And Brotherwood's well thought out, or rather; well-engineered, converted lowered floor and wonderful tiny shiny smart ramp are a dream to use.

Social Services said some weeks ago "we will find you somewhere to live" when they move me out for the building works for disabled facilities adaptations. That has now translated into sending me forms to apply to the District Council housing list for temporary accommodation and to apply for housing benefit to pay the rent. I have been down that road before on behalf of someone dear to me and it was a nightmare, costly in time, energy, patience and disputed money. So I have written to SocS and said if I was well enough to deal with all that on my own I would be well enough to go out and earn a living and not need their help. I can only protest and hope they take back the responsibility. That I cannot do myself.

In discussing extensions and adaptations for disabled facilities, the powers that be have said they will not provide heating. That is daft I said, you cannot build on rooms and not heat them. Stale mate for eighteen months. Then I researched the Warm Front scheme and was visited by an assessor last week. Cut to the chase he said, after five minutes considering my needs; no gas in the village, expensive inefficient ineffective electric night storage heaters - you can have a grant for oil fired central heating. Combi condensing boiler. A Tech Surveyor will contact you. Just decide where you want the radiators to go. Jaw dropped in amazement. I am so used to having to argue and prove and evidence my needs I was stunned at his quick assessment.

Reality sunk in some hours after he left: a combi boiler means ripping out the hot water system off my little old AGA, which is crazy. And how am I going to protect my dear little AGA from the assessments of Social Services who would be much happier if I had a basic electric oven and hob. Those that have never had an AGA just don't understand the companionship of it, and those that have had AGAs but don't have them now are just plain jealous ! And the WF grant does not provide to remove the exisiting pipes or exisitng NSHs, or make good the bits of wall/skirting boards they inhabited. I cannot DIY that, nor afford to pay someone skilled to do it.

Do it yourself research has resulted together with lots of expensive phone chats with heating engineers. I have yet to sort that one out in order to have sufficient information to deal with the WF tech surveyor when he visits to assess. I am thinking keep the AGA to heat the hot water, just add radiators for heating because, I discovered on the internet, a combi boiler heats water straight off the mains and mains water pressure has to be increased - which is why I cannot flush the loo when I visit my bump (who has a combi boiler) - we did not know this is why - high water pressure = whoosing noise flushing the loo which risks triggering a Meniere's brain shut down episode. Life is complex.

The cheese planning skull surgery is planned for next Tuesday. I am writing lists of lists for me, my bump, my home helps, my PAs, lists of Lupus effects, lists of Meniere's effects, lists of drug effects, all on the laptop to take into hospital with me, so if anyone asks me anything, I don't have to get my cogdysfunck'd brain in gear, I can just scroll and click. Well, that is the theory. Doubtless it will all be out of my hands. Hopefully I will be drugged and not give a damn. And the regional Neurological central at Southampton hospital is so far away I don't expect hugs from friends visiting. All being well I should be home by Thursday.

I thought of putting in a link here to DIY trepanning, but the googled list brought up something quite gory, so I am sparing you that.