Yesterday 6th Oct 2015

I woke up at 6.45am. I woke my children and I checked on my mum, she was sound asleep. The children left at 8am. I checked on my mum again, she was still asleep. I decided to start my tummy crunchers and I completed the whole DVD. I was feeling really unmotivated and I found it really difficult to a) do the exercises properly and b) complete the whole DVD. I was delighted that I got through it and I felt great when I had finished.

The carer arrived just after 9am and we woke my mum up, I felt really bad getting her up out of bed this morning as she looked very sleepy, we washed my mum and we dressed my mum, she was quiet throughout the whole process. The carer gave my mum her breakfast and done all the other things that needed to be done with my mum, whilst I got washed and changed. We then put my mum into my car and I drove my mum to the day care centre.

Afterwards I went home. I was still feeling really annoyed about lots of situations surrounding my mum.

1. I have still not heard anything from the discretionary panel regarding the arrears that my mum is supposed to have accumulated, unknown to her, for her transport to the day care centre.
2. I still have not had any positive news stemming from my visit to the local MP regarding the afore-mentioned arrears, the assessed charges for transport to the day care centre, the fact that my mums upheld complaint, from when she went into a care home for 7 days and came out with around 28 bruises, is still not on the care inspectorates website and the fact that my mum cannot apply for a mobility car because she is a pensioner and not in receipt of disability living allowance.

I see black holes everywhere, which allows vulnerable people to be abused. I find it really frustrating that I cannot do anything to stop it from happening. It feels like discrimination, inequality and disjointed services are creating these black holes. Words that spring to mind are:

AGISM – YOU ARE A PENSIONER THEREFORE YOUR TOO OLD FOR A MOBILITY CAR
SOCIAL CLASS DISCRIMINATION – YOU CANNOT RECEIVE LEGAL AID UNLESS YOU CAN PROVE THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE SUBSTANTIAL COMPENSATION – MY MUM CANNOT HOLD A CONVERSATION THEREFORE SHE CANNOT STAND UP IN COURT AND EXPLAIN THE EFFECT HER STAY IN THE CARE HOME HAS HAD ON HER – SHE WILL NOT RECEIVE SUBSTANTIAL COMPENSATION (SO I AM TOLD). SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A LEGAL BATTLE WHICH SHE CANNOT AFFORD IT.
INEQUALITY – STAYING IN A RURAL LOCATION MEANS MY MUM HAS TO PAY £56.90 FOR TRANSPORT TO HER DAY CARE CENTRE, OTHERS WHO STAY CLOSER DO NOT HAVE TO PAY THIS (SO I AM TOLD).
DISJOINTED SERVICES – THE CARE INSPECTORATE DOES NOT LIST UPHELD COMPLAINTS FROM VULNERABLE ADULT PROTECTION TEAM INVESTIGATIONS OF CARE HOMES. THIS MEANS CARE HOMES ARE NOT TRANSPARENT AND PEOPLE WOULD NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO CONTACT THEIR LOCAL AUTHORITY AND GAIN INFORMATION VIA THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REGARDING UPHELD COMPLAINTS CONNECTED TO THE CARE HOME THEY ARE LOOKING AT – PEOPLE IN GENERAL DO NOT KNOW THIS.

I was feeling angry and frustrated, I felt un-listened too and disappointed.

I also worry about people who are vulnerable. I am happy that my mum has her family around her and she has me too fight her corner – imagine she did not have this? What about the vulnerable people who do not have people looking out for them? – I worry……

Based on this I decided to telephone the European Union to seek advise on raising a case or a complaint. I was advised that before you can lodge a complaint/case that you need to complete all the compliant procedures on a national level. They advised me to call the inequalities services and the minister of health and care ombudsman. I contacted both. The inequalities services are an advisory service and they also advised me to contact the minister of health and care ombudsman. I contacted the minister of health and care ombudsman who said that they did not deal with Scotland and gave me another number to call which was for a Scottish ombudsman. I contacted them and they said that I needed to have a letter from the initial complaint saying, that I now had the option to contact the Scottish ombudsman, if I was not happy with the outcome.

TOTALLY CONFUSED.COM – I have so many complaints about so many different things – where do I start?????

I was also told during one of the above conversations that class discrimination is not written in the law/legislation (or something like that), therefore, no-one can do anything about it – what exactly does that mean?????

I contacted a new lawyer a no win, no fee firm who are now looking into my mums case.

My head was sore and I am wondering if things are deliberately made complicated for a reason, with that reason being that you do not pursue your complaints because you become to confused.

I collect my mum from the day care centre and take her home. The carer helps me bring my mum into my house.

I prepare dinner. I still have a sore head.

We all ate dinner and then the carer arrived and we  washed my mum and changed my mum into her PJ’s. I walked my mum for a while and then sat her in the livingroom.

I then collected my daughter from her vaulting class, she had lots of fun at it. I put my daughters dinner out and then I washed the dishes. I had a bath. I watched TV and then I went to bed feeling totally disheartened.