Monday 7 April 2008

promises are made to be broken.

been  a  while   sorry all.   not really  felt  well,bloody chest infection,thought i had got rid of  it,it came  back.   and  brought its mates.   going back  to  drs  tomorrow. mum  has  had  so  much  pain,she  is trying  to struggle  on,but  the  gout  has  taken up residence  in  her  toes,goes back  next  week.  i  have  been  looking  at  what  was  promised  at  my  carers  assessment  way back in january,  that   someone  would  come  round  once  a  week  to  see   mum        from  a  volunteer  group,sit  and  have  chat  with  her,allow  me  an  hour  or  2.         hasn't  happened.  someone   would  come  and  help  me  fill  in  and   give  advice  about  benefit  forms.        hasn't  happened.    "my"  social  worker  is  always  on  other  end of  phone  for  me  if  i  need  her.       well  she  may  be          but   must  be  bloody  long  phone  line,never  available,hasn't  returned  calls.  there  is  soooooooo  much  help  for  you  mr  lake.she  said.         only.i  have had  absolutely  none.        i  am writing  a  long,vitriolic,and rather  bitter  letter  tomorrow.        see  if  that helps.      i  have to  say  that  i  am  getting  rather  annoyed  with mums  carer  as  well,      is  supposed  to  get  here  at  7am   til  7.30.to  help  mum  wash,dress,etc.  and  once  a  week  shower  and  wash  mums  hair.     usually  gets  here  6.50        quick   rub  down  with an  oily  rag  for  mum,and  she  is  through  here  at  7.05.     carer  has  cuppa          gone  by  7.20   at latest.    she always  seems  to  be  showing  new carers  ropes.  don't  seem  to  stay  with  company long.      ermmmmm           do  i  sound  bit  fed  up??  lolol.well,sometimes   it  gets  to   me        sorry.

recent  cold weather has  meant  my heating  been  going  full blast,i  had  500 litres   back  in  november  of   heating  oil,which  was  all  we  could  afford,  and  we  were  getting  low.  then         2  weeks  ago,i  looked out  of  kitchen window,heating  had just come  on             and  vesuvius  was erupting   lol     thick  black   oily  sooty  smoke  pouring  out  of  boiler  exhaust.      so  i  rang  emergency  repair  line,turned  heating  off,good  job  we  have  electric  fire  in  lounge,and  waited.        full  marks.  at  mine  in  2  hours.     he  came  in,   had  coffee,switched  heating  on,looked,swore,turned  heating  off.          he  had  to  strip  the  whole  boiler  down,what  a  filthy  job.   took  him  4  hours  to  get it  going,and  hardly  swore         what  a   saint   lol.        he  told  me  my  oil  was  "dirty"  lot  of  crap  in  it,i  had  to  have  my  tank  replaced  last year  under  guarantee,it  had  cracked  all  the  way  around  the  back,and  when  it  was  replaced   the  engineer  said  he thought  all  the  sediment  that  was  in  the  old  tank,was  transferred  into  new.       also  said  i  was  very  low  on  oil.     i  had  to  borrow,don't  mind  admitting,the  money  to  pay  for  it  off  my  friend,pay  her  back  evry  week.            now  for  the  scary  bit.        i  had oil  fired  central  heating  installed  4  years  last  october,1300 litres  of  oil  cost  £224        $450 lucy,and my  american  friends,         last  november         500  litres         cost   £223.       2 and a half  times  more          and  now??        500  litres  cost  me    £263        thats   8p a litre more      in  5 months.         and  that  is  scary.

when  you  think  though,i  used  to  buy  2 cwt of coal  a week       to  heat  just  1  room  with coal  fire,plus  a  storage  heater  in  mums  bedroom.  coal  is  now  around  £14 a  cwt         1  storage  heater    was  50p  a night         now  would  be  at  least  70p         that  is  around  £5 a   week           say  £20  a  week          to  heat  just  2  rooms,with  all  the  dust  and  making  fires up.  500 litres   cost 224  for  5 months    which  is  roughly       £45 a  month      £11   a  week           and  my whole  house  is  lovely  and  warm            and  all  the  hot  water  i  want         still  half  the  price.   but  i  do  wonder,just  how  many  old  people  there  are      who  just  darent  turn  their  heating  on.           fuel  prices  are  out  of  control.     

duck  update.   donald and jem   are  still  coming  round,  but  not  every  day  now,and  they  arent  staying  so  long.   soon,they  will  go.  another  spring   is  just  around  the  corner.      take  care  all

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry you are not getting any help for you and you mum.  How frustrating it must be for both of you.  Maybe the letter will help.  I hope so.  Praying for you both.
Hugs, Joyce

Anonymous said...

This is appalling Mort that your not getting the assistance your entitled to, as for the carer cups of tea after she's done the work, the trouble is complaining and she might not come anymore and you get someone worse. Theres a lot of pensioners that suffer during the winter months because of rising energy prices it's scandalous, one of my neighbours literally lives in one room through the winter.
sorry to hear that you are also unwell, with a chest infection, hopefully the doctor can get that sorted. Jem and Donald must like you a lot, least you know they'll be back next year.
Regards to your mum

Take care

Yasmin

xx

Anonymous said...

why oh why dont more people take pride in their work?th erepairman probably did not stop till he got it fixed. but people who work with people take no such pride in their work. They are accountable to God but i guess they are not worried about that!
I dont blame youfor writing a letter and getting them off their duff!  I will be praying for you. and mum  june

Anonymous said...

Mort it saddens me to think you are not getting the help to which you are entitled ~ I hope the letter you are writing helps ~ Ally x

Anonymous said...

I hope the letter you write reaches the spot ,cos doesnt look as though phoning does any good ,As for heating prices ,many folk dont take into account that country folk dont have any access to gas ,so have to buy heat at such exhorbatant costs ,good luck with your letter ...love to you both ....Jan xx

Anonymous said...

I agree with you Mort, that the way social services are treating you and your mum is disgraceful. I heard about the problems with soaring fuel prices, and am sorry to learn of the problems with your tank and boiler.

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry it's costing you so much for heat! I had no idea how expensive it can be!
And what a disgrace how your Mum's caregivers behave. There is no excuse for that! They should be ashamed. I hope your letter gets it straightened out. They need to send someone out there who actually CARES about their work!
Take care sweetie.
Much love to you,
Pam

Anonymous said...

I am so glad I just popped in on your Journal because I did not get an alert.  I hope that you have been in for that chest infection again.  Mort at the risk of sounding like  I know to much about MS and , do we ever know about broken promises.  We to were promised so much from our state as far as care for Alan, but had he not had me and his brother and his last wonderful caregiver, he would have had to go in a nursing home to die.  We had some pretty bad horror stories Alan would not tell cause he knew he would wind up in nursing home.  I am so sorry Mort.  You do not need all this.  I know about money also, have most of my life.  Get on those social workers or whatever they are called there.  You and your mum are humans and deserve to be treated that way.  I used to be a respite worker and stay with the ill people to give their caregiver a break..  Sorry to get carried away but hearing your story just makes me furious  at the promises.  Lucy

Anonymous said...

Hey my fav other man, I have a good mind to come round to your house and box all their bliddy ears! The lot of them. What a shower of baboons. I am mad. You make sure you post that letter and phone them all and demand every single bit of help that is sitting there waiting for you. That carer of your mum should be reported, she Is there to do a job and If the wee monkey wants to cut corner's In helping somebody precious like your mum, then chase her out the door with your shoe! Phew!! Not been this fired up In a while. As for false promises, I hate that. I will say just one last thing mort, If I hit the big lotto. I Promise to make sure you are okay. No more money worries. I really mean that aswell from the bottom of my heart. Sending you and your mum big happy thoughts and big hugs and kisses. Love Pam xx  

Anonymous said...

Would donald and jem not nest at your place?  all the home comforts they could need ;)  I'm not surprised you are so annoyed with the carers, what I want to say is why put off tomorrow what you could do today, aka write that letter and tell them none of us are amused and we may have to write to them ourselves ;)  Jeez that is quick maths with the heaters.  Heating is sooooooo not cheap.  I use up so much when I'm home at the weekends and my heating bill is expensive it's ridiculous!!

Jenny

http://journals.aol.co.uk/Jmoqueen/MyLife

Anonymous said...

Sometimes the rough letter must be written.  It rubs the wrong way when some one is not dedicated to doing their job.
The oil bill is scary.  Fortunately for us we are mobile and when it gets cold we can go closer to the equator lol.  Best to you and Mum. Jack

Anonymous said...

GLAD TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO CARES. GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU HAVE GOOD HEAT, THATS A BLESSING HOPE YOUR MUM GET THE GOOD CARE THAT SHE NEED KEEP THE FAITH

Anonymous said...

Mort,
Thanks for comments on my blog, Im glad it makes you smile.....it took me ages to suss out how to read your blog regularly.....just put it to favourites da daft bat....sometimes im amazed at my own stupidity!!!
Anyway I will keep chuntering on on my blog .....am building up to the best bit.....billie without a willie!
Karen xx

Anonymous said...

anyone  reading  these comments        PLEASE   read  mauds  journal  lol   mort