Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Do our Council know what they are doing?


To whom it may concern
At the London Borough of Richmond on Thames

When in 2007 I opted for direct payment, at the councils suggestion, I was informed that this was to be spent to buy the care and assistance I needed when and how required. This worked out very well and satisfactory up until 2012.

The council decided, in 2012, to take a component of my disability living allowance as part of their care plan. This had the effect of reducing my available cash for care/PA by 5 hours a week. I have been trying to get my hours increased by this amount for many weeks. This also to account for my deteariating physical condition with encroaching age, extra help, all agree, I now need.

I have had the same career/PA now for over 3 years; we have worked together very well on flexi time according to what I want and need to do throughout the day. Always on telephone call, if required, he is very helpful and caring and now puts in many more hours than he is paid for.

Today, as it is sunny, after he has showered me he is driving out to the park or riverside for a walk with the wheelchair. On Wednesday afternoon taking me to a talk on ‘Historical Teddington’ and on Friday to a meeting at Ruils – ‘Your Say’. 

Twice a month he takes me to an evening committee meeting of an organisation I was a founder member many years ago. As I have said many times our care and life style is not regimented by set times, and is very flexible, I do not need extra careers but the hours reinstated for my long standing excising career, taken from my DLA.

Now the council, instead of allowing the 5 hours to be reinstated, started to send in agency care at set times throughout the day to do work my career/PA is all ready doing, at times we might be out. Today, Wednesday and Thursday we will be. This is not acceptable as it upsets our programme.

It is ridiculous that I ask for 5 hours to be reinstated at £9.00p per hour, £45 a week as my ‘DLA‘ used to be, and instead they send in agency care for over 7 hours a week, costing goodness know what at agency prices.

 

Kenneth Elmes,     18/02/2013

72, TW11 9QS

(020) 8977 2382

 

Foot note addition – As it was so nice, our outing ended up at Portsmouth, after a good lunch, having a good wheelchair walk along the sea front at Southsea