A visit to Adult Social Care.

well here we are again and now there are only 21 days to Christmas, time does go by fast when you are having fun living with Myositis, makes for an interesting life to say the least.

A Restless night

Anyway not a good night last night as I was awake for a couple of hours early this morning from about 4.30 until about 6.00 so was on facebook playing words with friends for 30 minutes anyway managed to get back to sleep about 6.00 until 7.30 so better than nothing I suppose.

Todays Breakfast.

Anyway once I was awake I make a coffee and take back to bed until 8.15 when I get up and make another coffee and then go into the lounge to watch the morning News on the TV while I am waiting for Carol my carer to arrive. Carol arrives about 8.50 and soon has me washed and groomed ready for the day ahead shopping down town with Pauline. Once carol has left I text Pauline and then go and get a couple of boiled eggs for breakfast with a slice of toast.

Pauline phones back and says that she will book the Taxi to take us shopping at 10.45, so as it is now 9.30 I go and get a shave and get dressed so that I will be ready for when Pauline gets here, while I am having a shave the postman delivers a letter, and this is where the day started to get interesting.

Ageuk Logo

The letter was addressed to a "MRS F SMITH" at my old address. and it was sent by Age uk. Ageuk is a national charitable organisation in the uk to give assistance to the elderly, anyway the letter I received today was to say that they had been asked by Portsmouth Adult social care to carry out a survey of our care that we receive and to contact them so that they could come and ask me some questions about my satisfaction with the care I receive and of the care company. Now there was nothing wrong about that apart from:-

1. It was addressed to "Mrs F Smith ( Have I had a sex change)
2. It was addressed to my old address ( I moved 3 months ago)
3. It was typed on a photocopied ageuk headed paper
4. I had no prior knowledge that my personal details were disclosed to an outside organisation.
5. I was not asked by Portsmouth Adult Social care if my Personal details could be disclosed to an outside organisation.

So I decided that I would take the letter down to the Adult Social Care Department at the civic offices and ask some questions as I had no idea if this letter was genuine or not.

Portsmouth Civic Offices.

 Getting to speak to a member of the Adult Social care department at the civic offices is no easy task, Pauline kindly took me there before we went shopping and we were keft waiting in the foyer for almost 30 minutes before a very nice lady came down to speak to me. The outcome was that

1. Yes it was a genuine letter
2. it was not professional that it had been typed on photocopied headed paper.
3. I should have been informed that I would be contacted by Ageuk
4. I should certainly have been asked to give permission for my personal details to be given to a third party.
5. my correct details ( once permission had been obtained) should have been given to ageuk ( Why did ageuk have my details from 3 months ago ?)

So at least my concerns were listened to, the lady I spoke to said that there were obviously lessons to be learnt from this and that Lea my caseworker would be in contact with me about what happens next.

I have no problems with either ageuk or with Adult social care, it is the System that is at fault in this instance and I would expect it is mainly to do with the austerity cuts in the NHS Budget and in the local council budget that is causing these kinds of problems, and safeguards should be put in place to safeguard the elderly and disabled. ( Rant Over)

Ok then so I am now off my soapbox and then we went shopping, First of all we went to the Heart Foundation charity shop in the precinct to drop off a load of my Ties I have no Further use for

After that we went to Wilkinsons which is just opposite and Pauline got some bits and Pieces for Charlie their cat, after that I needed to go to the Nationwide Building society and then into Holland and Barrett the health food shop to get some "Gluten Free Items"

I got some Gluten free mince pies and also Gluten free cornflakes plus a couple of other items and then we went for a coffee and a snack at Greggs before going into Marks and Spencer to get some food shopping and Pauline got a couple of Christmas gifts for friends of hers. we then took a short visit to British home stores before being collected by Gordon and heading back home.

Medication Refills

Once back home we get the shopping put away and then I make coffee for us all and we have a good old chat , While we were out in British home stores I got a sparkly butterfly to go on the top of the christmas tree, and it looks very nice, anyway at 3.15 Gordon and pauline make there way home and are going to drop the repeat prescription request in to the doctors for me as I need to replenish my Lactulose and also the Methotrexate. Pauline will collect the prescription on Thursday for me on the way to collect me for shopping.

So that is about it for today, so I will say Tatty Bye until tomorrow and get this journal posted.