Steve from England

Broadly on the subject of care homes this ...   Looked at one a few weeks ago in Bedford and what a lovely house, I think it will be ideal in many ways for Jermaine, I have another similar if less opulent place to look at in Kettering next week. Ideal in many ways but not all is the problem here. Both have the same problem, neither has medical needs facilities and Jermaine's medical needs are only likely to get more profound as he gets older. Effectively, neither place can offer long term care as they are reliant on the generosity of outside bodies to offer the full package that Jermaine needs and that could be withdrawn at any time, we have seen it enough already with Quarry House and Eleanor Lodge. What Jermaine needs is somewhere long term with all his care needs met.   On that note, yesterday I visited the Chalfont Centre in Bucks, Robin came along which was really essential under the circumstances because I was incredibly tired.   They do have ev...

Broadly on the subject of care homes this ...   Looked at one a few weeks ago in Bedford and what a lovely house, I think it will be ideal in many ways for Jermaine, I have another similar if less opulent place to look at in Kettering next week. Ideal in many ways but not all is the problem here. Both have the same problem, neither has medical needs facilities and Jermaine's medical needs are only likely to get more profound as he gets older. Effectively, neither place can offer long term care as they are reliant on the generosity of outside bodies to offer the full package that Jermaine needs and that could be withdrawn at any time, we have seen it enough already with Quarry House and Eleanor Lodge. What Jermaine needs is somewhere long term with all his care needs met.   On that note, yesterday I visited the Chalfont Centre in Bucks, Robin came along which was really essential under the circumstances because I was incredibly tired.   They do have ev...

Firstly, the updates ...   My insurers have been sitting on their hands awaiting something from the dreaded 'AutoGlass' but nothing has been forthcoming except promises. In the meantime, I am still waiting for something to get moving regards to getting my car sorted.   I have told Social Services that I need to have the hours carers are here greatly increased, they seem less than enthusiastic. That is going to panel next Tuesday so expect me to be seething some time on Wednesday.   My MP, Sally Keeble, has yet to respond at all to letters written to her several weeks ago, no surprise there then.   One of Jermaine's big carers broke one of my chairs earlier and then told me I have to go buy a new one. I said I'd call his boss and get him to buy a new one!   The care home we want for Jermaine in Bedford is still having real trouble getting the go ahead to have someone approve the insulin injections, again, no surprise there.   On a...

Firstly, the updates ...   My insurers have been sitting on their hands awaiting something from the dreaded 'AutoGlass' but nothing has been forthcoming except promises. In the meantime, I am still waiting for something to get moving regards to getting my car sorted.   I have told Social Services that I need to have the hours carers are here greatly increased, they seem less than enthusiastic. That is going to panel next Tuesday so expect me to be seething some time on Wednesday.   My MP, Sally Keeble, has yet to respond at all to letters written to her several weeks ago, no surprise there then.   One of Jermaine's big carers broke one of my chairs earlier and then told me I have to go buy a new one. I said I'd call his boss and get him to buy a new one!   The care home we want for Jermaine in Bedford is still having real trouble getting the go ahead to have someone approve the insulin injections, again, no surprise there.   On a...

I have been feeling a little exhausted the past few days. Still not miserable but just mentally tired. Sometimes I get to feeling really lonely, I guess lots of single people do on the build up to Christmas. It dawned on me the other day that this year will be the first ever without another adult in the house. The kids are great, of course they are but, well, anyone that has been feeling like this will understand. I have just been watching Children in Need on the BBC. There was this girl on there who looks after her older sister who has developmental problems and Epilepsy and they were saying what a great job she was doing and she was. But whilst I was watching it I was thinking about Matt and what he has to cope with and he gets no support at all, I just really expect him to get on with it and no one outside the family really seems too bothered. He is amazing really, I am so terribly proud of him. Anyway, I was crying my eyes out thinking about it wishing there was something I could d...

I have been feeling a little exhausted the past few days. Still not miserable but just mentally tired. Sometimes I get to feeling really lonely, I guess lots of single people do on the build up to Christmas. It dawned on me the other day that this year will be the first ever without another adult in the house. The kids are great, of course they are but, well, anyone that has been feeling like this will understand. I have just been watching Children in Need on the BBC. There was this girl on there who looks after her older sister who has developmental problems and Epilepsy and they were saying what a great job she was doing and she was. But whilst I was watching it I was thinking about Matt and what he has to cope with and he gets no support at all, I just really expect him to get on with it and no one outside the family really seems too bothered. He is amazing really, I am so terribly proud of him. Anyway, I was crying my eyes out thinking about it wishing there was something I could d...

I should not enjoy this but I just can't help it. After years of coping on our own (me and Matt) with Jermaine we are now seeing it from the outside and he is an absolute sod, a nightmare on legs. Seeing two huge great people struggling to cope with him, totally at a loss ... and these are trained professionals, it makes me realise just how impossible our task has been yet how amazingly we have coped.

I should not enjoy this but I just can't help it. After years of coping on our own (me and Matt) with Jermaine we are now seeing it from the outside and he is an absolute sod, a nightmare on legs. Seeing two huge great people struggling to cope with him, totally at a loss ... and these are trained professionals, it makes me realise just how impossible our task has been yet how amazingly we have coped.

It is a lovely sunny morning here at the lodge, crisp frost settled on the ground and the winter birds are happily chirping in the trees. I looked at the pleasant view of my garden and something was not right, there were splashes of colour where it should not have been. On closer inspection it turns out to be a wash load 'drying' outside over the garden furniture. It was rock solid of course, made quite a nice modern art exhibit all of its own but of no use at all as clothing so it all had to be washed again.   We can tell that the carers are back, they have this attitude that everything that has been used has to be washed and, yet again, we cannot see the living room for laundry. They seem to get through more in one day than I would have thought possible in a week. They are there with Jermaine all day so why on earth am I getting bedding being washed that was clean just before they arrived? Seems like further words will need to be spoken this evening.   Now, ...

It is a lovely sunny morning here at the lodge, crisp frost settled on the ground and the winter birds are happily chirping in the trees. I looked at the pleasant view of my garden and something was not right, there were splashes of colour where it should not have been. On closer inspection it turns out to be a wash load 'drying' outside over the garden furniture. It was rock solid of course, made quite a nice modern art exhibit all of its own but of no use at all as clothing so it all had to be washed again.   We can tell that the carers are back, they have this attitude that everything that has been used has to be washed and, yet again, we cannot see the living room for laundry. They seem to get through more in one day than I would have thought possible in a week. They are there with Jermaine all day so why on earth am I getting bedding being washed that was clean just before they arrived? Seems like further words will need to be spoken this evening.   Now, ...

I was driving home from Robin's earlier and in Castlethorpe and couldn't drive past Tony.   My car got parked on the kerbside and I went into the graveyard, stood there for a while and quietly cried, I feel like doing it again now. It says something about a man that can do that to another.

I was driving home from Robin's earlier and in Castlethorpe and couldn't drive past Tony.   My car got parked on the kerbside and I went into the graveyard, stood there for a while and quietly cried, I feel like doing it again now. It says something about a man that can do that to another.

Where to start   Robin was attacked this evening as was his neighbour. I am not going to say who, name names as I don't think this is the appropriate place but the person who did it is know to me. Not only was he attacked but he was within moments of being murdered with a very large knife. I just hope to hell he presses charges.   Obviously I am very concerned for Robin, he has not been feeling well recently and he didn't need this on top. I know he has thoughts of personal loyalty to the guy that did this but I just hope he sees sense and let's the police do their job not only for his own safety but also for the benefit of anyone else that gets in the way of this man next time.   Sadly, because of the crisis at Robins I had to cut down a visit to Pete that I had been letting slip for some time, just lack of thought on my part. I shall make it up to Pete at some time.   Robin's incident reminded me of the time last year when we were held at knif...

Where to start   Robin was attacked this evening as was his neighbour. I am not going to say who, name names as I don't think this is the appropriate place but the person who did it is know to me. Not only was he attacked but he was within moments of being murdered with a very large knife. I just hope to hell he presses charges.   Obviously I am very concerned for Robin, he has not been feeling well recently and he didn't need this on top. I know he has thoughts of personal loyalty to the guy that did this but I just hope he sees sense and let's the police do their job not only for his own safety but also for the benefit of anyone else that gets in the way of this man next time.   Sadly, because of the crisis at Robins I had to cut down a visit to Pete that I had been letting slip for some time, just lack of thought on my part. I shall make it up to Pete at some time.   Robin's incident reminded me of the time last year when we were held at knif...

The Autoglass thing I believe is near enough sorted. My insurers are so annoyed at the attitude of Autoglass that they are going to pay for the repairs themselves. As they said, Autoglass had a duty of care and that included to them to check out the car before commencing any work. That they didn't do that kind of invalidates any argument so they'll do it.   This morning I had an interview at the job centre and it all went just as I planned. The guy seemed amazed at how confident I was and seemed to find it thoroughly refreshing that I was keen to start work. He made a point of saying there was no way I was sorted to lower spec jobs, I was just too experienced for that so that has to be good. I have set up a meeting with an advisoy body next week to explore how to clarify my skills and that should lead into some quite useful training, I am really looking forward to it. It's like a whole new begining for me.   This afternoon I have a meeting with the BBC whi...

The Autoglass thing I believe is near enough sorted. My insurers are so annoyed at the attitude of Autoglass that they are going to pay for the repairs themselves. As they said, Autoglass had a duty of care and that included to them to check out the car before commencing any work. That they didn't do that kind of invalidates any argument so they'll do it.   This morning I had an interview at the job centre and it all went just as I planned. The guy seemed amazed at how confident I was and seemed to find it thoroughly refreshing that I was keen to start work. He made a point of saying there was no way I was sorted to lower spec jobs, I was just too experienced for that so that has to be good. I have set up a meeting with an advisoy body next week to explore how to clarify my skills and that should lead into some quite useful training, I am really looking forward to it. It's like a whole new begining for me.   This afternoon I have a meeting with the BBC whi...

For two days now I have felt quite happy for no apparent reason despite having good reason for not feeling that way. Of course, it is not all good news, physically I am positively not so clever at all but I guess that will sort itself out.   The car, no change since yesterday, no one called.   Went to look at two care homes earlier, one in St Neots, the other in Bedford. The first was a waste of time, they didn't even have any vacancies which could have been communicated before visiting of course. The second seems like it could be ideal but potentially expensive, I can't see social services going for it, or, I can see them stalling for so long over who would fund it that by the time they agree to there are no vacancies anyway.   I think I have the day off tomorrow, no one has said otherwise as yet though my mate Paul did mention something about visiting but then, he also said something about calling first. As he hasn't, I assume he isn't coming. Robin...

For two days now I have felt quite happy for no apparent reason despite having good reason for not feeling that way. Of course, it is not all good news, physically I am positively not so clever at all but I guess that will sort itself out.   The car, no change since yesterday, no one called.   Went to look at two care homes earlier, one in St Neots, the other in Bedford. The first was a waste of time, they didn't even have any vacancies which could have been communicated before visiting of course. The second seems like it could be ideal but potentially expensive, I can't see social services going for it, or, I can see them stalling for so long over who would fund it that by the time they agree to there are no vacancies anyway.   I think I have the day off tomorrow, no one has said otherwise as yet though my mate Paul did mention something about visiting but then, he also said something about calling first. As he hasn't, I assume he isn't coming. Robin...

Yes, Nick has also joined the mailing list to be notified when I make new entries in this blog. If you would like to be added too, let me know.

Yes, Nick has also joined the mailing list to be notified when I make new entries in this blog. If you would like to be added too, let me know.