The Care Industry

The local councils give handicapped people such aids as wheelchairs and hoists.

The criteria for the assistance are that handicapped people can take part in daily life.

However this benevolence does not encompass a real concern for citizen’s welfare as if it were so much more would be done.

As we are very rarely given what we really need and each application takes months, once it has been agreed, the paperwork has to be sent to the council for approval this last part of the trajectory takes two months until you get the aid.

For burocrats cost is everything that is their goal, sadly this often means that people have aids that are not properly adapted to their needs which are very short-sighted and in the long term not efficient or cost effective.

It seems that the buying policy is to buy a job lot of ugly, heavy wheelchairs and give everyone that applies for a wheelchair one of them regardless of their actual requirements.

No consideration is made of general health and welfare nor do they seem to trust the feedback from their clients ignoring any comments about shortcomings of the aids.

Have run in to this attitude myself time and again and inevitably it is more expensive as well as very upsetting...

My first wheelchair was given me on the basis that the advisor liked it.

I did not like it as it was too heavy, clumsy moving plus the seat was set up in such a way that the only way to sit was slumped backwards which made feel more handicapped plus the brakes were too tight for me to apply myself.

There was a wheelchair that was very suitable for me but this was from a different supplier plus it was more expensive.

I lost my appeal and was given the heavy wheelchair which I never used as it was not suitable

All in all a useless exercise and a total waste of time for all concerned.

Last year I was given an electric wheelchair that was not adapted for me as that was considered too expensive.

I immediately said that I could not sit properly and the backrest was not comfortable, was told that I needed to try it out for longer as I could not possibly have an informed view of it so quickly.

As it has turned out my feeling about the wheelchair and the lack of support was sadly correct.

The consequence of my case manager and advisor ignoring my feedback and requests for help has been a horrible pressure sore and 6 months in bed up to now before I can sit up again.

That is much more expensive in terms of the increased care I have needed plus the opportunity cost of having months of my life literally taken away from me..

Hope they finally either adapt my chair or get me one that is suitable.