Recently in Physical disabilities Category

Risk averse agencies are the enemy of personalisation

By Adam McCulloch on October 6, 2009 10:33 AM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
By Kaarina Elisabeth

Personalisation, I am in no doubt, would transform the lives of mental health service users and lead to better outcomes. Before I'd even heard of self-directed-support, I was lobbying for it. Why, I wondered, does nobody listen to my own assessment of my needs? There is one reason that appears to preoccupy the minds of everyone I've met involved in commissioning services: that of risk.

 
Continue reading Risk averse agencies are the enemy of personalisation.

'Call crime against disabled people by its real name; don't tell me about safeguarding'

By Adam McCulloch on September 29, 2009 5:16 PM | 2 Comments | No TrackBacks
Simon Stevens for web.jpgby Simon Stevens

I have known about adult protection or "safeguarding adults" as it is often called, but now, sadly, I have had some first-hand experience as a service user and, frankly, "we are not amused".
This appears to be one area where professionals revert to old habits and any notion of service user involvement is lost as well as the concept of service users being treated with any kind of equality with the general public.
The language used to describe the "bad things" which happen to service users is very different from that used in regard to the general public.

Continue reading 'Call crime against disabled people by its real name; don't tell me about safeguarding'.

Adult care green paper less than bold and visionary

By Adam McCulloch on July 16, 2009 10:39 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Heng web blog.jpgby Simon Heng

Last year, my 76-year-old mother was failing. She could barely walk; she was having difficulty in looking after herself physically, and was becoming confused. She certainly couldn't drive.

In April of this year, she had a triple heart bypass. For a few weeks, she was extremely ill, and we worried - she worried, most of all - that she would never be independent again. When she left hospital, she went to a rehabilitation unit for older people, a joint venture between the primary care trust and the local authority.
Continue reading Adult care green paper less than bold and visionary.

We mustn't let the adult care green paper become a damp squib

By Adam McCulloch on July 14, 2009 4:49 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
Peter-Beresford-60.jpgby Peter Beresford


The social care green paper's ambitious title: Shaping The Future Of Care Together sums up the dilemma that has long faced it and which probably explains its greatly delayed arrival. How can it square the ambition of policymakers' desire to effect a transformation of social care that extends its form and funding at a time when the political will, from all parties, to reprioritising social care is lacking, partly because of financial woes?

Continue reading We mustn't let the adult care green paper become a damp squib.

Why no disabled people in Big Brother?

By Adam McCulloch on June 29, 2009 2:18 PM | 8 Comments | No TrackBacks
Simon Stevens for web.jpgby Simon Stevens

Summer is upon us and so it's time for our annual dose of Big Brother. After blind Mikey last year I was looking forward to the producers upping the stakes for the latest series and perhaps putting young people with moderate cerebral palsy and a speech impairment in the house - and I am not hinting at myself. However, the key word in describing housemates this year has been "fit".

Continue reading Why no disabled people in Big Brother?.

Use Plan B in emergencies

By Gary on April 22, 2009 12:56 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Simon Stevens for web.jpgBy Simon Stevens

It is vital for clients to explore their capabilities to the maximum so they have independence and can act in an emergency.
 
Determining and assessing someone's "function" is a bane for social workers and indeed for all social care and health professionals. While the assessment of function - what someone is able to do - as a subjective viewpoint is ften deemed to be objective. Function may be seen in many ways including actual, perceived, desired and potential, each will be seen differently between service user and assessor. But in plain English, what the hell does this mean?
Continue reading Use Plan B in emergencies.

We do impossible things

By Gary on March 25, 2009 11:59 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Simon Stevens for web.jpgby Simon Stevens

Disabled people have to show extra courage and determination to obtain the services they need and that are theirs by right

"Making the impossible possible" was the motto of European Human Bridges, a project bringing young disabled and non-disabled people together from all over Europe. It aimed to make a difference for everyone, and has been a cornerstone of my personal development as I achieve some amazing things, such as being on a panel discussion at the Community Care LIVE exhibition.
Continue reading We do impossible things.

Better than expected care

By Gary on March 11, 2009 2:31 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Simon Stevens for web.jpg


by Simon Stevens

The effort to improve hospital treatment for disabled people through patient involvement may well be bearing fruit.

I have just been in hospital because of nerve damage. It's been a very interesting experience that I wish to share.
Continue reading Better than expected care.

Winter brings out the best

By Gary on February 18, 2009 8:25 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Heng blog use me.jpg

 


by Simon Heng


Bad weather and illness can test the best of PAs who work for disabled people. Fortunately, most of them passed the test.

Now is not a good time to ask me about my carers - or, to distinguish them from those of you who do it more for love and duty than for the money - personal assistants.

Continue reading Winter brings out the best.

Disability: we are no longer taboo

By Gary on December 3, 2008 12:17 PM | 2 Comments | No TrackBacks

Simon-Stephens.jpg

 


by Simon Stevens


Attitudes towards disabled people have changed but they are still not accepted as potential leaders

The election of the first black US president got me thinking how long it would be before there was a significantly impaired prime minister, especially someone with a speech impairment.

Continue reading Disability: we are no longer taboo.
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