Another few months of recovery...

This recovery took a bit long. Many things got in the way...Got 6 toe infections in two years. The spasms got worse. The medication and care given were awful. The best thing which is not perfect is having better control on the care with a personal budget. It is far from being perfect. There is no freedom inworrying constantly about the bank balance.

I will have a very important support plan review on this coming Thursday. Here is what I posted on Twitlonger:

@hellsbells265 @mssocietyuk After a 2 hour long meeting with the Vanguard Project team of Bath and North East Somerset social services who are making a survey of the service users’ perceptions of what social care is provided especially the "personal budget". I had warned them on the phone that it was not going to be favourable. I was prepared: having a good collection of press cuttings and government statements about liberating the people in need of care by giving them choice! I made a spreadsheet from hell with all my PAs hours worked, wages, statutory holiday pay, balance before wages and projected total of wages per month. I need to stress that I am a linguist and not an accountant. There are surprises; the projected total of wages is still a mystery. This month one of my PAs has earned more so she has to pay NI and income tax. I imagine that this will have to be paid by me at some point. I am conscious that earlier would be best considering our national deficit and not wanting to be keeping some funds too long that would do well to the Treasury. I need to find out from the support and payroll agency tomorrow when the accountant who has always given a helpful answer will be back. So as you see it is no liberation and choice that is afforded by "Direct Payments". It is more like offloading responsibilities. I earned an accolade from my PA who wrote a bullet list (for the meeting) on the back of an envelope under dictation when I was in the shower...She said I sounded more like Mrs Thatcher. Wow, it left me speechless for a time before I decided that it was meant as a compliment! I received a thorough categorised answer from the Vanguard team and they asked to be back to review my support plan...They "will go through the Personal Budgets process with you and discuss possible ways of making it easier, more transparent and more flexible for all service users." Return match on Thursday :-)