It should be obvious to everyone that if a sole carer who is caring for a loved one at home dies suddenly when there is no help or support and lies undiscovered for days that their disabled loved one then left without their carer will suffer terribly and certainly die horrifically too.
It comes as no surprise to me that this tragedy which I have been warning everyone about on healingspur for the past three years would happen if elderly carers at home were not given the help and attention they desperately need. There are thousands of hidden carers many who know that when they seek help they are given a pass the buck attitude and then ignored, no wonder that the elderly become recluse and afraid to let their situation be known. When there are no relatives to help even if there are kind neighbours as reported in The Daily Mail today 13.1 2010 regarding the dreadful deaths of Derek Randall 76yrs his wife’s sole carer despite not being able to lift her, and his disabled wife Jean 79yrs who was doubly incontinent and unable to walk. Surely it would not be too much to ask the authorities to take notice of a neighbour’s request for help for the couple, it is an outrage that when Heather Footitt neighbour phoned Age Concern helpline she was rudely told not to intervene and more or less told to mind her own business.
The accusation against Britain’s largest Charity for the elderly emerged as Northamptonshire County Council claimed the Randalls had been visited by The Health and Social Services staff throughout December and beforehand, if that is so why was nothing done and they were left to die in the freezing cold with a single bar heater and only the gas rings on the cooker to heat their house. There is no excuse for this. We can only hope that Health Minister Mike O’Brian not only investigates this matter but bears in mind that something sensible and fair must be done for all carers as a priority because if not this will happen again.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1242384/Pensioners-dead-home-peak-UKs-Big-Freeze-spark-inquiry-care-failures.html
If you know of any elderly person, or persons on their own please at least ask if they need help and let it be known in whatever way you can, as a society we should not allow children, or the elderly to suffer.
http://www.carers-healingspur.co.uk/
footnote
The unusual extreme weather in the UK has encouraged some people to help each other during the heavy snowfall, and cope with the icy roads and pavements, it is a good sign that what ever happens in the future we can all work together when needs be, don’t just think about it, do it.
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