What’s That All About ?

I’ve just received a letter from the nursing home my mum resides in and to say I’m disgusted would be putting it mildly. They inform me they have sent the relevant documentation and are awaiting a decision to whether Social Services will pay for her care. Then and I quote ” In the meantime, you are responsible for the outstanding fees and in not settling your account, you are putting the welfare and care of your mother in jeopardy”. They are fully aware the money from the sale of her house has run out, yet under a veiled threat still demand money, obviously interested in my Mum’s welfare, NOT!!. So what are they going to do with a woman suffering with acute dementia, throw her out onto the streets. To say this is callus, is an under statement, and even worse the letter was from the head of care, I really do question what is this home interested in, they have to make money, but at what exspense !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Just when I thought she could sink no lower, then she does, I’m A Celebrity Not!! Get Me Out Of Here. Who is this nice person, certainly not Katie Price, how long before the real person turns up and reverts to her usual foul mouthed behaviour. I really don’t understand the publics fascination with this woman, so come on people do me a favour and stop giving her the press she doesn’t deserve and vote her somewhere else, please please please !!

My Mum has been in a nursing home with acute dementia for over two years now and previous to that in a residential home with dementia. The cost of this care has been mainly met by the sale of her house, to which the money has now run out, the cost of this amounted to £100,000. I have tried to appeal against this on several occasions, but so many brick-walls are put in the way, you give up in the end. The issue of paying for care has been a big issue this year and I have put in a final appeal to get the NHS to refund the money paid out for her care. In the meantime I wrote to care trust and home where my Mum resides, informing them that the money would run out in three months time, thought that’s fine, given them time to sort out future funding. Not fine, received a letter from the home saying they hadn’t received the letter and I owed them £5,800 and I had to contact Social Services about the funding. Well what do I do now, for one Social Services have nothing to do with my Mum, it’s the NHS, as for the money, reckon it’s a court date for me and a chance to highlight the pay for care issue, nothing like a bit of publicity. Updates to follow, as and when they happen, what this space. 

Health and Safety have issued new guidelines for the use and operation of the microwave oven in the home

1. Carefully remove packaging, ensuring adequate protective clothing ie: teflon coated gauntlet and safety goggles.

2. Before inserting into socket, ensure the correct fuse is fitted for said appliance. Enlist the services of a qualified electronics engineer to test the safety of the afore mentioned plug

3. Insert plug into socket, ensuring the use of rubber soled safety footwear and adequate safety gloves

4. Using adequate safety equipment, unwrap instruction manual and read thoroughly

5. Cross reference with recognized government approved body to ensure no adaptations for the use of the appliance have been issued.

6. With due care and attention, being aware of external factors ie: water, move switch to on position, see Fig A

7. With caution, open door of microwave, see Fig B

8. Select item of food to be cooked in microwave and thoroughly read instructions on packaging, before starting the cooking process. Cross reference with food manufacturers website to see if any modifications or changes to process have been issued

9. Prepare to insert food item into microwave, closely following manufacturers instruction as how to prepare the packaging of the item

10. Modify packaging as per the instruction and transfer item to an approved microwave container, ensuring no use of metallic items is used

11. Wash your hands using government approved solution(check with appropriate medical staff to ensure no danger of an allergic reaction is likely)  

12. Thoroughly dry your hands, remember water and electricity do not mix(see EU directive)

13. Place food item inside microwave, set temperature and duration, prepare to push start button

14. Carefully  check that the microwave is switched to the on position (Fig A) and that you have adhered to all of the above mentioned procedures. Switch to start position and move away from the area.

15. Employ a government approved radiation testing agent, such as a Geiger counter or similar to check for any leaks from the microwave. Once all clear has been given, allow microwave to complete cooking process and wait for the “DING”

16. Using extreme caution and using the appropriate protective clothing (gauntlet, safety goggles and rubber soled footwear) Remove container from microwave.

17. CAUTION!! This may be hot, using the appropriate safety equipment (gauntlet) carefully remove the outer packaging, if you are unable to remove the packaging using the safety equipment, leave for an appropriate amount of time for the packaging to go cold and then remove. WARNING THE FOOD WILL NOW BE COLD!!

 18. BOLLOCKS, FORGOT TO DO A RISK ASSESSMENT !!

Bethany Dibbs was struck by a car as she crossed the road on her scooter and ended up in a coma with a fractured skull. An ambulance crew arrived and called for help, only to be told by their operator that under strict meal break regulations the closest additional crew still had a few minutes left on their lunch break. Common sense prevailed and the crew cut short their break and attended the accident. Health and Safety regulation is important, but there are situations such as this where common sense should be used and not stick to the letter of the law. When a persons life is at risk, that should be the priority, not that an ambulance crew hadn’t finished their mandatory break for lunch and wouldn’t be avaliable until they had. People have to think outside of the box and although the regulation in this case is right, a perons life comes above that everytime. 

A report entitled Stiking the Balance from the health and safety executive has said  ”there is often an unrealistic public expectation that officers and staff will put themselves at risk to protect the public”. What the hell do they think they are doing, surely part of a police officers job involves being put in that position. This being the case, what happens when an officer is confronted with a dangerous situation, do they just say, hey that’s not for me and walk away. I think not, but if enforced, what’s the point in having a police force with no teeth, yet another example of the health and safety executive meddling where they shouldn’t be allowed to.

A classical example of how health and safety trumps common sense. A man had been hit by a jetski and broken his back, but because he was laying in 6 inches of water, the paramedic in charge refused to go in as it breached health and safety regulations. Two colleagues pleaded with him, but he stood in their way and said no, so members of the public had to get him onto a spinal board and then to the shore, before he could be treated. This really concerns me on several fronts, the most obvious is someone is going to die because of  lunatic health and safety regulations. The other main problem is that the paramedic in question stuck to the letter of the law, why so, when common sense says no problem here and get on with the job in hand. For crying out loud, who allows such regulation through, we are teetering on the edge of an abyss and this needs to be stopped now. 

We have been led down a path in this country where using common sense is not allowed, particularly in the work place. Where once sense prevailed, now political correctness and health and safety rule how we live our lives. Thinking for yourself is frowned upon and if you dare use common sense, well you’ve got no chance and will be chastised from a great height. Time to set the record straight and get rid of this ridiculous situation, time for the majority to stop the minority.

Will the real Katie Price please stand up, well she did last night gesturing and swearing to the crowd at a cage fight. Not content with that, on her boyfriend winning she stripped down to a thong, the word tacky doesn’t even cover it. This woman is heading for a nasty fall, to which she so richly deserves, then we can forget about the waste of space called Katie Price.

The far reaching arm of the Health and Safety Executive have deemed that a church clock that is wound up by hand, is too dangerous  because you have to climb a ladder and reach out to wind up the clock. The clock at St Michaels church in Helston,Cornwall, has been wound by hand for 216 years without incident and now they are going to have to find £5,000 to modify the clock.  What next, carry out a risk assessment to change a light bulb, where does it end. The Health and Safety Executive need spiking and now, they are dangerous to say the least and an extension of the governments Nanny State aspirations. Come on people, time to say no to this lunacy and get back to common sense.