Dreamwalker's Sanctuary

Caring At a Price.

Most of my friends here will understand that I try to stay positive on what most of life throws out. But during these times of ‘Cut-backs’ due to over spending of our Governments and bailing out our Bankers who still pay themselves huge rewards for mismanaging taxpayers monies in a corrupt monetary system even we knew that it couldn’t go on forever by printing money to get us out of the red..

I don’t mind paying my Taxes, having worked most of my life except for 5 yrs when my children were small, and even then I worked from home..

And I don’t mind tightening my belt along with the rest of us, or having to work till I’m 65, or paying 20% VAT  extra on all Goods, or paying the hidden ‘Green’ Tax or my Road Tax, or the extortionate Tax Duty on our Fuel here in the UK.. and the list could go on and on and on..

But what I do object to Very strongly is when these ‘Cuts’ affect those who have no Voice to speak out for themselves. Those who are vulnerable Adults. Those whom I care for. Those with Learning Disabilities

I care when local authorities cut their Care Packages at the stroke because it’s cheaper to give them less hours of support, so they can cut staffing costs down..

I care when after nearly 10yrs of supporting these adults who have learning difficulties, whom have been brought out of residential care in pioneering Support Schemes to live as you or I do within our communities a more independent life.

Whereby they have been able to shape their own lives with informed choices and decision making in ordinary homes with their friends with our day to day support.  When at the stroke of someone’s pen  they can be shipped back into residential  care homes, parted from their friends, refused Day Care Services, our support and plummeted back to Residential type living. And there is nothing we can do about it.

I do not care that will Iwill no longer be employed by early 2011, I’ve faced redundancy twice before and each time I bounced back higher..

But these people will not bounce back.. When they were first integrated to live within the community some didn’t even know how to communicate as the calming drugs they’d been on had kept them like zombies. But over time and patience and less drugs, we saw their individual personalities  come back to the fore. as they learnt how to cook, clean, and enjoy life as you or I.  And yes on a bad day some still can have challenging behaviours, but then I know many people in many walks of life who have bad days and throw their own tantrums. How else can some of these people with learning difficulties tell us how they are feeling?

Last week I went to a meeting which informed us of our Cutbacks and our future.

When I challenged my Boss’s where was our services users choices in all of this? I was told “ Forget the word Choice”.. They have no choice, this is about Profit and Spending Cuts..

That night I cried, not for me, I know I’ll be fine, but I cried for those who I care for, and what will happen to their future..

and I cried for a world where Caring comes at a Price..

Where Profit comes before people.

And I cried for a World that has lost its way.

© Sue Dreamwalker  2010 All rights reserved.