Monthly Archives: August 2012
Norwich woman with MS wins payout in battle over care
The care I was receiving from social services in 2010 was utterly degrading and dehumanising
By KIM BRISCOE Health correspondent
Monday, August 27, 2012
6.30 AM
A woman who took social services to court, saying a lack of care to help with her multiple sclerosis was “utterly degrading and dehumanising”, has had a £9,500 out-of-court settlement.
Jan Sutton, 41, took Norfolk County Council to judicial review in June 2011 .
“The care I was receiving from social services in 2010 was utterly degrading and dehumanising. It left me trapped in bed and wanting to die. Taking legal action seemed to be the only way I could preserve my life.”
Canine carer restores life and hope to disabled woman
TRACY Wells was once an active woman who lived life to the full. She played county rugby, jogged every morning and had an active social life.
But, two weeks after getting married and returning from her honeymoon she fell down some stairs into a cellar at the shop in which she worked as an assistant manager.
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PAWS FOR THOUGHT:Tracy Wells and her canine partner Sophie
She went to hospital and X-rays were taken which showed nothing more serious than a sprain.
Eight weeks later she still could not bear weight on her leg which was starting to go black.
It emerged she had broken her ankle and severed ligaments in her right foot.
Her leg was put in plaster for five months, but when the plaster came off she still could not bear weight so was given physiotherapy.
But, after 257 sessions of physiotherapy and 49 sessions of hydrotherapy it still it was not any better.
She went on to have bone and MRI scans that diagnosed reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), for which there is no cure.
Tracy said: “My leg now sweats more, it gets swollen and is 2.5 degrees colder than my other leg. Because of the damaged ligament, it gives way frequently.
Shipley charity to offer advice sessions on how to find jobs
A project to help unpaid carers in the Bradford district back into work will start next month as new figures show half of them want employment.
7:00am Saturday 25th August 2012 in News By Hannah Postles
The weekly ‘work club’ has been developed by the Shipley -based charity Carers’ Resource after figures from Carers UK show there are 47,886 carers in the district – but only 50 per cent of them are in work.
The new Carers’ Resource employment and training enterprises (CReate), funded by Job Centre Plus, will offer carers one-to-one advice on topics including writing a CV and good interview techniques as well as the opportunity to search for vacancies, find out about college courses and understand their employment rights.
Maralyn Adey, who cares after her son Kristian, 27, who has Down’s Syndrome as well as heart and lung problems, is now retired but did work part time.
She said: “If carers want to work they should be able to, even if it’s just something for them to do for a few hours.
“You get bogged down doing what you’re doing. You don’t often meet other people and you don’t get much stimulation. You’re just so dedicated to doing what you’re doing.”
Mrs Adey, of Wrose , Shipley, said a lot of carers struggled to make ends meet, with Carer’s Allowance working out at about £1.65 an hour.