February 7

 February 7

After being fit and active most of my life I am learning to live with disability.

I am grateful for the help of my family and friend and am heartened too, by the every day thoughtfulness and kindness of strangers.

When I decided to try to return to a normal life in Penarth I knew I would have to adapt, to accept the limitations of age and poor mobility.

I have been surprised and delighted with the support I am getting.

After a few weeks of struggling to fend for myself  in my new home I have had the amazing good fortune of finding the help I needed.

Thanks to Melissa, I am now achieving my aim to live comfortably, safely and happily.  

Three times a week, for two hours, she ’mothers’ me, keeping the flat immaculate, doing my laundry and ironing, making difficult phone calls, doing some shopping and offering advice, always efficient and cheerful.

I could not be more lucky.

And that applies to my now regular trips to Penarth town centre where I have learned to ‘drive’ in and out of most of the shops on my scooter.

I am pleasantly surprised at the consideration and help I get from staff and passers by.

Yesterday I decided to get a haircut - my first for three months - but was not sure if I could manage to get into the salon where I used to go three years ago.

I need not have worried The staff came out to help me and,  after my haircut, helped me safely back out onto my scooter.

I am having the same encouragement and help in all the shops, with staff taking the trouble to serve me and pack my shopping onto my scooter. 

When I cannot reach something on the shelves, inevitably other shoppers have got it it for me.  

Unusually, perhaps, I enjoy shipping, choosing what I like and my trips up town are always a pleasure.

In my recent hospital visit to the ear clinic I was having difficulty ordering a coffee when a man next in the queue took over, got me a coffee and a cake, helped me to a table and even paid for it.

How is that for kindness.

It is making such a difference.

 

am learning to live with disability Being disabled involves problems but many are solved or at least eased by the thoughtfulness

Two of my complaints are caused by impatience, as yesterday afternoon showed.

The first was the telephone. I use a land line, not a mobile phone as I have difficulty hearing its ring or the messages.

I had three calls and was unable to reach the phone in time for any, although it is only just across my living room.

On each occasion there were only seven rings. It takes me a few seconds to stand up and move with my walking aid. Each time the caller gave up as I was lifting the receiver. After the third call I sat by the phone for ten minutes but there was no further call

I appreciate that they probably did not know I am disabled but the impatience to wait a few more seconds is inexcusable. A little later my door bell rang. It took me a little longer to get there and by that time the caller had gone. 

This is  retirement home with some of the residents also old and with mobility problems so others might also find this frustrating.

I am not usually a complainer but there are other examples of thoughtlessness that could be avoided in dealings with elderly people.

In call centres, the now common use of automatic answering giving a range of options is difficult as often the details are given too quickly and not clearly enough. It was a rare treat in one of my calls when the young-I think-woman slow clearly and slowly and was really helpful.

Firms dealing with the public need more training to meet our needs.