Well folks it has been a long time since we have updated our Blog and the reason is that it has been as hectic as hell.

We have continued to fund raise through completing our car boot sales and mini markets and managed to raise enough money for:

We then continued to fund raise for a car and managed to get to £2,500 towards the £5000.

All Change:

So in June social services came to review Brian and decided that they would no longer provide any care for Brian overnight just the day.  This was a complete shock to us as a family as Brian still has seizures in the night and cannot do anything for himself.  As a result of this the care home where he was staying gave us 28 days notice to leave as they felt they could no longer care for him with these constraints.

We were so shocked but even though we appealed and challenged this we were advised that this was their decision. Adult Social Services has a £6.5 million deficit in East Sussex and they have to get the money back.

So we had 28 days and we were at the stage of reading our building regulations (we were on page 28 of 44) ready to start our build following a lengthy planning dispute with the neighbour.  There was no way we were going to get everything completed in time so we had to have a plan B.  Brain was coming home he was not being sent anywhere else.  We decided to clear out the lounge of furniture (possessions are not important) and make the conservatory a lounge.  We needed to have a ceiling hoist put in so we spent the £2500.00 we had saved for the car.

In addition to this we had a family friend do some concreting outside for free and we purchased a new wide front door and had two doors removed as well as having a ramp installed up to the front door and between the now bedroom to lounge.  We obtained a bed, mattress and arm char.  We also met with a recruitment agency and started to recruit staff who would come in and work with Yvonne during the day to care for Brian.  You must have two carers each time you hoist, wash etc..

The other major change was that Sharon Brian’s daughter gave up her home and her job and moved in to be a full time carer.  She now is unpaid Waking Night Carer 7 nights a week, this has been proved to be a good thing as Brian has already had seizures at night something that adult social services said did not occur.

Fundraising:

As everyone knows we still need to raise funds but of course being carers now means our time is so much more limited so we (one of us) continue to run the mini market on a Friday and hopefully maybe the odd boot sale.  We really need a car for Brian to get out and about but if you are over 70 you are not entitled to mobility allowance.  Crazy as you still need to get around …

Home:

13th August was a very eventful day  – Brian arrived home but not before scaring the life out of us by having a seizure just as he was leaving meaning they he arrived home 3.5 hours later than he should  have been.  Thank you Derek Watts for driving him and waiting around for all those hours J

Brian was overwhelmed as were we when he first arrived home.  I think the realisation of what he had been missing was so much but we spent a lovely night together and we are so proud of him.

More to follow about Brian in the coming months ….