About this blog

I decided to write this blog because I have been trying to find information about strokes and how it affects the family rather than just the person who had the stroke. Most of the stuff I found was just support groups and how family can help the patient. I didn't find many personal stories of how it affected the family as a whole, and didn't find any blogs about the carers. Usually, the focus is on the person who has had the stroke, but those who are directly involved in their care, are misrepresented. And so - Who cares for the carers? was launched. I have crammed the first month into a few posts since we are only a month into his recovery, but once I am up to date, I will update any time there is anything to tell. I would love to hear from anyone in a similar situation, or even if reading this blog has hit a chord or helped anyone, then my job will be done. It is also therapy for me to be able to write what's on my mind. The road to recovery is a long one, both for the sufferer and their families.

Tuesday, 21 July 2009

Forms, forms & more forms

It always amazes me how many forms you have to fill in to get anything. There's the housing benefits form, the income support form, the DLA form, the carers form, and I'm sure there are others I haven't remembered. All about 5000 pages long. Of course I exaggerate, but it sure does feel like it filling them all in. About the only thing they DON'T want to know is if you have a beard or not. They should have a system where you put ALL the info into one data base and then they can calculate all the benefits from that one database, and not have to fill it all in for every single benefit.

It amuses me somewhat, that they expect someone that has limited attention span, and periods of confusion, and that is easily overwhelmed, to fill in countless forms which require information about everything. Sure they can send someone out to help you fill them in, but that takes weeks and delays the benefits you may be entitled to.

So we have battled through the housing benfit form, and the income support form (with the added bonus of a call from the job center to verify information and ask lots more questions. 40 minutes worth of questions.) and this afternoon one of his friends is coming over to help him with the DLA form. And once his sick leave is over, we get to do it all over again with the ESA forms.

Oh the joy. I do wonder whether if we spoke a different language, if everything would be done for us, and quicker.
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