Bedbound gran’s agonising wait for care package
51-YEAR-OLD SAYS SHE IS AT ‘BREAKING POINT’
A DISABLED Hull grandma says that she is at breaking point after claiming her care needs have still not been met - eight months since she begged for a care package.
In October, Wendy Anderson told the Mail that she had been left without care for seven months and felt “suicidal” about her situation.
Now, one month on, Mrs Anderson says she is still without the help she needs and that her husband Gary, who is acting as her carer, is now struggling care for her alone.
The 51-year-old lives in Redwood Glades, in Leads Road, and is bed-bound due to suffering with back problems and has been told she will never be able to walk again.
Mrs Anderson is unable to wash herself or go to the toilet unaided due to torn discs and ligaments, a slipped disc and arthritis in her back that cannot be further operated on.
She also has diabetes, heart failure, insomnia, depression and anxiety and can only leave the home for hospital visits.
The former barmaid has been relying on care since she had her first back operation in 2011, but moved to Redwood Glades three years ago and had two carers visiting since then.
The care has been funded by Hull City Council, but due to what Mrs Anderson says was a “computer glitch”, she was left with a bill of more than £1,700 in January that she could not afford to pay and she had to cancel the care as a result.
“I don’t have any care or any support and I found out two weeks ago the council were charging me £53 for between 20 minutes and one hour, no one will tell me why,” she said.
“I only use to pay £51 for 30 hours a week and I don’t have a social worker yet who can help fight for me and Gary.
“So I am back to square one, I have no care and there are numer
I would hate anybody else getting treated like their life doesn’t matter
Wendy Anderson
ous cases of coronavirus in the building between both residents and staff so we can’t even get out.
“I have explained to the council that I will pay the £53 a week when I get my 30 hours reinstated.
“I have no one able to do my personal care and no one to dress me, so now I have at least two to three bills due in for more than £212 for two showers and four bed washes, which is ridiculous.
“We can’t move out even though we both want to as no member of the council will rehouse us on a band D.
“Before I let my social worker know I wanted to get a replacement I asked her a question ‘ do I have to kill myself as the only way I will get out of this apartment?’”
Mrs Anderson says that for the past four weeks the council carers have come in only one afternoon from between 20 minutes and a hour and out of four calls she has only had one shower and three bed washes and a change of clean nightwear.
“All I want is the care I had before we were put into debt by the council or an urgent move,” she said.
“But all we keep getting told is that they are waiting for a decision from my social workers’ boss and we have been getting the same answer now for months.
“I would hate anybody else getting treated like their life doesn’t matter.
“I feel as though I have been neglected and victimised.
“I’m constantly bedridden and feel like a second-class citizen because of my disabilities.
“My husband’s illness (depression) is getting worse because we are not getting the help and support we both need”.
Hull City Council says it is in contact with the Anderson family over Wendy’s care need.
A spokeswoman for the authority said: “We have been in contact with the family to support them, and offered to review the level of care they are receiving from the provider to ensure it meets their needs.”
Hales Homecare, which run s Redwood Glades, has not provided care to Wendy Anderson since 2017.
A spokeswoman for the company said: “Should Wendy’s care needs be assessed and commissioned by Hull City Council we will, of course, deliver the care and support needs as outlined in that assessment.”