93 YEARS OLD, A CARER AND CAN’T WALK – BUT NOT ON LIST TO GET HELP
A93-YEAR-OLD woman who is the sole carer for her 66-year-old autistic, diabetic and asthmatic son claims she has not been added to the “vulnerable” list of people during the coronavirus pandemic.
Barabara MacArthur is a retired former police officer and social worker living in the densely populated student area of Cathays in Cardiff.
In a letter to our sister paper the Western Mail, Barbara highlighted how she has been left to care for her son alone as all their friends and relatives have died.
In the letter she says while she loves son Howard deeply, being his sole carer is extremely challenging.
She wrote: “I love him to bits but the continuous years of strain and the fact that more cutbacks mean that there is even less help available than ever makes me wish I could have the opportunity at times to be lonely.”
She added: “I cannot walk but have managed with a three-wheel stroller to get around the corner some days to shop at Tesco because the man who used to shop for us temporarily got his job back. Now it is too much for me because of the ankylosing spondylitis, a fairly recent heart attack, and the after-effects of two mild strokes suffered years ago.”
Barbara also said her son has recently recovered from sepsis. She ended the letter with a heartfelt message: “Why me and my son have not been added to the ‘vulnerable’ list is beyond my comprehension.”
The message has received an outpouring of support after being shared on social media with people, including Cardiff South and Penarth MP Stephen Doughty, among those offering support.
Barbara told us that before the pandemic she just about made it around the corner to her local Tesco to pick up milk and bread but mostly relied on having a delivery slot from the supermarket.
However, as the pandemic began in March, it became increasingly difficult to get hold of a delivery slot and Barbara said she was left without her regular shopping.
She said: “We have told them we haven’t got anyone to shop for us. We do have Meals on Wheels but we have to go out. A couple of times we have to go out for milk.
“My son needs stuff for his diabetes, like things with no added sugar and things that are free from sugar.
“They took away the social worker when the virus started.”
After she wrote the letter, local MS Jenny Rathbone managed to arrange a delivery slot with Tesco on Barbara’s behalf, which has been a lifeline for her through the pandemic.
In a letter to another of our sister titles, the South Wales Echo on March 19, Barbara said: “I tried for three days to buy toilet rolls at my local Tesco but all were gone. I bought some packets of soft paper hankies just in case. Will try again tomorrow.
“Who is buying them all? Never mind – reminds me of the old days when we used cut-up newspapers. As a child back in the early 1930s that was my job: cutting up old newspapers and threading the pieces with string to hang in the outside loo.
“Why not? Now we have an inside loo but, unfortunately, the black print is not indelible!”
Barbara is a frequent letter writer to the newspaper and wrote a second letter in April highlighting the difficulties she was facing.
She said she is fortunate to have a computer which has made it easier for her to order takeaway food via Deliveroo. Speaking to us, Barbara said she feels they are lucky in comparison to some others as people have reached out to help them.
She worries for people in a similar position who may find it a lot more difficult.
“We are lucky but people like us are not lucky,” Barbara added. “We are fighters.”
A Cardiff council spokesman said: “The council has worked tirelessly to support vulnerable individuals across the city throughout the pandemic and has delivered more than 6,800 emergency food parcels to households who have been shielding, self-isolating, or struggling due to the financial impact of the crisis as well as coordinating hundreds of volunteers to support those in need in other ways.
“While we cannot comment on individual circumstances, when we become aware via any route that someone needs some additional support we will always proactively contact them and provide services.”
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “During the pandemic supermarkets have significantly increased the number of online delivery slots available and we have been reassured they will continue to make priority slots available to those on the shielded list. If people don’t have family, friends or neighbours who can help them, they should contact their local authority or county voluntary council if they need practical support.”