So here is the saga of the disability walker, in full detail.

 

I waited in for the domiciliary visit which was supposed to be 3pm.

By 3.30pm I decided to ring the single access number again to ask how late the visit was going to be.

Well, my previous telephone call had been logged on my ‘account’ so that was useful, and the person who answered this time was able to follow the trail as to who she should contact for me. After a few minutes on hold I was told that a lady called Maureen was coming, and they had sent a message for her to ring me to let me know when she would turn up. This did not happen at all. By 6pm I had not exactly lost the will to live, but I was somewhat irritated. In the morning I rang the Single Access number again. Another person answered this time, and read the notes on my account. It seems that the lady, Maureen, only delivers on tuesdays and thursdays so I was given her direct line number in Annan to contact her myself. Its a  good job I had nothing better to do with my time to be honest. I rang Maureen, who explained that my domiciliary visit which was in the diary in pencil only meant that it was not confirmed so I should never have been informed of that. She explained further that only on the morning of a thursday (which is the day for Langholm) would she personally telephone the recipients to be visited that day. Apparently I am on top of the list as it were, but I had to tell her I had a holiday booked for the following week so there was no point in contacting me then. She was very nice, and assured me that i would be on the list for the following week.

This is now the following week. It is saturday, so the thursday for Langholm delivery has gone by and did i get a phone call? No.

So I am still waiting for my disability walker which i could have been using during the lovely weather of the summer.

Now we are in monsoon season so I doubt it would get much use even if I had it today!

 

Here’s the next installment….

 

Thursday of the second week following my holiday, 2.30pm. That’s afternoon by the way. Maureen rang to say she would like to come now! as the rain had stopped. She then explained that teaching me how to use a disability walker isn’t too good in the rain.

So she came. And I walked along the pavement and back to my house with the walker. Put the brakes on, sat down. Oh I’m a pro at this! Fabulous. Chuffed to bits.

Then comes the kicker.

So I get this walker loaned to me to see if I like it. After a couple of weeks it will be collected and I can buy one if I think it’s a useful tool to my mobility.

Do I buy it from Maureen? Can I buy the one I’ve been using? 

No, she says  there’s lots of places online, maybe try ebay.

 

Well I don’t know about you, but I could have bought one on ebay back in May when the walker idea was suggested. Instead I’ve wasted 3 months of good weather waiting to be loaned a walker for two weeks!!

It’s odd how the OT or physio departments will give out walking sticks, zimmer frames, and commodes; get someone to come fix grab rails, special sink taps, and wet rooms; but the walkers are on a two week loan which they don’t tell you about in the first place.

You know those silly things on Facebook or tik tok tat say ‘What advice would you give to your younger self?’

Well my answer is

ASK MORE QUESTIONS!

 

Eileen