Charities has moved from helping people to exploiting people to helping themselves by cheap headlines based on poorly produced research that reinforce middle class notions of pity. A perfect example of this is Scope’s Free the 100,000 which claims the disabled people are being imprisoned in their own home because they are not having their ‘moderate’ needs met. The charity is suggested that if someone does not get helped helping a shower, as the only need they have, they are imprisoned in their homes.
The reality is most councils have not funded moderate need as a traditional care service for over a decade. While that may sound shocking, I am also not sure moderate need can simplified in the way Scope wants that anyone claiming any need must get a old fashion expensive care service so the middle class get paid.
It is about understanding the many ways people with moderate needs can be supported like enablement, empowerment and technology. It is also about attitudes and I talked to one person on twitter claiming to be imprisoned in her own home because she did not get help drying herself after she been swimming at her local pool. I did not know where to start to make sense of her claim as I wondered if she believed the pool was a part of her home and she needed help only at a point many disabled people could not reach in going swimming without assistance.
I must wondered if anyone, regardless of their position, understand exactly what they are saying when they make wild statements that make little sense when you break them down.
If you like what I say, have a look at my site at www.simonstevens.com or follow me on twitter, @simonstevens74, or even leave me feedback on +44 (0)121 364 1974 or email simon@simonstevens.com
Behind more drool 