There’s a saying that goes around media newsrooms, “you just couldn’t make this up!” and nothing sums this up better than the morality play of Sir Fred Goodwin, until very recently the CEO of The Royal Bank of Scotland.
Like many of his banking colleagues in the USA and UK he has earned a fortune during the fat years and we only really came to evaluate the morality of this system of reward when the house of cards came crashing down around our ears.
This man is the perfect example of the banking Gordon Gecko whose creed was “Greed is Good”.
Goodwin was known as Fred the Shred, because of his ruthless and supposedly successful style of management. He was rewarded with huge payments and dividends but unfortunately, and at the cost of us all, he wasn’t succeeding, in fact he was failing on a scale never before seen in the UK, or anywhere else for that matter.
This was not just failure, but epic disaster, the Perfect Storm of a financial cataclysm. It has resulted, lest we forget, in his bank posting the biggest single one-year corporate loss in the UK’s history. For the record ponder the numbers, he lost us £24 billion in the last twelve months.
There is, apparently, another £350 billion of questionable debt on the same bank’s books. We, the people, have underwritten all of it under the new loan guarantee scheme.
All of these facts were known to the government when the panic button was hit a couple of months back, when, to save our entire banking system, the government had to step in with just hours to spare.
When this quasi-forced nationalization was being consummated the men and women who run the nation’s Treasury had to quickly do some hiring and firing. They realized that the country could not countenance the survival of the senior management who had been, at best, inept, or at worst criminally liable for the disaster that had befallen us.
It transpires that the government ministers responsible for these transactions had sight of the relevant contracts and allowed certain pay offs to take place. Amongst these was the lifetime pension pot for Sir Fred Goodwin in which he was to receive nearly £650,000 (nearly $1 million) per year for the rest of his life with, commencing now, at the age of 50.
The Minister who allowed this is Lord Myners, who is now calling on Sir Fred to not take the money. Goodwin refuses to do this or pay any money back. The Prime Minister and many others in government have also insisted that Sir Fred must not get this money in these circumstances. Remember these are the same people who rubber-stamped his deal in the first place.
It seems as though the crime Goodwin is guilty of is not getting his hands on the money it is getting caught receiving the money while the cameras are aimed in his direction.
This is epic hypocrisy by the most inept and injudicious British government ever.
Of course Goodwin should never have received one penny, in fact he should never have been in a job he was clearly not capable of doing. But he was in that job and he did negotiate a deal with those ministers and they all signed it willingly. There is no justification for a country to break a contract of its own devising. This would be both illegal and amoral. Of course a government could change the law retroactively to stop the knight getting his pension but that would be an act of petty venality that even this bankrupt leadership couldn’t justify. If that kind of thing is to be allowed we have entered a very dark tunnel indeed.
On his own behalf Goodwin wrote to the City Minister Paul Myners arguing that in forgoing his 12-months notice pay when he resigned last October, he had made a sufficient “gesture.” Myners replied in a letter that his position was “unfortunate and unacceptable” and that the executive should think again.
“Such an act would be an appropriate recognition of the failings of RBS under your tenure and subsequent support the government has provided,” Myners wrote.
The Treasury has finally acknowledged that Myners did know all about the pension arrangement when Goodwin resigned last October although there had been some argument previously about the details. His understanding, according to the Treasury, was that the payout was Goodwin’s legal entitlement and unchangeable. Prime Minister Brown said it was only this week that he learned the RBS board had some discretion in awarding the pay.
The government has not yet made it clear what route it will take on this issue. Ministers have, so far, just applied maximum moral pressure on Goodwin to voluntarily give up his pension.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling said, “Sir Fred could resolve this problem very quickly.” Brown said the payout wasn’t acceptable but offered no remedy.
“The anger the public has is the anger I have as well,” Brown told broadcasters. “This is unjustifiable and unacceptable, and I am going to clean up the banks so it doesn’t happen again.”
Or the government might apply pressure on Goodwin by threatening to have him stripped of his knighthood, but that makes the government look ever more like a petty Ruritania than it already does.
Surely of more importance, we must learn the lessons this debacle should teach us. We need people who understand business taking business decisions that have a commercial consequence. Government ministers are demonstrably incapable of this.
Our focus must be on the big issues; we cannot allow ourselves to get bogged down on these small but diverting side issues. Maintaining a relentless public focus on our huge problems will stop our leaders avoiding the big elephants in the room.
In the meantime Sir Fred, I hope you suffer the consequences of your actions and you don't get any pleasure from all our money.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
HowNottoGetBeatenUpByYourCreditCard
The good news is that the bad news was predicted to have been even worse. RBS bank in the UK has racked up losses of £24,000,000,000. (Twenty four billion pounds – approximately $35 billion). Losses like this has mean that the government will have to guarantee more toxic loans and fund the failing banks with even more of our money.
Another result of such huge holes in the accounts is that the credit card companies will act even more stringently to plug every gap in their financial dyke.
This is one of my occasional “GUEST” blogs that I hand over to another contributor. My good friend Neville Spiers, otherwise known as the Negotiator, has written this article. We first met when we were eight years old, and, as the saying goes, we’ve all passed a lot of water since then.
“How not to get beaten up by your credit card by Neville Spiers"
I heard a programme on BBC’s Radio 4 last week – not a new subject – the perennial issue of people who have offended Visa, Maestro and all the mighty Gods of credit. They have fallen behind with their payments and the slavering hounds of collection have been unleashed.
Some of the stories were extremely harrowing; elderly people suffering from terminal illnesses or recently bereaved; it made no difference. Many of them had had the good sense to phone up, explain the situation and make a revised payment plan; it made no difference.
The calls started coming four times a day, from different callers in the same debt-collection company – sometimes more than one company chasing the same debt! Each time, the caller would first put them through a process of “security questions”. Then they would ask when the debt wasgoing to be repaid. If the answer was anything but “right now”, the question would be repeated over and over again.
I listened to this and I thought, “Why are these people allowing themselves to be beaten up four times a day”. The truth is that there are very simple techniques, which can be used to prevent it.
1) Don’t answer the security questions. Tell them “I’m sorry but I don’t give out confidential information to anyone I don’t know and I don’t know you”. They may tell you that they cannot continue the conversation unless you do. Answer “O.K. thank you for calling. Have a nice day”. CLICK!
2) Insist on dealing with one caller only. When a different person calls, tell them to speak to the first one, in order to save them time. If a second company calls, tell them to battle it out with the first company, then come back and tell you who is handling the account.
3) If the same person calls you a second time on the same day, say, “I spoke to you two hours ago. Please refer to your notes. Now forgive me but I’m in a meeting.” Then ring off.
At all times remain polite but firm. Keep in your mind at all times that you don’t have to take it. If you have the confidence to take control,you won't have to.”
Another result of such huge holes in the accounts is that the credit card companies will act even more stringently to plug every gap in their financial dyke.
This is one of my occasional “GUEST” blogs that I hand over to another contributor. My good friend Neville Spiers, otherwise known as the Negotiator, has written this article. We first met when we were eight years old, and, as the saying goes, we’ve all passed a lot of water since then.
“How not to get beaten up by your credit card by Neville Spiers"
I heard a programme on BBC’s Radio 4 last week – not a new subject – the perennial issue of people who have offended Visa, Maestro and all the mighty Gods of credit. They have fallen behind with their payments and the slavering hounds of collection have been unleashed.
Some of the stories were extremely harrowing; elderly people suffering from terminal illnesses or recently bereaved; it made no difference. Many of them had had the good sense to phone up, explain the situation and make a revised payment plan; it made no difference.
The calls started coming four times a day, from different callers in the same debt-collection company – sometimes more than one company chasing the same debt! Each time, the caller would first put them through a process of “security questions”. Then they would ask when the debt wasgoing to be repaid. If the answer was anything but “right now”, the question would be repeated over and over again.
I listened to this and I thought, “Why are these people allowing themselves to be beaten up four times a day”. The truth is that there are very simple techniques, which can be used to prevent it.
1) Don’t answer the security questions. Tell them “I’m sorry but I don’t give out confidential information to anyone I don’t know and I don’t know you”. They may tell you that they cannot continue the conversation unless you do. Answer “O.K. thank you for calling. Have a nice day”. CLICK!
2) Insist on dealing with one caller only. When a different person calls, tell them to speak to the first one, in order to save them time. If a second company calls, tell them to battle it out with the first company, then come back and tell you who is handling the account.
3) If the same person calls you a second time on the same day, say, “I spoke to you two hours ago. Please refer to your notes. Now forgive me but I’m in a meeting.” Then ring off.
At all times remain polite but firm. Keep in your mind at all times that you don’t have to take it. If you have the confidence to take control,you won't have to.”
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
TooEarlyToCAll
The Obama presidency is still so new that no one can judge how it will turn out. Those of you who follow my articles will know I have long harbored doubts about the man. Yes, I admire his spunk, his undoubted ability as an orator, his undoubted charisma and his physical appeal he carries like a Hollywood leading man. The man is a star, but I also remember the early days of Tony Blair’s Premiership in the UK carrying all the same signals.
I am one of the few British people you will meet who still like Blair; most of his once mighty army of followers long ago having folded their tents and gone to pastures new.
One thing that Blair had in spades for the first few years of his leadership was unbelievably good luck. Everything he touched turned to gold and that’s a gigantic political advantage he exploited to the full. We are about to discover if Obama also has that special alchemy.
But there was something too much of the Cheshire Cat about that Blair grin and there’s a faint whiff of the same odor of contrivance about President Obama.
Because Obama is so vital to us all I sincerely hope I am wrong in this early judgment. We need a brilliant and strong President Obama but I am beginning to see through the mist to a man who is beginning to find it all a lot harder than he ever imagined it would be.
I am not talking about the economy, or even the war on several fronts that America’s forces continue to fight. No, I refer to the war just starting to be waged by the President with the Congress and Senate and the Defense top brass. This will be the battle that really decides our fate. If Obama is right in his policies he has to win without getting too bogged down in micro managing detail, which might be his Achilles heel.
One can discern that Obama and his staff spent a great deal of time preparing a strategy that looks great in theory but as we all know the devil is in the detail. Now it’s as much to do with luck and timing as it is with the execution of potentially ill conceived tactics.
Just because his predecessor followed one path does not mean that this President should necessarily do the opposite but that seems to be the track being presently traveled.
It is apparent that the other major powers in the world plus the enemies of democracy are waiting to see what the rhetoric of Obama means on the ground.
I believe that Obama intends to handle overseas diplomacy more diplomatically, and that seems a good idea in most circumstances. However it only works with willing partners or at least other parties who are willing to have a genuine dialogue. How true is that of countries like Iran?
One result of this new, more statesmanlike resolve from America is likely to be that everything moves very slowly. Don’t expect instant results or even fairly quick fixes. More likely we are going to get the kind of results that gave the UK its diplomatic reputation of Perfidious Albion. The US appears to be much more cautious and time will tell what results this will generate. One perceptible result there has been from this approach is that America is no longer the instant cartoon hate figure for the street protestors of the world. The world likes the look of Obama and the kind of future America he embodies. Of course this could be the result of his color or the perception of many that America will be easier to handle and deal with now.
The economic necessities are forcing Obama to act in a way that the Republicans clearly loathe. But what other routes are immediately to hand? It is not socialism to prop up the banks and key industries, but it is prudent when the alternatives are cataclysmic for jobs and the economy in general.
The President has already rolled the dice and we all hold our breath as they spin in the air, where they land will decide our world’s future for the next couple of decades. Let’s hope the new President is lucky!
I am one of the few British people you will meet who still like Blair; most of his once mighty army of followers long ago having folded their tents and gone to pastures new.
One thing that Blair had in spades for the first few years of his leadership was unbelievably good luck. Everything he touched turned to gold and that’s a gigantic political advantage he exploited to the full. We are about to discover if Obama also has that special alchemy.
But there was something too much of the Cheshire Cat about that Blair grin and there’s a faint whiff of the same odor of contrivance about President Obama.
Because Obama is so vital to us all I sincerely hope I am wrong in this early judgment. We need a brilliant and strong President Obama but I am beginning to see through the mist to a man who is beginning to find it all a lot harder than he ever imagined it would be.
I am not talking about the economy, or even the war on several fronts that America’s forces continue to fight. No, I refer to the war just starting to be waged by the President with the Congress and Senate and the Defense top brass. This will be the battle that really decides our fate. If Obama is right in his policies he has to win without getting too bogged down in micro managing detail, which might be his Achilles heel.
One can discern that Obama and his staff spent a great deal of time preparing a strategy that looks great in theory but as we all know the devil is in the detail. Now it’s as much to do with luck and timing as it is with the execution of potentially ill conceived tactics.
Just because his predecessor followed one path does not mean that this President should necessarily do the opposite but that seems to be the track being presently traveled.
It is apparent that the other major powers in the world plus the enemies of democracy are waiting to see what the rhetoric of Obama means on the ground.
I believe that Obama intends to handle overseas diplomacy more diplomatically, and that seems a good idea in most circumstances. However it only works with willing partners or at least other parties who are willing to have a genuine dialogue. How true is that of countries like Iran?
One result of this new, more statesmanlike resolve from America is likely to be that everything moves very slowly. Don’t expect instant results or even fairly quick fixes. More likely we are going to get the kind of results that gave the UK its diplomatic reputation of Perfidious Albion. The US appears to be much more cautious and time will tell what results this will generate. One perceptible result there has been from this approach is that America is no longer the instant cartoon hate figure for the street protestors of the world. The world likes the look of Obama and the kind of future America he embodies. Of course this could be the result of his color or the perception of many that America will be easier to handle and deal with now.
The economic necessities are forcing Obama to act in a way that the Republicans clearly loathe. But what other routes are immediately to hand? It is not socialism to prop up the banks and key industries, but it is prudent when the alternatives are cataclysmic for jobs and the economy in general.
The President has already rolled the dice and we all hold our breath as they spin in the air, where they land will decide our world’s future for the next couple of decades. Let’s hope the new President is lucky!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
HelloCharlie
Today I am not writing a full article as our family has grown by one shiny new member.
Welcome Charlotte May, a first-born daughter for my son, Dan and his lovely and deservedly proud wife, Doctor Sarah Klinger. Mother and daughter are doing fine.
I shall resume my articles very shortly but you will understand a slight pause while we welcome Charlie to our world!
Welcome Charlotte May, a first-born daughter for my son, Dan and his lovely and deservedly proud wife, Doctor Sarah Klinger. Mother and daughter are doing fine.
I shall resume my articles very shortly but you will understand a slight pause while we welcome Charlie to our world!
Monday, February 23, 2009
AreYouEverWrongMrBrown
There are many things wrong in the world today, and one of the most annoying is the failure of people to admit that they’re wrong. Arise chief culprit, Prime Minister Gordon Brown. This is the same man who, when things were going well when he was in charge of the economy claimed all the credit for the country’s success. Now that it is going very wrong it has nothing to do with him.
It goes further than this. This weekend he announced that he was looking at new legislation to stop financial institutions from issuing 100% mortgages or allowing them to people unable to prove sufficient earning multiples. This is called locking the door after the horse has bolted.
It is laughable that the Prime Minister should seriously announce that he was going to stop such mortgages when no such mortgages are available.
His time would be better spent making sure his pronouncements regarding the banks easing credit for small to medium businesses and individuals actually happened at ground level since at present this is not the case. His entire government continually tells us that they have made funds available for this specific purpose, but there is a massive blockage in the pipeline. The money is simply not getting to its intended recipients.
I have spoken with many small businessmen recently and they all report pressure from the bank at best and withdrawal of facilities is a common occurrence. The little men and women are fighting for their financial survival and they are not being helped, despite the bank having received huge sums of our money via the government for this purpose. Our leaders had better get out of their luxurious offices and stop listening to their fat cat civil servants or the troubles we’re now facing will get much more intense. People are rightly getting very angry.
I am grateful to the correspondent who sent me the winning entry in an annual contest at Texas A&M University calling for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term:
This year's term was Political Correctness.
The winner R. J. Wiedemann Lt. Col. United States Marine Corps (Retired) wrote:
"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.”
Remind you of anyone Mister Brown?
It goes further than this. This weekend he announced that he was looking at new legislation to stop financial institutions from issuing 100% mortgages or allowing them to people unable to prove sufficient earning multiples. This is called locking the door after the horse has bolted.
It is laughable that the Prime Minister should seriously announce that he was going to stop such mortgages when no such mortgages are available.
His time would be better spent making sure his pronouncements regarding the banks easing credit for small to medium businesses and individuals actually happened at ground level since at present this is not the case. His entire government continually tells us that they have made funds available for this specific purpose, but there is a massive blockage in the pipeline. The money is simply not getting to its intended recipients.
I have spoken with many small businessmen recently and they all report pressure from the bank at best and withdrawal of facilities is a common occurrence. The little men and women are fighting for their financial survival and they are not being helped, despite the bank having received huge sums of our money via the government for this purpose. Our leaders had better get out of their luxurious offices and stop listening to their fat cat civil servants or the troubles we’re now facing will get much more intense. People are rightly getting very angry.
I am grateful to the correspondent who sent me the winning entry in an annual contest at Texas A&M University calling for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term:
This year's term was Political Correctness.
The winner R. J. Wiedemann Lt. Col. United States Marine Corps (Retired) wrote:
"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.”
Remind you of anyone Mister Brown?
Saturday, February 21, 2009
DangersAhead
This week it was revealed that the UK had a debt mountain of £2 trillion, that’s approximately $3 trillion. This is such a huge debt that it is almost unimaginable and unmanageable especially in a country that has a population of a little over 60 million.
Those of us interested in such things also discovered that there have been laws, rules and regulations passed quietly, and without a fuss that enable our central banks to bail out our financial institutions when they deem it necessary, and to keep such an action secret.
There is also further legislation in place allowing yet more breaches of our civil liberties and this has grown with every passing year of our battle against terrorism. Except the laws enacted are not really about that legitimate battle at all, but are much more about controlling us, the British population.
The British, those most relaxed and civilized of people, are just beginning to show a growing antipathy to the countries huge immigrant population as they lose their jobs, homes and prosperity. This catalogue of failures is fanning the flames of hate and envy and that is dangerous since it allows credibility to both the loony left and the far right of our political spectrum.
Observing this sad catalogue in the United States you might well tut and believe this has little or nothing to do with you, other than for your country’s historical links to this, your ultimate mother country. The truth is that it has everything to do with you, because if the battle for liberty is lost here it will inevitably follow all over Europe and the Western World, yes, even in the West’s bastion of democracy, America.
The reasons for this are many but mainly centre on the fact that America faces many of the same economic traumas internally and political battles externally. If these warped experiments in big brother control works in Britain you can bet they will be tried there.
That’s the difference between this Great Depression and the last one in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. First of all, no one in power wanted to admit that we are in recession and the fact is that it is going deeper and further than that. The other huge problem this time around is that this economic collapse is truly global; there is nowhere that is going to prosper in isolation. The best you can hope for is that you will not suffer too badly.
The way to achieve this measure of damage limitation surely starts with our all realizing that this situation must not become the excuse to introduce any forms of isolationism, or protectionism. This would certainly lead to even deeper problems, as countries would seek equally destructive defensive measures.
Perhaps even more vital than this will be winning the fight to protect our liberty and laws so that we don’t sink further into the hands of the very people manning our governments and bureaucracies who put us into this mess in the first place.
Those of us interested in such things also discovered that there have been laws, rules and regulations passed quietly, and without a fuss that enable our central banks to bail out our financial institutions when they deem it necessary, and to keep such an action secret.
There is also further legislation in place allowing yet more breaches of our civil liberties and this has grown with every passing year of our battle against terrorism. Except the laws enacted are not really about that legitimate battle at all, but are much more about controlling us, the British population.
The British, those most relaxed and civilized of people, are just beginning to show a growing antipathy to the countries huge immigrant population as they lose their jobs, homes and prosperity. This catalogue of failures is fanning the flames of hate and envy and that is dangerous since it allows credibility to both the loony left and the far right of our political spectrum.
Observing this sad catalogue in the United States you might well tut and believe this has little or nothing to do with you, other than for your country’s historical links to this, your ultimate mother country. The truth is that it has everything to do with you, because if the battle for liberty is lost here it will inevitably follow all over Europe and the Western World, yes, even in the West’s bastion of democracy, America.
The reasons for this are many but mainly centre on the fact that America faces many of the same economic traumas internally and political battles externally. If these warped experiments in big brother control works in Britain you can bet they will be tried there.
That’s the difference between this Great Depression and the last one in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. First of all, no one in power wanted to admit that we are in recession and the fact is that it is going deeper and further than that. The other huge problem this time around is that this economic collapse is truly global; there is nowhere that is going to prosper in isolation. The best you can hope for is that you will not suffer too badly.
The way to achieve this measure of damage limitation surely starts with our all realizing that this situation must not become the excuse to introduce any forms of isolationism, or protectionism. This would certainly lead to even deeper problems, as countries would seek equally destructive defensive measures.
Perhaps even more vital than this will be winning the fight to protect our liberty and laws so that we don’t sink further into the hands of the very people manning our governments and bureaucracies who put us into this mess in the first place.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
LivingINTheShadowsAResponse
Some of you that follow my articles regularly already know that it is my occasional habit to give space to my exchanges with those who respond to me. In particular I want to show my appreciation to the genuine and widespread depth of feeling my articles on Alzheimer’s and Cancer have engendered this week.
These are illnesses that affect us all, either directly or indirectly at one stage of our lives. It is how we respond to these enemies of us all that demonstrates and defines us as human beings, with all our magnificence and weakness, knowledge and foolishness. We all hope that we are never to be touched by the grim reaper in this tortuous guise, and that if we are, we will somehow manage, at least, for our dignity to survive.
Here are some of the responses I received this week, and I make no apologies for applauding these quiet heroes, for I find their calmness, love and dignity under fire inspirational. Sharon, Neville I know you must have sometimes screamed inside how unfair fate can be, but your examples demonstrate that anything can be overcome, well done and thank you for your inspiring examples.
“Very powerful. I thought it was going the other way, and then you surprised me.” – Dick
Tony
“Your article has struck a resounding chord with me. My late wife didn't have Alzheimer's but she displayed the symptoms of it. Over a period of 10 years, I watched her disappearing in stages.
In 1994 she started to become disorganized - this was a woman who previously raised organization to an art form.
In 1995 she forgot how to drive; which gear to be in, what the pedals were for....
In 1998 she forgot how to use a knife and fork in tandem.
The same year she forgot how to swim.
While all of this was going on she was steadily losing her short-term memory and her ability to join up the logical dots. As the world started to make less and less sense to her, she gradually gave up trying to decipher it and abdicated responsibility.
Between 2001 and 2004, she lived in a nursing home, where everything was done for her. By this time, she had become a 5-year-old, with no short-term and very little long-term memory. She knew her immediate family but she would peer at the nurses who attended her every day as if to say "I know you from somewhere but I'm not sure where."
By the end, she could only remember songs. That's right! Songs. If an advert on TV featured an old song from 30 years ago, however obscure, I would hear her singing along, without animation, as if in a trance, yet she knew all of the words.
I felt like an artist looking at a block of stone or wood and
envisaging the sculpture that he is going to carve out of it. I could
see her in there, but I couldn't reach what I could see. One day, when I am ready, I am going to write the story of her life and death; I may never show it to anyone but I will need to do it.
Thank you for writing this article; I found it strangely comforting; I
couldn't tell you why.” - Neville
Following that response here is a very thoughtful and detailed letter from Sharon;
“It has taken me a day to be able to reply to your article. As you might imagine, I found it difficult to read and it was very poignant. I hope your article finds the right targets.
Unfortunately, for my mum, she lives in Barnet. If she lived in Harrow I could approach the very wonderful Admiral Nurses. The social workers are bound by budgets and I was told by mum's social worker that when people in the borough are asked what they what money to be spent on, dementia is rarely mentioned and then probably only by those who have a loved one who is suffering from this cruelest of diseases. Interestingly, I have NEVER been asked how I think money should be disbursed and I wonder whom it is that the borough approach when sending out these forms. I know of no one who has been asked. Although I have to fight Barnet every inch of the way, and believe me, they don't give an inch, I do have the support of the Maurice Lawson Dementia Support group for carers. However, it is an ongoing fight, which ultimately will be lost because my mum simply can't improve but can only get worse.
What I find unbelievable is that Barnet will not fund full time care at
Home, which for a Malaysian or Phillipino carer costs in the region of £350 per week but that they will fund residential care which costs £500-£800 per week which even after deducting pension income is still costing more. There doesn't seem to be any common sense used just bureaucratic red tape and forms - oh lots of forms. I receive some funding via direct payments and as well as coping with all the emotional stuff I also have to deal with the inland revenue and do the wages and national insurance on a weekly basis as well as end of year tax stuff.
Caring for a relative with dementia of Alzheimer’s is isolating and depressing and certainly, in my experience, there is insufficient care and support available from the local authority unless there is a crisis. They are so busy putting out fires that they don't think about preventing the fire from starting.
Thank you for taking the time to write your article and try and get the message across.” -Sharon
If my writing these articles helps anyone in any way, then I’m glad to have done so. For those of you suffering from these afflictions in any way I can only pass on the wish that you have the strength, wisdom and tenacity to deal with this heavy load.
These are illnesses that affect us all, either directly or indirectly at one stage of our lives. It is how we respond to these enemies of us all that demonstrates and defines us as human beings, with all our magnificence and weakness, knowledge and foolishness. We all hope that we are never to be touched by the grim reaper in this tortuous guise, and that if we are, we will somehow manage, at least, for our dignity to survive.
Here are some of the responses I received this week, and I make no apologies for applauding these quiet heroes, for I find their calmness, love and dignity under fire inspirational. Sharon, Neville I know you must have sometimes screamed inside how unfair fate can be, but your examples demonstrate that anything can be overcome, well done and thank you for your inspiring examples.
“Very powerful. I thought it was going the other way, and then you surprised me.” – Dick
Tony
“Your article has struck a resounding chord with me. My late wife didn't have Alzheimer's but she displayed the symptoms of it. Over a period of 10 years, I watched her disappearing in stages.
In 1994 she started to become disorganized - this was a woman who previously raised organization to an art form.
In 1995 she forgot how to drive; which gear to be in, what the pedals were for....
In 1998 she forgot how to use a knife and fork in tandem.
The same year she forgot how to swim.
While all of this was going on she was steadily losing her short-term memory and her ability to join up the logical dots. As the world started to make less and less sense to her, she gradually gave up trying to decipher it and abdicated responsibility.
Between 2001 and 2004, she lived in a nursing home, where everything was done for her. By this time, she had become a 5-year-old, with no short-term and very little long-term memory. She knew her immediate family but she would peer at the nurses who attended her every day as if to say "I know you from somewhere but I'm not sure where."
By the end, she could only remember songs. That's right! Songs. If an advert on TV featured an old song from 30 years ago, however obscure, I would hear her singing along, without animation, as if in a trance, yet she knew all of the words.
I felt like an artist looking at a block of stone or wood and
envisaging the sculpture that he is going to carve out of it. I could
see her in there, but I couldn't reach what I could see. One day, when I am ready, I am going to write the story of her life and death; I may never show it to anyone but I will need to do it.
Thank you for writing this article; I found it strangely comforting; I
couldn't tell you why.” - Neville
Following that response here is a very thoughtful and detailed letter from Sharon;
“It has taken me a day to be able to reply to your article. As you might imagine, I found it difficult to read and it was very poignant. I hope your article finds the right targets.
Unfortunately, for my mum, she lives in Barnet. If she lived in Harrow I could approach the very wonderful Admiral Nurses. The social workers are bound by budgets and I was told by mum's social worker that when people in the borough are asked what they what money to be spent on, dementia is rarely mentioned and then probably only by those who have a loved one who is suffering from this cruelest of diseases. Interestingly, I have NEVER been asked how I think money should be disbursed and I wonder whom it is that the borough approach when sending out these forms. I know of no one who has been asked. Although I have to fight Barnet every inch of the way, and believe me, they don't give an inch, I do have the support of the Maurice Lawson Dementia Support group for carers. However, it is an ongoing fight, which ultimately will be lost because my mum simply can't improve but can only get worse.
What I find unbelievable is that Barnet will not fund full time care at
Home, which for a Malaysian or Phillipino carer costs in the region of £350 per week but that they will fund residential care which costs £500-£800 per week which even after deducting pension income is still costing more. There doesn't seem to be any common sense used just bureaucratic red tape and forms - oh lots of forms. I receive some funding via direct payments and as well as coping with all the emotional stuff I also have to deal with the inland revenue and do the wages and national insurance on a weekly basis as well as end of year tax stuff.
Caring for a relative with dementia of Alzheimer’s is isolating and depressing and certainly, in my experience, there is insufficient care and support available from the local authority unless there is a crisis. They are so busy putting out fires that they don't think about preventing the fire from starting.
Thank you for taking the time to write your article and try and get the message across.” -Sharon
If my writing these articles helps anyone in any way, then I’m glad to have done so. For those of you suffering from these afflictions in any way I can only pass on the wish that you have the strength, wisdom and tenacity to deal with this heavy load.
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