My profile
My name is Sara Jane Gorman; I am a visiting
Literature for the University Of Wolverhampton at Walsall campus. As an Advocate I used to speak up for the
rights of learning disability at Our Shout Advocacy group which was funded by
Royal Wolverhampton Mencap.
I have delivered learning disability awareness
training to.
·
Health care students at the University Of
Wolverhampton.
·
The School of Nursing at the University Of
Wolverhampton.
·
Healthcare Professionals at New Cross Hospital,
Wolverhampton.
I have firsthand experience with learning
disability and mental health.
I was born
in Wolverhampton.
I shared a
very small business with another person with learning disabilities supported by
Royal Wolverhampton Mencap and Employment Pathways back in December 2009 to
2010. It was called Access All Areas Now! It became unsuccessful due to the
lack of funding and supports Mencap's and Employment Pathways was able to give.
My work it’s self with Royal Wolverhampton Mencap stopped due to a lack of
funding back in May 2011.
Now Employment Pathways had changed its name to
Senator. Our aims were to see that people with learning disabilities get better
help than what we did.
I will
always make sure that learning disability is always on the agenda. I have
supported members of Our Shout to chair and take the minutes of the meeting on
topics of their choice.
I am a keen
writer; in 2008 I wrote and Co-produced a play to highlight the difficulties
faced by people with learning disabilities in accessing employment. Not long
after writing the play I did a Script and Screen course to try and better my
writing.
I have been writing my website since 2007, it's
called Sara Revealed sararevealed.blogspot.com/ my email address is
sarajgorman@gmail.com
I once helped Mencap set up a Disabled Writer’s
group. I’m unsure whether or not the Writer’s group is still going or not
because I haven't had any work with Mencap for over twelve months.
http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2015/apr/21/people-with-disabilities-are-the-best-social-care-trainers
Sara’ s feedback from the 1st year
session the benefit cuts.
Really
emphasised with what Sara was saying. I could see that the benefit system
doesn’t seem to understand nor care about people with LD.
It was good that Sara highlighted the emotional,
physical and psychological problems facing people with LD. It is bad that the
Government, who are meant to be looking after the people, have put laws and
systems in place that leave people with LD in such distress.
People with LD can experience anxiety,
depression, suicidal thoughts, illness, lose their homes, be without money for
long periods of time, due to their benefits being stopped or assessed.
People with LD need as much help as possible
when it comes to benefits. And as future LD nurses, we will be aware of their
plight and in a position to help with applications, as advocates, and with
calming their fears.
At this particular moment in time it is all
about awareness, understanding, and empathy. If a LD nurse is aware of
the issues then we will be in a better position to help people with LD who is
in this situation.
Awareness of
learning disabilities and Mental health Benefit cuts.
·
This is an update
of the Benefits cuts awareness presentation.
·
Lives
of vulnerable peoples' lives matters as much as yours.
·
As you know stress
is the biggest killer of all but if you are a vulnerable person, you can't cope
with it as much as other people.
·
What professions
need to be aware of is that 10’600 people with disabilities and
health problems died last year due to the benefit cuts.
I was only aware
the figures on Sunday 29th March 2015.
Waiting for the appeals.
How long?
• The wait can vary to a year or two.
·
•Most people might wait longer.
·
•Some appeals can take longer
than others.
The wait depending on.
·
•On peoples’ issues.
·
•On peoples’ disabilities and health
problems.
Money problems.
- At least 9 out 10 vulnerable people can’t affront to live
when they have lost their benefits for example paying bills, eating,
rent, they may end up homeless and or etc.
- Many people find themselves borrowing money off other people,
services, loans and etc.
- Just because they may win their appeal doesn't necessary
mean they will be given enough money to pay back to whoever and
whatever they owe?
- People who have their benefits stopped are in risk of going
hungry or and going into debt.
- People worry about owing people money.
· Risk
of people been forced into things they can’t manage.
·
Many people have been forced into
situations they cannot cope with without support due to the benefit cuts
such as DWP and Altos signing them off fit for work.
·
I’m not saying people with disabilities and
health problems can’t work but health, safety and support needs to be taken
into account.
·
With the cuts the government have been
making, a lot of people haven't been getting the support they
need.
·
The benefit cut are people risks of injury
and accidents at work if they are not supported.
·
Risks of as I said dying of hunger.
·
Risks of taking their own lives.
·
Risks of being in big debt.
·
Risks of people been more unwell.
STRESSES
OF THE BENEFIT CUTS.
- Due peoples’ health problems Stress push them into taking their own
lives if life gets too much for them.
·
Stress can
mostly affect those kinds of health problems
like Anxiety, Epilepsy and depression.
·
Many people
have taken overdoses.
·
Many
have taken and lost their own lives.
·
Time to say goodbye.
- Handouts are on my website sararevealed.blogspot.com/
- My email address sarajgorman@gmail.com
- Before the session ends, I would like to know what you have learned
today.
- Please have a chat in groups of say two to three then feedback to
me.
- Please enjoy every session you may have next today.
- Have a safe journey, bye see you again.
Stress of the benefit cuts on patients?
Patient going through
stress from the benefits cut could be the most common thing nurses could have
to cope with.
Many services started to cut back in 2009 but the cuts on the benefits started
about 2011. For many people who have gone through benefit cuts, if they didn't
suffer Epilepsy, Anxiety and depression beforehand they sure do during losing
times of losing money. There's nothing worse than worry about whether or not
you have enough money to pay the bills and eat. At least in the last five years
or if not more so many people have lost their homes and ended up on the street
or and dead but each person has had a very difference reason.
May I just guess sorry because I'm not completely sure,
Britain may have had at least thousands of suicides up to the last five years
or more over benefit cuts. Now it's getting more and more worrying to hear. It
mostly hits vulnerable person, such people who have disabilities and health
problems but other vulnerable people too.
It's not always possible for the Gps to keep a check on peoples'
health throughout the time people are waiting for their appeal. Most
people have health problems that make it hard for people to get out and
about, this can make it hard for them to get to Gps and hospital appointment.
Transport is far too costly and not everyone has friends and family get them
round. A lot of people can't affront to pay carers and support workers to help
them with everyday living skills.
Food is a worrying thing is when very few shops, supermarkets and etc sell
cheap healthy food. Most people have certain disabilities that affect them
cooking a fresh meal safely such as chopping vegetables, picking up heavy
saucepans and carrying a hot heavy roast out the oven. Even though there are
special cooking aids not everyone can affront them mainly those who have had
their benefits cut.
These microwave meals are not very healthy plus
many of those meals are not very big but in the terms of safety a lot of people
with disabilities and health problems tend to buy those because they are safe
and easy to cook. Now that very few people can affront support more of them are
living on microwave meals whether they have had their benefits cut or not.
A lot of people don't like putting on people and yes people
do have other lives, which is why a lot of people suffer in silents. This is
something the government needs to wake up to. People who need the support
mostly can't affront it. It's common sense people having their benefits cut is
the worst time of all because people worry so much about paying out plus most
people hate borrowing money off people because even if they win their appeal it
doesn't mean they will have enough to pay what they owe.
As brief as this may sound but it can be very serious to a point where a lot of
people feel as if life isn't worth living when they have got all these things
to worry about and it can be very hard for them to see an end to this stress.
Just to let you know guys that there's not a lot of difference
between Anxiety, Depression and Epilepsy. These health problems can
be caused by different things but its most common cause is from caused by
stress. people with disabilities and health problems due to our disabilities
and health problems handle the stresses and worries of life different and
more sensitive compared to a lot of people without disabilities and health
problems, mainly when it comes down to things like the benefit cuts.
http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice/specialisms/learning-disability
http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/our-work/health-well-being/easy-read-guides-health-conditions/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24833627
ttps://kittysjones.wordpress.com/2012/12/20/remembering-the-welfare-reform-deaths/
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/man-brain-damage-uncontrolled-epilepsy-4305508
ww.theguardian.com/society/2015/jan/11/publication-secret-review-benefits-cut-tim-salter
https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/21085-tell-the-dwp-to-listen
http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/local/emergency-measures-for-homeless-people-in-northampton-after-temperatures-forecast-to-drop-1-6527129
http://1voice.org.uk/tag/benefits/
http://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/article/3802/Food-banks-and-soup-kitchens
http://m.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/11739357.Man_turned_away_from_disability_benefit_interview_in_Bournemouth___because_he_was_in_a_wheelchair/
http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/explore-by-career/nursing/careers-in-nursing/learning-disabilities-nursing/
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/391572/dmgch35.pdf
I know this doesn't have anything to do
with disabilities and health problems folks but nevertheless this is
unforgivable. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/perverted-childrens-doctor-myles-bradbury-5060783?ICID=FB_mirror_main
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridge-boy-7-battling-cancer-mother-furious/story-25936183-detail/story.html?dwrMeth=addComment&afterReg=Y#7i4xU6zCWAd4f1XY.01#ixzz3QDsAzSvV
ww.itv.com/news/wales/2015-01-29/eight-year-old-boy-died-of-scurvy-coroner-rules/
http://www.itv.com/news/story/2015-01-29/schoolboy-who-killed-teacher-ann-maguire-loses-sentence-bid/
https://www.facebook.com/Heart1073/photos/a.209799015698426.55916.207933782551616/736809902997332/?type=1
http://www.itv.com/news/2015-01-28/asthma-more-than-a-million-in-uk-may-be-wrongly-diagnosed/
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/07/13/depression-benefits-torie_n_5581863.html
http://www.bild.org.uk/information/useful-resources/family-carers-to-human-rights/
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/man-killed-himself-after-benefit-changes-left-him-owing-800-inquest-told-10021877.html
http://www.nurses.co.uk/jobs/nursing/learning-disability-nurse/
http://www.nurses.co.uk/
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/learningdisabilitynurse.aspx
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-tragic-tale-of-the-pensioner-who-killed-himself-after-begging-for-help-over-benefit-cuts-10029754.html
http://www.itv.com/news/story/2015-02-07/patients-let-down-by-appalling-nhs-investigations/
http://www.welfareweekly.com/vulnerable-pensioner-set-fire-benefits-cut/
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/government-benefit-cuts-are-already-being--blamed-for-the-deaths-of-three-vulnerable-people-and-there-may-be-60-more-9942735.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26766345
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mGZZ4TmEGA&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3mGZZ4TmEGA
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/dentist-who-bullied-terrified-patient-5153973?ICID=FB_mirror_main
Ok this patient they don't say have a learning
disability but sorry to say Student Nurses, you may find yourself doing other
Health profession's job at this rate. It looks like there's too much neglect or
and damage in the world of health whether someone is a vulnerable person or
not.
ATOS KILLERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3mGZZ4TmEGA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mGZZ4TmEGA&feature=youtu.be
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/fears-disabled-brits-firm-takes-4611263
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2117718/British-people-committing-suicide-escape-poverty-Is-State-wants.html
How
do these things come into a nurse's job?
I understand that
nursing can be a very tricky of job but in all fairness, most things are
private these days.
·
If someone has
taken an overdose it doesn't mean they will tell you the reason
but then you’re not allow asking either.
·
All the same the
most common reasons for over doses are the benefit cuts.
·
All you can do is
try to save peoples' lives the best way you can.
·
Some
patients maybe having Suicide thoughts, it may well be a case that things are
getting bad to a point where they are waiting to do something about before they
get to the stage where they feel it's getting close to edge for them.
·
It might be that
they have been send different places from pillow to post not knowing which way
to turn
·
You could
well have patients coming to hospital after having took an overdose but it
may not be necessary it would be to do with benefit cuts.
·
Health problems
may get worse because they may not have been able to get to the doctors without
support they can't get.
·
Some Gps may not
have sent them to the hospital but whatever it is has got worse as time has
gone on.
·
They may be light
headed and feeling dizzy through not eating.
·
Lack of diet
because of lack of money.
·
A patient who has
lost a lot of weight because of lack of money, he/she either hasn't eat or
eaten very little.
·
Even there are a
few people who may lucky enough to eat a bit more than others; they could be
eating wrong kind of food because it's cheaper than the health food.
·
If they have
transport problems they may only be able to shop very close to them where the
healthy foods they may not be able to affront.
·
You may come
across patient’s lack of energy.
How do you cope if you come across
patients in those situations?
Waiting
for the appeals.
·
How long?
• The wait can vary to a
year or two.
•Most people might wait longer.
•Some appeals can take
longer than others.
The wait
depending on.
•On peoples’ issues.
•On peoples’ disabilities and
health problems.
STRESSES OF BENEFIT CUTS.
• Stress can
mostly affect those who suffer health problems
like Anxiety, Epilepsy and depression.
• People can't get cancelling
when they are not on any benefits so the stress can be very hard to cope with.
• People who have
their benefits stopped are in risk of going hungry or and going into debt.