How, in the name of everything or anything that is holy, has the human race made it this far? Without the phalanx of health and safety experts, would we ever have known that hot things can cause burns, that sharp things can inflict skin damage, that balancing precariously on top of unsecured ladders or furniture might be dangerous and allow you to fall down with painful results? Dear (insert the name of your chosen deity, icon or favourite fetish), how lucky was my dad to survive without them to help him? He even managed to survive a world war!! Did nobody even bother to warn him about the dangers before he went?
And today, the health and safety advice panel here tells me that I am not allowed to have control of my own medication! No, it must be issued to me by the designated carer in charge of medication! What's more, I'm only allowed things that have been specifically prescribed for me by the doctor. That ruling extends to a simple 75mg ('children's) aspirin and even to over-the-counter products like cough medicine! Apparently, I might overdose without realising it! On antibiotics! Aspirin! My very own Famel!
It seems that I'm not permitted to ask one of the carers "would you give me two of those ampicillin or one of those aspirin please?" This is, apparently, to protect both me and the carers: I can't be trusted to be sufficiently aware of what I'm doing to be control of that request and that they cannot be trusted to respond appropriately. Look, I'm thinking, if they can't be trusted to do that, why the hell are you employing them in the first place? And in any case, how dare you take away my control of me? In my book, I am in control of me, as far as my mental functioning goes, even though I may need physical assistance to give effect to my wishes. Even having fun, however you define it, you need assistance from carers etc.
Don't you believe everything the pro-lifers tell you -- quadriplegia isn't always fun.(and this is one of the better-renowned care home groups!)
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