Storm ophelia Home Helps and personal assistants (PAs)

I bunkered down yesterday. The news was dire - threatening a virtual apocalypse!  We were all doomed. The news had a full team of emergency crews briefing the day before, including a bloke in Army uniform looking terribly serious. Enough to make you very, very nervous indeed. Yes, Ireland was about to implode.

The biggest storm Ireland has ever experienced

They even rolled in a Sign Language interpreter - something they don't normally do for the 'hearing people's news'. Och, the 'Deaf' news is separate altogether. Unity/equality through Ophelia?

So we sick, disabled older person were left knowing catastrophe was a matter of hours away.

Did anyone contact us - the day before. The evening before?  I mean by 'anyone' the services who are entrusted with supporting us live safely, fully and many of us independently - with help. NO. Not a singe word.

I got no text or phone call from Home Help services at all, either over weekend or morning of the storm. Nothing at all.

I got a text at 9.53am on day of storm Ophelia from the PA services co-ordinator which went:

Hi All, as you are aware severe weather is reported for today. there is a possibility that your PA may not be able to travel . can I ask you consider alternative support via family and neighbours so that you are prepared. fingers crossed it won't hit as bad as predicted but just in case.

(no name - no emergency number - nada)

This was meant to reassure, cover the service, make sure we were ok?

It was sent to disabled people, some who might neither have family or neighbours to help. I mean what if I need getting out of bed, cooking breakfast, being dressed, wiping my bottom, getting into wheelchair etc. Is this message not rather simplistic?

I mean was this sent to EVERYONE? or did the co-ordinator KNOW it couldn't possibly be 'enough' for some?



storm co-ordination, but NO co-ordination for sick, elderly or disabled people?

Let me analyse that message.

• there is a possibility your PA may not be able to travel

'possibility' - well can she or can't ? I actually need to know. I mean will someone get me out of bed. This is rather flimsy as a 'preparation' text. Bit late too on the day of storm. if the emergency services worked all weekend to prepare the population, to organise...where were YOU. did we not count? was it ok just to send a text message at 9.53 on the morning of the storm. 

In fact where was the HSE?  How did YOU safeguard older, sick, disabled persons living alone or needing services.

• 'consider' support from family and neighbour' .

well I will certainly 'consider it' , but how will you know its sorted? I mean my neighbour might be a raving alcoholic, an old person of 90, or the house next door is empty.

My family may not 'give a shit' whether I'm alive or dead, as it turned out only one sister, my older sister age 78 who lives miles away, did ring the night before to offer 'advice'. but no-one came over. no-one helped me do a big shop for the 'bunkering in' - they never do. So what PA service co-ordinator, do I do when family and neighbours don't help, won't help, can't help?

was your text message enough to 'sort' out the storm cover I might have needed? was it enough help?

• fingers crossed it won't be as bad as predicted

Actually, PA co-ordinator what was predicted, by top professional meteorologists, was utter mayhem, virtual Armageddon, and you rely on 'fingers crossed'.

I was watching the TV predictions and I was very worried indeed. No text such as yours covers my fear and anxiety one jot. I suspect many were quite terrified. and left quite terrified. They might have NEEDED you. not just 'fingers crossed'

So what actually happened for me (I wonder how others fared)?

luckily I had my PA and home helps phone number. I had texted both the night before the storm broke, and told them "do not come out - I'm fine"! well in fact I wanted THEM safe - I didn't want their lives endangered. I wasn't 'fine', I needed help, but their lives mattered. (Sunday evening- I was 'working', preparing, whilst the service providers took their weekend off)

I then dragged my twin, in her p-j's to shop a late, Armageddon shop. No weekend Home help or PA (though my nurse has asked for that for nearly 2 years now). I had to walk around Lidl as my wheelchair was in my twins house. It was very difficult indeed. I had no neighbour or family to get supplies in. I never do.

So I was mightily cross to receive the rather 'light-weight' text from the PA services co-ordinator.

I don't think the Home help service (no messages at all), the PA services co-ordinators 'fingers crossed' or the HSE - nothing at all,  were really 'safeguarding me' in storm Ophelia's destruction.

I felt entirely unsupported.

I relied on my equally sick, disabled , old twin (yes we are old) to help me.

And no services...did their job properly. it was a shambles!

Call this disaster management? I call it shoddy, unprofessional, unprepared and dangerous. It did not cover 'care, support' and it was irresponsible of the service providers. (at least in my area - co Wicklow)

I'm hoping others were better supported.