Evidence

Some evidence of the conditions at the shared residence can be viewed here.

Still trying.....................

Living conditions are still very bad for David. We sent this letter a few days ago.

We shall see………….

Dear Madam ,

we were pleased to receive a "Comment Card" from mcch. It arrives five months after our son first moved to 7 Thirlmere Close at a point when we are again frustrated in our efforts to improve the conditions there. At present (late October) most of the house is uninhabitable.

Following a meeting with Maria Oconnor, David, and the staff at Thirlmere on the 13th of June, one month after David moved in, Maria took matters seriously. She made her own investigations and took action which did lead to improvements and a letter to all resident’s outlining their responsibilities. We are grateful to her for her speedy response.

This is a copy of an email sent to Maria on 12/08/07

"Dear Maria

We are prompted by our recent visits to 7 Thirlmere to update you following your letter to the residents. On Friday afternoon on the 10th of August we noted that both toilets had faeces on the seats and inside the bowl. The one upstairs had diarrhoea splashed over the seat. They were both so filthy that David was unable to use them.

In the morning before we arrived David was due to clean the kitchen but another resident (as usual) had left so much mess including opened food containers, plates of half eaten food and clothing strewn everywhere that it was impossible to find a vacant surface. One of the care workers had arrived so we picked up David hoping that the resident responsible for the mess would be made to clear it. On our return there had been no improvement. The house was empty and, as usual the back door and side gate were left open with no sign of a back door key to secure the premises. Three bags of rubbish, which had appeared several days earlier, were still blocking the landing and there was no light here or in the top toilet. David has since told us that he managed to vacuum and mop some of the kitchen floor after we left.

We visited briefly on Saturday to find that more filth had been added to that of the previous day. I noted a full ashtray and two cigarette lighters in the kitchen. One of the other residents, the only one present over this period, set the fire alarm off twice while we were there. There was an unbearable stench of tobacco smoke everywhere. Both toilets were still too filthy to use and the lounge was in a similar state to the kitchen.

If you need them, I can send photographs. They are not too clear because the lights were not functioning upstairs.

The situation with the lavatories is an unacceptable health hazard. We urge you to give it a high priority. Might I suggest that, pending a permanent solution to this problem, you limit the occupant who is not toilet trained to using the downstairs lavatory only so that the one upstairs can be kept clean enough for the other residents.
David will be away for a week so we trust that this letter will help you to pursue matters to a satisfactory conclusion by the time he returns.

We appreciate the steps you have already taken but feel that further, more drastic measures are needed to deal with the person who is continually making this shared accommodation uninhabitable for anyone else. We reiterate that David is content with his own room and wishes to stay, even though at present the rest of the house is too dirty to use.

David

Here also is a copy of a letter sent to Terry White from David’s social worker.

..............................................

"Re: 7 Thirlmere Close
I am writing in my capacity of care co-ordinator of David who resides at the above supported housing scheme to express my concerns about the appalling conditions that he has to live in. When I visited today, David showed me the kitchen, which was filthy. The sink was piled high with dirty plates and the worktop was covered in food. The fridge, which was also dirty contained an empty egg box, two half empty food cans, some butter and a half eaten meal of beans on toast, which David had informed me, had been there for two weeks. The living room again, was filthy and smelt, as did the whole house. The downstairs toilet had excrement over the pan and David informed me that the upstairs bathroom was worse. (I didn’t view this as I was feeling a little delicate - but when I viewed it on a previous occasion there was excrement on the floor. This was reported to Dean, Support worker.) David informed me that he is using toilet seat liners, because he is concerned about the poor hygiene and how it will affect his health. Finally, the back door is being left open at all times, despite this issue being raised at a previous meeting. I was particularly concerned to hear that the pay phone in the hall had been stolen and that the residents are unable to contact support staff if an emergency arises.

As I informed you today, fortunately, David is self sufficient. He has a fridge and a microwave in his room and is preparing all his own meals there. He loves his room and is really happy residing in the area. In my opinion, David is a good tenant and it is unfair that he has to tolerate this.

Yours sincerely

Terry “

______________________________

To be fair there have been positive changes to the facilities provided.
The TV signal has improved and towel holders are fixed. The rubbish on the landing was removed but has since been replaced by another pile.
Earlier this week a new lock was put into the back door and a shower fitted in the upstairs bathroom.

We also need to note that the gas has been left burning on several occasions and that the fire alarm is set off regularly, at all hours and there has always been a huge pile of dirty clothes on the dining room table.

Recently the staff did spend time cleaning up the house. They made a very good start but on Sunday the 14th of October we found the kitchen and toilet in their usual appalling state with a breathtaking stench throughout.

David’s friends and relatives are still unable to contact him as the telephone is still missing. We have been informed that when one of the tenants’ moves in mid November the emergency telephone will be replaced immediately.

Despite us all being assured at the first interview that there will be no smoking in the downstairs cloakroom, kitchen, bathroom, hall and stairways, this is clearly not true. In fact, the conditions have become much worse since the smoking ban has prevented the other residents from smoking in the local pubs. David is now concerned about the effect this is having on his health. We hope that when one of the offending tenants moves out mcch will take the opportunity to eliminate this hazard and consider the legitimate rights of non-smokers.

We trust that this letter will be of assistance to you in improving the conditions at 7 Thirlmere Close.

More on the problems with David's residence......

We have reported that strangers often call to the house asking to see one of the other occupants. This same individual has since told me that he takes drugs. I do not know if the two are connected.
I have also seen tablets strewn about on the lounge table amongst all the other rubbish. I hope these are legitimate medications and not something more sinister.

It is worth noting that since moving in during May David has not once used the kitchen because of the filth and mess. The washing machine is not very clean and always full of someone else's dirty cloths so we have to do his washing.

Two days ago we noticed that the payphone in the hall had been stolen. The back door key is still missing so the door is permanently left unlocked. Despite attempts by David to lock the side gate it is repeatedly forced apart and left wide open. There is no security at all. We have started to remove some of Davids belongings from the house to prevent it from being stolen.

More on the disgusting state of David's house....

Following our first meeting and an inspection by the housing manager a letter was sent to all three residents outlining their responsibilities. Some rubbish was cleared and the weeds in the garden were cut down. However the general squalor has got worse despite verbal assurances that matters would be rectified. David has to regularly leave the house to find a toilet clean enough to use and visits his gym, local swimming pool or a friends house in order to take a shower. This is the email I sent on the 12th of August. Nothing has changed. In fact, it is worse. The house is almost uninhabitable and David has not stayed there for several days..........

(To the landlords)

We are prompted by our recent visits to (the house) to update you following your letter to the residents. On Friday afternoon on the 10nth of August we noted that both toilets had faeces on the seats and inside the bowl. The one upstairs had diarrhoea splashed over the seat. They were both so filthy that David was unable to use them.

In the morning before we arrived David was due to clean the kitchen but another resident (as usual) had left so much mess including opened food containers, plates of half eaten food and clothing strewn everywhere that it was impossible to find a vacant surface. One of the care workers had arrived so we picked up David hoping that the resident responsible for the mess would be made to clear it. On our return there had been no improvement. The house was empty and, as usual the back door and side gate were left open with no sign of a back door key to secure the premises. Three bags of rubbish, which had appeared several days earlier were still blocking the landing and there was no light here or in the top toilet. DEavid has since told us that he managed to vacuum and mop some of the kitchen floor after we left.

We visited briefly on Saturday to find that more filth had been added to that of the previous day. I noted a full ashtray and two cigarette lighters in the kitchen. One of the other residents, the only one present over this period, set the fire alarm off twice while we were there. There was an unbearable stench of tobacco smoke everywhere. Both toilets were still too filthy to use and the lounge was in a similar state to the kitchen.

If you need them, I can send photographs. They are not too clear because the lights were not functioning upstairs.

The situation with the lavatories is an unacceptable health hazard. We urge you to give it a high priority. Might I suggest that, pending a permanent solution to this problem, you limit the occupant who is not toilet trained to using the downstairs lavatory only so that the one upstairs can be kept clean enough for the other residents.
David will be away for a week so we trust that this letter will help you to pursue matters to a satisfactory conclusion by the time he returns.

We appreciate the steps you have already taken but feel that further, more drastic measures are needed to deal with the person who is continually making this shared accommodation uninhabitable for anyone else. We reiterate that David is content with his own room and wishes to stay, even though at present the rest of the house is too dirty to use.

David's new home!

This is some of the correspondence relating to David's new residence, which turned out to quickly deteriorate after he had moved in. This was due mostly to the unsavoury habits of one of the other tenants. I included photographs.

................................................

You spoke to my wife today and asked for the pictures from Tuesday the 19th of June and the notes used in our meeting a few days ago. It is worth noting that all of the pictures, apart from a few of the lounge, where taken when the house was unoccupied. That is, they do not represent a work in progress but the state the house is left in from day to day.

In addition the rubbish on the landing, outside and in the shed remains. The side gate was left open and the French window unlocked with the key still missing so that there is still no security.

Thank you for your time on this.

Notes for meeting on 13th June.

Persistent smoking in communal areas causing a constant obnoxious smell throughout house – I expect this to be rectified in accordance with the law by the 1st of July.

Still no shower

Excessive drinking often starting in the morning

Dirty dishes, clothes, dish cloths, food left out, dirty toilets etc. I was told that the source of this problem would no longer be at the house.

Pile of rubbish on landing and garden left for 8 weeks or more

Feeble TV signal in my room

Towel holders and rail still not fitted, no replacement carpet etc

Damage to car - no secure area for bicycle

No key for back door, side door left open – lack of security.

On the positive side……..
I appreciate the freedom to benefit from a healthy diet
I like my room
I like the area around Rochester and the esplanade
I am independent now, but know that that there are people around who can help if I ask.

However, apart from my own room, for much of the time the rest of the house is a no-go area. The fact that I have been ill should not mean I have to tolerate these conditions – it is not what I am used to.

Fighting the stigma...

Just found this from Australia................

What is the conscious mind?

“The conscious mind is a spin doctor, not the commander in chief. It is the great rationalizer, spouting off convincing (and false) reasons for why we do what we do."
(Pinker)

I write a blog on schizophrenia and one on religion. This quotation appears on both.

Tom

Dear Tom,

You might like to leave a comment occasionally to make it look like someone actually reads this rubbish.

J

The benefits of exercise

David went on a kiteboarding course on Thursday and Friday. He got himself up by 6:30 am and drove 30 miles to the venue. There was very little wind so little was accomplished and he missed his usual session at the pool and gym. Yesterday he told us that his voices were back and were causing him to worry. At our suggestion he did a two hour session at the gym until about 9pm. This morning he rung to tell us the voices had gone and that he felt a lot better. We have noticed before that he tends to regress slightly if he is prevented from following his exercise regime.

He has gone onto Denzapine. It is cheaper and the blood tests can be done locally. However, there is a marked increase in the frequency of his dyskenesia. His mouth is twitching more often and now his right eye is affected. I shall get a message to his consultant on Monday.

Are English Churches onto a nice little earner at the taxpayers expense?

I have just seen the breakdown of expenses paid by the taxpayer for David's room. The item for rent is £61 (sterling) per week. There is an extra for £30 service charges giving £91 per week altogether. There are three occupants giving £183 per week rent or £732 per month. As I peruse my local paper I see that this is very close to the commercial rate in this vicinity. David's property is owned by English Churches, listed as the landlord. Presumably as a religious charity this organisation benefits from generous tax concessions. House prices have risen sharply in this area so the house has been a very lucrative investment in other ways.

From these figures it seems that English Churches is onto a nice little earner at the taxpayers expense. I think its charitable status should be in question.

Schizophrenia is a job for life.

Recently I had conversation with the proud parent of a university graduate. It went something like this:-

"Oh, yes. Peter left Uni last year with a degree in history and now works at Clayson's. He got one of the best results in his year. How is David doing?"

"David? He went into schizophrenia. He's doing very well."

"What!"

"Yes. He's a schizophrenic. He passed all his tests. Did a brilliant practical. He completely smashed the opposition."

"Oh?" followed by a questioning look.

"He really enjoys it. The hours are a bit long but he gets to rest during the day and has a free medical every month. You wouldn't recognise him now. He has really filled out."

"Peter wants to go on to something else next year."

"Oh no. David is well into schizophrenia. He will be doing exactly what he does now in ten years time. Once a schizophrenic, always a schizophrenic. It's a job for life."

Exit stout party.

David is living with chain smoking alcoholics!

One of David's housemates, lets call him Teddy, was so drunk he was incoherent by four o'clock this afternoon. He was the same the last time we visited. I am sure this is the third time in a week he has been paralytic and he went home for two days over the weekend. That is at least three out of five days. The other resident smells of drink most of the time and they are both still chain-smoking with all the doors open. David telephoned at eight o'clock to say that he was trapped in his room because the rest of the house is so unpleasant. There are also some strange, hippy-looking characters who visit from time to time.

David is uncomplaining but we, as parents are very unhappy. Would you like any member of your family to live with two chain-smoking alcoholics?

Also, we discovered that David now weighs fifteen stone. He was less than twelve stone when he was first admitted to hospital. One reason we wanted him to leave the last place was to stop the staff pushing unsuitable food onto him. I am beginning to think we are heading toward a crisis brought about, not by Davids illness but by the so called care system.

Intrusve, impertinent carers.

Two days ago David phoned us in distress. One of the care staff had persisted in asking him what he had for breakfast. She is probably younger than David and I am sure, meant well. David saw the episode as a confrontation, refused to give any details about his eating habits and retreated to his room until she left. David is determined that people he does not know well or people he sees as authority figures know as little as possible about him. This includes information of where he goes and what he does during the day. The carer had no idea she had this effect on David. It is another instance of him not being able to judge body language, facial expressions or voice intonation. He was much happier after I had reassured him.

There is a basic staff training issue here.

On Monday Darren, another care worker - the bouncy, jolly one - took David to the benefits office with some personal documents. I anticipated a problem if David was expected to reveal these so he put them in an envelope marked "confidential". He phoned me later to say that it had all gone well and that he had not been asked to open the envelope until he was with the benefits officer and that he was much happier with Darren.

Day three in a new home

We took David to a meeting with his consultant today. They had the longest conversation so far. Dr S agreed to tactfully let David's key worker know that he should not be quite so noisy, talkative and hypo with schizophrenic clients. David was really wound up after a morning meeting because this staff member insisted on trying to engage him in working out etc with the other clients. I have already tried to explain that David will not let anyone know what he does or where he is going. It is part of his illness and his psychiatrists have agreed that we should not challenge David on this as he does tell us everything.

We also noticed that David does not get a TV signal to his room. He cannot use the lounge because the other two chain smoke in there. As they leave all the doors open most of the house is out of bounds to David when they are home so David will have no-one to talk to and nothing to do in the evenings. If this smoking does not stop David will be very lonely.

Much better today

When we visited David yesterday a care worker was busy cleaning up the kitchen. It seems that some frank comments from my wife the day before had hit home. The other two clients spent most of the afternoon and evening smoking in the lounge with all the doors open so that everywhere reeked. David found parts of the house uninhabitable. There is a clear problem in UK mental health facilities. The rights of non smoking clients are not being met.

However, David was robust and claimed he liked his room. He was also more cheerful when he found it took just fifteen minutes to get to his Gym.

David has moved

David moved today. It is now the evening and we have serious misgivings.
The kitchen and toilets were filthy, one of the other tenants is known to us as he was thrown out of the David's last residence for being very unpleasant to other residents and for his unhygienic habits. The other resident is an alcoholic who was drunk by early evening. We were told he begins drinking in the morning and is often very high by the afternoon. Perhaps we shall feel better about the place after a nights sleep.

David's new home

Today David is moving to a house that will give him more Independence. Three "clients" share a three bed roomed semi in a nice part of a neighbouring town. Staff presence will be in normal working hours only with a phone link for all other times. He will also do all his own catering. His mother and I will need to visit regularly at first to get him into a proper regime. David is very concerned about his weight and the diet at his present residence still serves up too many calories. There is a great need for staff training in this area.

The new house is only one hundred metres from the riverside where he can easily get to the countryside where he can jog. He can have his own fridge in his room so he will have more choice over his food. This can go two ways. If he has the will power and stocks only lean meat, vegetables and salad he should be able to change his lifestyle. If he can lose weight he will be a lot happier.

We have some concern over the cleanliness of one of the other clients - and the other two smoke everywhere. In due course we will have to rectify this.

Stealing back more life

My early pessimism with regard to David's illness is now tempered with more hope. There are numerous reports outlining new findings about the condition.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging now allows the study of live subjects and can provide more detailed images. It seems that large areas of the brain are effected, in particular the grey matter. This, and the evidence from gene research is indicating a link with the genes responsible for the production of myelin.

Several genes are now known to be implicated or altered in people with schizophrenia.

Components in nicotine and cannabis have been shown to improve cognitive impairment in animal models. Cognitive deficits are symptoms which continue even after the successful application of atypical anti psychotics.

Cognitive behavioural therapy is once more being tried with some success.

More details will be found through my link to "schizophrenia.com - news items".

A new home for David

As I had predicted the last new residence David visited was not accepted. I felt that it was a good sign that he was assertive enough to turn it down. The management at the house also thought that they were not right for David. In the interview he had been very picky about the cooking arrangements and the smoking.

He now has the offer of a new place and he has accepted. He moves in May. We are all looking forward to it. There is some staff cover for a few hours during weekdays and a telephone link for all other times. David will be responsible for all his own catering and medication. This is a big step.

Looking around town

The day before yesterday (Sunday) David and I went for a long walk in the area around his proposed new residence. As I have said, the house itself is very good but the surrounding area is vile.
David had made up his mind to move but was repulsd by what he saw on Sunday. There were very narrow streets, old, scruffy, terraces with no front gardens and cars parked all the way on both sides on the pavements. Groups of strange (should I say ethnic) people staring threateningly. Not a nice place. I think I would prefer to sleep on the street in a better part of town. I do not think David will be going.