Tag: friends

P.A. Benefits!!

I am in the process of getting a PA (Personal Assistant) via Direct Payments for the first time, and this means……

I should gain time, energy, and freedom. It will also enable me to have a more varied and flexible social life.

Quite a few of my friends and family don’t live locally, nor are their homes wheelchair accessible, so the logistics of seeing them, let alone staying overnight somewhere are pretty complicated – virtually impossible.

Having a P.A. will hopefully mean this is something that can be overcome as I’d be able to travel by car and not via public transport, immediately reducing travel times. This means for some the visit could be done in a day – a few hours travel each way would be well worth it.

I’ll be able to attend events that aren’t on public transport routes, or at school times where taxis are impossible to get.

Getting bits done indoors will be achieved much more quickly as I can ask for help straightaway, and not have lots of half finished tasks whilst waiting for help with a part of a task. Leading to less frustration.

Simple things like sweeping up the rubbish pile will no longer be a problem, or filling the printer, or putting on goodness knows how many layers of outdoor clothes to walk the dog. Grabbing stuff out of the top of the fridge will be easy, and not impossible.

When you’re a wheelchair user, you learn patience pretty quickly, as well as how to think outside of the box.

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Lottery winner.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

What I’d do would depend on how much I won, but here’s what I would do if I won big money.

Firstly I’d be looking on rightmove and booking some viewings for bungalows that caught my eye. Nothing ridiculously fancy or stupid expensive. Ideally a 3 bed so I could have friends to stay, and a good sized garden, and a craft room.

I’d share with family, and invest some money too, also I would give a decent donation to a few charities close to my heart.

Have full time P.A rota set up and be able to give them a good wage. Travel more (just around the UK), and be able to do so pretty much spontaneously.

I don’t desire an extravagant lifestyle, just a comfortable life being able to afford what I need without any money worries.

I would splash out on one thing I’d really love though, and that’s an all terrain powerchair. But the top of my list would be the bungalow.

Caring Jobs.

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Have you ever considered what it would be like to work as a Carer/PA? The truth is, everyone’s perception of this job is different. Some may assume that being a carer means doing everything for the client, but that’s not always the case. In reality, some clients only require a little extra help to complete tasks they can’t do alone.

Moreover, when you think of a client, do you automatically picture an elderly person? Think again. There are many people of working age and even children who require a PA to support them in living a fulfilling and independent life.

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

Imagine being 28 years old and unable to meet a friend for lunch at a local café because you lack the support to get ready and travel there. It’s a reality for many people who require a PA. Unfortunately, those who are lucky enough to find a PA have limited hours, which means prioritising basic needs over social time.

However, being a PA can be a fantastic experience if you work for someone you get along with. It can even provide you with opportunities you might not have had otherwise, such as paid travel, weekends away, and concerts you couldn’t have afforded.

If you come across a job opening for a Carer/PA, don’t dismiss it automatically. Instead, be curious and inquire more about what the job entails. Who knows, you might end up applying for the job and loving it.

Keeping in touch.

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In what ways do you communicate online?

I use the internet to communicate in so many varying ways, here are a few.

WhatsApp via my mobile phone to keep in contact with family, friends, colleagues, service providers, and more.

Emails to communicate with business, and do more official stuff that’s not really suitable to do in a casual way such as WhatsApp or Messenger. Things that I want to keep a written record of, I am deaf and don’t always find the phone easy as I can struggle to hear the other person, and follow a conversation.

Occasionally I’ll use video chat software on the laptop, mobile or other technology such as a Meta (Facebook) Portal. But I’m not a big user of video messaging.

Like most people I use social media to communicate with and keep in touch with people.

I also use some forums, and websites to exchange messages and information as well.

Mostly I’ll use my mobile phone, but for writing on here I vary between the phone and using the laptop.

What about you?

Am I the only one.

Am I the only one who’s not feeling at all Christmassy yet?

I’m not quite sure why. I love Christmas but that buzz just isn’t there this year. Maybe it is because the weather isn’t what we are used to at this time of year, there are still plenty of leaves on the trees, the wrong plants are still in flower or trying to be. Here’s one example of this – photo taken in the UK on the 2nd of December.

See what I mean, strawberries shouldn’t be attempting to grow at this time of year!

Another thing is, I find it difficult to feel all Christmas cheery when I am so aware there are families out there who are struggling to survive day to day, and are worried about that and on top of that, they worry about letting the children down this Christmas.

If you see someone who is struggling, please give them a little help. Remember, help can be given in many different ways, it doesn’t have to be financially. Maybe you have a few hours spare each week and could help with the children while they grab some overtime, or maybe you have spare eggs from your own chickens, but most importantly just sit down with them and listen. Then they’ll know you care!

Where would I live if I could live anywhere?

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Gosh, there’s loads of places I’d like to visit and stay for a while, but where would I like to live?

I know. I’d like to live about 10 miles from here, In a lovely area, just outside of the main town. It has a great transport network, with several regular bus routes which run well into the evenings, unlike where I live currently. This means you can get into the nearest city for evening events, giving a much wider choice of entertainment and educational (adult education classes) opportunities.

There’s an amazing community spirit, and the neighbours all seem to come together to help each other. I have family there, and I already volunteer in the area, so know quite a few people already, one way or another. Although the area is more built up than where I am now, it has far more in the way of open spaces and dog walking option

There is more to do their socially, there is a cinema, theatre, leisure centre, bowling alley, gyms, a wide selection of clubs for a variety of interests, a bigger choice of shops.
You don’t always need to move hundreds of miles to have a better lifestyle, it could just be the other side of your village even.

Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com