Whilst we Are All Adjusting to Life in Lock-Down Britain we Still Have a Duty of Care to Those Who Are Unable to Help Themselves. Adam Humphreys writes.
Well while we are still in a nation-wide lockdown in the UK, and while a great many of us have been able to adjust to these huge changes there are still those who struggle. Now you may be sitting there thinking that I am referring to the elderly for which I can’t blame you I am in face referring to people with disabilities and life-limiting conditions.
I currently work in the Health and Care sector for over two years now and in my line of work, I help support vulnerable people with disabilities, some of whom have underlying health problems. Now whether you’re a nurse, doctor, support worker, carer or GP there are many vulnerable people who need help, and some more than others. Sadly, there are also people out there with specific needs who due to neurological problems have no understanding of what is happening in the world beyond their own home.
Another fact, and to those in the healthcare and care profession this is something they know all too well, there are a great number of people whose health is that poor that if they ever caught Covid 19 they’d never survive it. Horrible I know, but unfortunately, it’s also true.
As you will have no doubt learnt from watching and listening to frequent news bulletins there has been a large rise in the number of people who have died in a care home, across a large demographic. This is equally alarming as it is horrifying as it shows us the scale of vulnerable out there. In my work I help look after people who have underlying health problems and regularly need medication to help manage them. These problems can include heart problems, raspatory and diabetes and sadly, and I suppose this is one of the ways in which life goes, unfortunately, pre-existing underlying health problems like cancer, kidney failure or heart disease.
Sadly, these are also people who if they were to ever contract the COVID 19 virus it would be very serious for them, and when I say very serious make no mistake, I mean serious. So, this is why I say that when we need to help look after the vulnerable in these times it isn’t just the elderly it’s also the disabled that need help too, sometimes more than you would even care to think.
Now, this is true in many cases where some needs take greater priority than others and sadly people
with pre-existing problems have to take a backseat. Here’s an example; a woman with no pre-existing condition who’s suddenly fallen seriously ill or a woman with cerebral palsy who’s suffered a big fall, who’d take a higher priority? See what I mean.
