Yonnie

Nearly three months ago eccentricity darkened into dememtia and it became clear that my next door neighbour,John, had a major problem. I had only lived in my house for 18 months so, really, I didn't know him terribly well, but I had always found him amiable, although a little 'off beam'. It was a surprise to me to discover that he had formerly been a very senior teacher who was extremely well known locally because of his fund raising activities for charity.

At the end of February his other next door neighbours, Kate and Sam, dicovered that he been without electricity for three days. They managed to boot the system back on but were so appalled at conditions within the house and John's general bewilderment that they contacted his GP and arranged for him to be called for a 'check up'

Events overtook us. The following day I found him wandering in the High St. He was confused and distressed. His electricity supply had gone off again the previous evening; he had had
nothing to eat and could only say "I don't know what's happening!"

Kate and I abandoned our plans for the day and managed to get him an emergency appointment with his GP. To our astonishment a psychiatric assessment was arranged for two days later and it was confirmed that he had dementia.

We were hopeful that this meant that a care package would be put in place swiftly: how wrong we were!

Three months later he has not received one scrap of practical support from the state.

So, I am intending to use this blog to document how long it takes to provide support to a vulnerable adult who does not have any family, nor any close friends.

He is expecting a visit next week from a nurse and a social worker - watch this space to see what happens.