Independent Living
Door Saga - a new beginning
Monday-07-July-2008
Yahoo
This week marked a momentous occassions - the JLC parts for the automatic door were ripped out or modified by the new company.
What a difference. Polite and competent engineers, a door that works and several features my hubby is dancing around about in terms of functionality.
The end of an 18 part saga that started back in July 2006 we feel is finally over.
This week marked a momentous occassions - the JLC parts for the automatic door were ripped out or modified by the new company.
What a difference. Polite and competent engineers, a door that works and several features my hubby is dancing around about in terms of functionality.
The end of an 18 part saga that started back in July 2006 we feel is finally over.
Door Saga - Part 17
Monday-02-June-2008
Today
we told JLC that the door doesn’t reliably
close every time. When going out we still have to
wait until the door closes to be sure that our house
is secure. Kevin and I are very unhappy with the
level of service we have received from JLC Automation
Ltd.
We feel that we have given them every opportunity to rectify the problem. However, after eighteen visits from their engineers and nearly two years of worry and hassle we have decided that enough is enough. We feel that this shows their company is obviously incapable of providing us with a reliable door opening/closing system.
Because of this, we have been forced to look elsewhere for a system that will work reliably and close, and lock, the front door consistently and securely. We are shortly going to have their door opener and controls removed and replaced at considerable expense to ourselves.
Obviously we are very unhappy that we are being forced to do this, but we just want this saga of incompetence and poor workmanship to come to an end once and for all. We will certainly not be recommending this company to other customers looking for such a system and are saddened that other disabled people and their families will have no other option if reliant on NHS/Social Care provision that contract with JLC.
We feel that we have given them every opportunity to rectify the problem. However, after eighteen visits from their engineers and nearly two years of worry and hassle we have decided that enough is enough. We feel that this shows their company is obviously incapable of providing us with a reliable door opening/closing system.
Because of this, we have been forced to look elsewhere for a system that will work reliably and close, and lock, the front door consistently and securely. We are shortly going to have their door opener and controls removed and replaced at considerable expense to ourselves.
Obviously we are very unhappy that we are being forced to do this, but we just want this saga of incompetence and poor workmanship to come to an end once and for all. We will certainly not be recommending this company to other customers looking for such a system and are saddened that other disabled people and their families will have no other option if reliant on NHS/Social Care provision that contract with JLC.
Door Saga - part 16
Monday-03-March-2008
Turned up again today and fitted a second box next to
the first one. Why - to make up for what box one
should do if it functioned correctly.
They were also supposed to use a programmed to tell the door to close with the correct amount of force to actually shut - He brought the wrong connecter... I guess they will be back and we will be onto part 17...
They were also supposed to use a programmed to tell the door to close with the correct amount of force to actually shut - He brought the wrong connecter... I guess they will be back and we will be onto part 17...
Door Saga - part 15
Monday-25-February-2008
Today JLC turned up to fit in a new controlled - you
will remember this as the one from Spain due weeks
ago. Well the new one didn't work, the whole day was
a fiasco and at one point the door developed a
seizure and opened and closed in short stutters for
some time! Alarms were sounding and the locking
mechanism didn't work. Eventually he said he got it
going - tried it many times and it did lock - but he
said he knew it didn't always and there was nothing
he could due as it was due to 'the door seal' and
that it wasn't meant to work on a PVC door. Why is
it, I asked, that this door was part of a 'door and
opening system' which was put in together? Of course
he had no answer for that.
Anyway, by the time Kevin got home it didn't lock - so when the door closes someone has to push it the last inch so the automatic locks bolt in. Also, the door has lost the ability to stay open e.g. when bringing shopping in, which he said was working - yet it isn't a function of the new system!!!
So, Kevin has told them once again that this is just not good enough and we await for them to return with the purchase of a 'new programmer' to make the door push with a greater force and close on its own like it is supposed to. So.... that would be the programmer they brought with them on an earlier visit which they now say they have to order as they have never had one....
to be continued...
Anyway, by the time Kevin got home it didn't lock - so when the door closes someone has to push it the last inch so the automatic locks bolt in. Also, the door has lost the ability to stay open e.g. when bringing shopping in, which he said was working - yet it isn't a function of the new system!!!
So, Kevin has told them once again that this is just not good enough and we await for them to return with the purchase of a 'new programmer' to make the door push with a greater force and close on its own like it is supposed to. So.... that would be the programmer they brought with them on an earlier visit which they now say they have to order as they have never had one....
to be continued...
Door Saga - part 14
Sunday-10-February-2008
Well, the part that should have taken 3 weeks to come hasn't arrived - several weeks later - still no date as to when our wonky door will be fixed... hmmmmm.
Dwindling Christmas Spirit - thank goodness.
Friday-25-January-2008
T'was the night before Christmas... well not really,
it was the Thursday before actually and the venue
wasn't a cosy family scene around a log fire - it was
me and my PA in Tesco!
Christmas brings out the best in people. It is a time of good will to all men and of extra special good will to disabled people.
The charity boxes are filling up nicely giving people a warm and cosy feeling inside...
Note from Editor: Little do they know they may have inadvertently helped another person spend further years in an institution - but never mind.
and people are falling over themselves trying to help.
Ahhhh. How lovely. Actually not. Not lovely at all when you are the recipient of such goodwill. Now I know people are just being nice, and God Bless them for that because it's better than being left to struggle.
However, take this example from that dreaded day.
My PA was selecting vegetables and you would have thought I personally was adding to the variety of vege in that area (Ed. crip joke), when out of the blue an elderly gentlemen beamed at me and proceeded to squeeze my cheeks like you might do to a cute baby in a pram.
For goodness sake, I'm a thirty something woman not 3 months old. He told me how pretty I was followed by a comment that I wasn't to think of him as weird old man - he just thought I had a pretty face and felt I shold know that.
I smiled and wished him a Happy Christmas... but he lingered on. He carried on chatting whilst his wife did the shopping. I was turning a shade of red and struggling on how to politely get away.
"Some people wear a silly hat or have to shave to look beautiful - but you don't".
"I should hope not", I laughed. "If I have to shave my face then I'm in trouble".
He laughed and off he went.
But it wasn't over yet, do gooders were all over the place asking could I reach things and if there was anything I wanted. My Yoghurt Lady (a member of staff who works in that isle and is very helpful every week) spotted me in another end of the store and shouted 'I'll go and get the cherry yoghurts ready for you, how many do your want"? Back she came with my goods and popped them into my trolly.
As my PA was packing things into the car, the guy in the next car offered to help put them in.... there was no end to this jolyness!
If you are on you own then all this help is probably just that - helpful. When you have a PA around and you have to keep declining help and explaining you have your own assistant - it becomes tiresome.
Thankfully, now, people are going back to their every day lives and Christmas goodwill is a thing of the past. No one will offer me help, probably, until next December. And that's the real point of this entry.
We are disabled for life (well a lot of us) not just for Christmas - so spare a thought throughout the year rather use up the annual dose of goodwill all in one go - thanks.
Christmas brings out the best in people. It is a time of good will to all men and of extra special good will to disabled people.
The charity boxes are filling up nicely giving people a warm and cosy feeling inside...
Note from Editor: Little do they know they may have inadvertently helped another person spend further years in an institution - but never mind.
and people are falling over themselves trying to help.
Ahhhh. How lovely. Actually not. Not lovely at all when you are the recipient of such goodwill. Now I know people are just being nice, and God Bless them for that because it's better than being left to struggle.
However, take this example from that dreaded day.
My PA was selecting vegetables and you would have thought I personally was adding to the variety of vege in that area (Ed. crip joke), when out of the blue an elderly gentlemen beamed at me and proceeded to squeeze my cheeks like you might do to a cute baby in a pram.
For goodness sake, I'm a thirty something woman not 3 months old. He told me how pretty I was followed by a comment that I wasn't to think of him as weird old man - he just thought I had a pretty face and felt I shold know that.
I smiled and wished him a Happy Christmas... but he lingered on. He carried on chatting whilst his wife did the shopping. I was turning a shade of red and struggling on how to politely get away.
"Some people wear a silly hat or have to shave to look beautiful - but you don't".
"I should hope not", I laughed. "If I have to shave my face then I'm in trouble".
He laughed and off he went.
But it wasn't over yet, do gooders were all over the place asking could I reach things and if there was anything I wanted. My Yoghurt Lady (a member of staff who works in that isle and is very helpful every week) spotted me in another end of the store and shouted 'I'll go and get the cherry yoghurts ready for you, how many do your want"? Back she came with my goods and popped them into my trolly.
As my PA was packing things into the car, the guy in the next car offered to help put them in.... there was no end to this jolyness!
If you are on you own then all this help is probably just that - helpful. When you have a PA around and you have to keep declining help and explaining you have your own assistant - it becomes tiresome.
Thankfully, now, people are going back to their every day lives and Christmas goodwill is a thing of the past. No one will offer me help, probably, until next December. And that's the real point of this entry.
We are disabled for life (well a lot of us) not just for Christmas - so spare a thought throughout the year rather use up the annual dose of goodwill all in one go - thanks.
Door Saga - part 11, 12 and 13.
Monday-14-January-2008
Well, since my last post, I think they have been here
at least 4 times to try and fix the door which is as
wonky as ever. It is driving my husband mad. First of
all someone came, had a look and said he would order
a new part. Came again, part didn't work. Said they
would change the whole unit - returned some weeks
later with only a replacement logic board. The
problem was even worse now.
One day they said they said they would arrive at 8.30 but didn't turn up until 4!
He said 'Oh dear, I don't know what's wrong it it ' and again said they would replace the unit. That was a few weeks ago. Then an e-mail to say the part had to come from Spain and could take another 3 weeks..... and so it continues.
JLC are useless - never get a door from them.
One day they said they said they would arrive at 8.30 but didn't turn up until 4!
He said 'Oh dear, I don't know what's wrong it it ' and again said they would replace the unit. That was a few weeks ago. Then an e-mail to say the part had to come from Spain and could take another 3 weeks..... and so it continues.
JLC are useless - never get a door from them.
Crippled ancestors - equality 150 years ago.
Tuesday-01-May-2007
Last night I thought Aghhhh it's that disablism
blogging day thing tomorrow - what shall I ramble on
about.... so I thought I would combine my family tree
research with a thought for the day.
I've been searching for dead relatives (when they were hatched, matched and dispatched as the saying goes) for a year now and I have become completely addicted to all things ancestry. Not just names, dates of births etc - but finding out about how they lived, worked and spent their leisure time.
Now, I inherited something that makes me officially a 'special person' - yes hurrah I got an impairment! The fantastic genetic combination of my mum and dad brought to life - a true mutant in the family. Now, some may think I was doing this research to embark on some kind of genetic heritage trail and indeed DNA family trees are becoming increasingly popular to 'prove' or evidence a relation - but no. At first I found very few of my ancestors appeared to have any kind of deformity, were not idiots , imbeciles or deaf and dumb as defined in the census data. Surely some disabled people were around in those days - we aren't a modern day phenomena.
Then - at last I found 1 person who had a learning difficulty and a g.g (x several generations) grandfather who was "blind in one eye" .... waahey so disabled people did exist and we didn't all die at birth .... then I found a few more (and I suspect many who were maimed or injured along the way or had hidden impairments looking at the cause of death).
On a more serious note, what is enlightening is to study documents, census data and lifestyles to see how disabled people have faired over the years. If we look at census data we see:
1841 - not recorded
1851 and 1861 - Whether blind, deaf or idiot
We see disabled people being cared for by families, working along side others and generally included. Even those in workhouses later on (although some were very unpleasant when they were opened) actually offered employment and 'work for your keep' opportunities. Disabled people were pretty much valued in society and included in every day activities. We see poor people who travelled by horse and carriage for miles to 'hospitals' in the cities to get health care or the support of town dwelling relatives - or city dwellers travelling to rural areas for fresh air to 'cure' their loved ones's ills.
People still had mental health problems, older people still got dementia and arthritis type conditions - yet families helped each other out and kept going. Their wasn't the option of 'respite' or handing over their care to Social Services - you made do with what you had - patience, hard work, shared care between family members or neighbours and often a strong faith to see you through. You got no funding, charities hadn't been invented and you all pulled together to survive - and survive they did like the rest of the population. How often do you see that today?
By 1871 we see a huge change - the language now starts putting people in boxes (blind, deaf, dumb, imbecile, idiot, or lunatic). And so we have the same boxes in 'Social Care' where you have to have a sensory impairment, learning difficulty, physical impairment or mental ill health. Same boxes different language.
By 1891 imbecile and idiot had been dropped, disabled people were being bundled into institutions and asylums - hidden away from society and excluded. Good old Darwin and his cousin were telling people that disabled people must not be allowed to breed and so on. Deaf people were forbidden to sign and the Medical approach to disability was in full swing. It was to be another 90 years until the Social approach brought new definitions and ways of thinking with a more 'can do and can include' approach.
So I discovered that my ancestors with impairments, over 150 years ago, had equality of health care, equality of education, had massive family/social and community support, were included in all aspects of life, were able to work alongside their none disabled peers etc. I am not saying life was good or particularly long - but if you survived it was on a parr with non disabled people.
That is the big difference compared with today where, as a disabled person, inequality and discrimination is a daily occurrence. We might have the DDA, Equality Schemes, Employment Schemes and so on - but sometimes I think that they are not worth the paper they are written - or perhaps they are just that - pieces of paper that tick a box? Today in 2007 we make the 1840's look rosey.
I've been searching for dead relatives (when they were hatched, matched and dispatched as the saying goes) for a year now and I have become completely addicted to all things ancestry. Not just names, dates of births etc - but finding out about how they lived, worked and spent their leisure time.
Now, I inherited something that makes me officially a 'special person' - yes hurrah I got an impairment! The fantastic genetic combination of my mum and dad brought to life - a true mutant in the family. Now, some may think I was doing this research to embark on some kind of genetic heritage trail and indeed DNA family trees are becoming increasingly popular to 'prove' or evidence a relation - but no. At first I found very few of my ancestors appeared to have any kind of deformity, were not idiots , imbeciles or deaf and dumb as defined in the census data. Surely some disabled people were around in those days - we aren't a modern day phenomena.
Then - at last I found 1 person who had a learning difficulty and a g.g (x several generations) grandfather who was "blind in one eye" .... waahey so disabled people did exist and we didn't all die at birth .... then I found a few more (and I suspect many who were maimed or injured along the way or had hidden impairments looking at the cause of death).
On a more serious note, what is enlightening is to study documents, census data and lifestyles to see how disabled people have faired over the years. If we look at census data we see:
1841 - not recorded
1851 and 1861 - Whether blind, deaf or idiot
We see disabled people being cared for by families, working along side others and generally included. Even those in workhouses later on (although some were very unpleasant when they were opened) actually offered employment and 'work for your keep' opportunities. Disabled people were pretty much valued in society and included in every day activities. We see poor people who travelled by horse and carriage for miles to 'hospitals' in the cities to get health care or the support of town dwelling relatives - or city dwellers travelling to rural areas for fresh air to 'cure' their loved ones's ills.
People still had mental health problems, older people still got dementia and arthritis type conditions - yet families helped each other out and kept going. Their wasn't the option of 'respite' or handing over their care to Social Services - you made do with what you had - patience, hard work, shared care between family members or neighbours and often a strong faith to see you through. You got no funding, charities hadn't been invented and you all pulled together to survive - and survive they did like the rest of the population. How often do you see that today?
By 1871 we see a huge change - the language now starts putting people in boxes (blind, deaf, dumb, imbecile, idiot, or lunatic). And so we have the same boxes in 'Social Care' where you have to have a sensory impairment, learning difficulty, physical impairment or mental ill health. Same boxes different language.
By 1891 imbecile and idiot had been dropped, disabled people were being bundled into institutions and asylums - hidden away from society and excluded. Good old Darwin and his cousin were telling people that disabled people must not be allowed to breed and so on. Deaf people were forbidden to sign and the Medical approach to disability was in full swing. It was to be another 90 years until the Social approach brought new definitions and ways of thinking with a more 'can do and can include' approach.
So I discovered that my ancestors with impairments, over 150 years ago, had equality of health care, equality of education, had massive family/social and community support, were included in all aspects of life, were able to work alongside their none disabled peers etc. I am not saying life was good or particularly long - but if you survived it was on a parr with non disabled people.
That is the big difference compared with today where, as a disabled person, inequality and discrimination is a daily occurrence. We might have the DDA, Equality Schemes, Employment Schemes and so on - but sometimes I think that they are not worth the paper they are written - or perhaps they are just that - pieces of paper that tick a box? Today in 2007 we make the 1840's look rosey.
Door Saga - part 10
Tuesday-01-May-2007
Spoke to soon - the oil has not fixed the problem and
it's as cranky as ever.....
Door Saga - part 9
Thursday-26-April-2007
Well - we have fixed the 'kicking you out persona'
that the door took on. All it took was a bit of elbow
grease (well just the grease actually) along the
opener mechanism at the top... yeahhh.
One down.....
One down.....
Door Saga - Part 8
Saturday-14-April-2007
Well - they never turned up for their 6 months check
to see if the Door is working - and by hec it's got a
mind of it's own.
Sometimes it doesn't let you in, then it won't let you out, then it shuts quickly so you have to run out.... you name it - every day it throws up something wrong. The battery back up isn't working and .... well we will be writing to them soon....
Sometimes it doesn't let you in, then it won't let you out, then it shuts quickly so you have to run out.... you name it - every day it throws up something wrong. The battery back up isn't working and .... well we will be writing to them soon....
NHS sucks - the NHS cushion saga.
Tuesday-31-October-2006
Here we go again... this saga started on 10th October.
Mission - to obtain a new pressure cushion for my wheelchair. 16x 16 and 3 inches deep called a Trans Flow 600 or equivalent.
Can not find one on the internet to buy privately - they are over £100. I would buy one myself but can't be sure it is the right kind and the most suitable type.
Previously: HERTFORDSHIRE 1) Told OT from social services 2) Showed her the type and gave size 3) She agreed one of the same would do the job and within a few days got the cushion for me.
Compare this to KENT!
I asked my OT (you may remember him from the door saga).
1) He give me local number of NHS wheelchair service.
2) I try them and they only answer phones before midday... I try several times and over the next weeks eventually got through a few days ago.
3) They said that my GP has to fill in a form to send to them with details about my impairment, wheelchair etc (not they they know this).
4) Phone GP - on holiday so I wait to hear from them.
5) District nurse calls I explain the story so far - they tell me to call my OT.... (I think we have been here before). She offer to phone him for me.
Today
6) District nurse calls again - she has called the NHS wheelchair service who need some details.
7) I phone the wheelchair service back up again. They can not give a cushion until they have records from the place who gave me my NHS chair. They need to know model and size of seat....
I explain this was some 15 years ago in Wales - they can not give a cushion without paper work saying the model and the dimensions.
I tell them the model and size of seat.
They want the paper work from previous NHS Trust.
NHS consults with senior manager.
They now want to know where my last cushion came from - that was HERTS - oh.
8) They phone up Herts and they have not heard of me...
It turns out they didn't know I have been married and were asking under the wrong name.
NHS tell me they may have to call my chair and NHS chair in the absence of any paperwork.
I don't care what they call it.. I just want a [bleeeep] cushion. I tell them this politely.
9) District Nurse calls - she has to complete the referral from to the NHS clinic (remember this from step 3?)
Nurse does not know size of wheelchair or anything about me - I tell her on the phone. She is very nice and is trying to help. NHS staff sound patronising and un helpful.
10) She writes it on the form and sends it to the NHS staff who I have already told this to several times today.
Now I wait to hear from the NHS Wheelchair people again.....
In the meantime I get a numb bum, frustrated and sore... gee thanks NHS - great service.
Our New Front Door.... - part seven, 'The Fix'.
Tuesday-05-September-2006
JLC were back again this morning, replaced the unit
and I now have new remote switches which are my
equivalent of a door key I can keep on me. Nice chap
and door now works.
By 4.15 the beeping noise was back..... changing the unit hadn't worked so something else is the problem... JLC are apologising yet again.... is this going to be another bouquet of flowers.....
By 4.15 the beeping noise was back..... changing the unit hadn't worked so something else is the problem... JLC are apologising yet again.... is this going to be another bouquet of flowers.....
Our New Front Door.... - 'Fault finding'
Friday-01-September-2006
Their was an unknown error and 'Dan' the man got the
door locking and disarmed the beeping noise so that
next week a new unit could be fitted.....
Our New Front Door.... - part six, 'The Return'.
Monday-28-August-2006
Guess what... strange bleeping noises were heard
coming from the door... on investigation this was the
signal for a low battery and sure enough the back up
had failed and also the door would now not lock
without a manual key... JLC are coming again next
week to have a look.
Our New Front Door.... - part five.
Thursday-24-August-2006
On Monday JLC visited to look at the problem areas
and apologised profusely. Rest assured someone would
be back on Tuesday to fix all the problems. So
Tuesday came and yes most of it was done... until the
engineer saw that the wrong key pad had been fitted
to open the door from the outside... Finally on
Wednesday morning (causing me to be 30 minutes late
for work when the job was supposed to be done) the
engineer was back and fitted the key pad. Huraah...
it is now working.
JLC also sent a bouquet of flowers to say sorry!
JLC also sent a bouquet of flowers to say sorry!
Our new front door - complaint to JLC
Monday-07-August-2006
Today Kevin is calling them and they have received an e-mail about our complaint.... we shall see what happens
Our new front door... - part four - what a mess.
Friday-04-August-2006
Today the stronger arm was fitted by a second engineer. He showed me timing on the door like how long it could stay open etc for me to choose. At the end of the day he told me it was all fitted and working. Alas I believed him, signed his book and sent him on his merry way. Kevin later discovered:
- The unit is still plugged into an extension lead (trailing through the hall and acting as a trip hazard) even though the fused spur was fitted by the electrician on Thursday.
- The batteries inside the psu box are not connected hence we think we may not have emergency back up.
- There are two holes in our new door where the wrong opener was fitted.
- Part of the trim above the door
has been cracked and where it has been cut to fit
the second opener it has been
mutilated rather than being cut neatly as it was with the first opener. - The sealant around the door frame has been removed and not replaced.
- There are holes through the wall that have not been sealed.
- The switch to hold the door open
is on the wrong side of the opener so you can't
reach it when the door is open. It is also
a key switch rather that a 'normal' type (the engineer could not get the other switch to work). - We have been left a master remote for the locca unit but no instructions.
- The lid to the psu box is held closed with a wood screw rather than the proper one.
Our new front door... - part three b
Thursday-03-August-2006
The electrician contracted from KCC arrived at 5.30
for a 15 minutes job that took an hour. He has now
put in a spur (for connecting door to the mains). Up
until now we have had a mains extension leeds
trailing across the hall way into the porch.
Our new front door... - part three, the nightmare continues
Thursday-03-August-2006
The same guy came back today armed with the new
parts. He installed these but then the door was
opening and the lock was activating in the open
position... He said it basically is caused by the air
pressure - in laymans terms the arm mechanism that
opens the door is not strong enough. Someone else
will be in tomorrow to install the new arm mechanism
and finish the job. Aghhhh.
Our new front door... - part two what a nightmare
Tuesday-01-August-2006
Well, this guy arrives today and basically didn't
have a clue what he was doing. He spent from early
morning until the end of the working day trying to
make out all was well followed by running out to his
van and saying it was f**k*d up. He spent all day on
the phone and reading the instruction manual. We were
having a system with a pin code panel on the outside
so that my PAs can let themselves in, remote buttons
for me to press to open it, and the mechanism itself.
The door was pre installed with part of the
mechanisms - the wrong part so the door would not
lock. We had to revert to a key for the night and he
said a new one would have to be put in. The window
company JLC used, last night, parked a door (large
door and glass) in our hallway for the engineer to
pick up - only he knew nothing about it. He said he
doesn't normally fit the type I was having installed
and the whole thing is a mess. He is coming back on
Thursday to put in the new parts.
Our new front door...
Monday-31-July-2006
Today the door fitters installed our new front door
and side panel. It looks really nice and tomorrow
they will automate it. Kent contract with JLC to do
these so they are arriving tomorrow. Kevin had to
take the day of work because I had a meeting at work.
JLC only told us last Friday afternoon they were
coming so it was rather short notice.
