Thursday 10 September 2009

He got there ...

... this week - to the Day Centre. They remembered to pick him up but I think he was more disappointed than I realised about missing the 'pub crawl' last week. He says that this week wasn't as good, although he did nothing different from his taster week and he still had plenty to tell me. Main problem seemed to be that everybody chatted together and I think he felt a little left out of that. Told him that once he's been a few times he will start to get to know people and he'll be joining in. We've got to get him going a good few times I think and then he'll be OK.

Carers are noting that he seems really happy now. They haven't noted that in his care records before and Dad tells me that it's feeling more like home so it looks as though the corner's been turned and he is, finally, really settling in. I'm taking him out on a little trip tomorrow ... to the chiropodist! It will be a little trip for him as it's a longer journey from where he is now and it's all along the coast road so he'll have plenty to look at on the way there and back. He hasn't been since he moved for one reason or another and he needs to get back on track with that treatment.

Oh yes ... to any TV Licensing people out there! A month before Dad moved I went round the Utilities notifying the up and coming change of address, including changing address on his TV License - or so I thought, until today. I'd had to ring them 3 times back in April because we were given one postcode by the flat's Estate Manager, then another, then back to the original and I had to keep changing it with them. Every time the woman I spoke to repeated the full address back to me and, if not repeated correctly I gave it again until it was. I had verbal confirmation that the address had been changed and everything was fine. Today Dad had a letter from them - or technically 'The current occupier' - advising that the address was showing as unlicensed. Hmmmm, not according to my records it wasn't!

Rang them when I got home and it was confirmed that there was no license registered to his address and they wouldn't take another change of address from me without his authority. Their mistake but they weren't prepared to correct it! Decided, because I couldn't get any sense out of them that I'd go online to change the address except - I couldn't! It didn't recognise the info on his license. Alarm bells ... had they cancelled his license when the new occupants of his old address had their license changed? Rang them back. This time the young lady I spoke to confirmed his address had been changed but the flat number wasn't his. She still wouldn't do anything about correcting their mistake saying that I'd need to write with his authority and the old postcode. Ummm, I'd no idea what address the license was registered to now as it wasn't his new one and it wasn't his old one!

Then a light went on! Young lady just given a clue - address changed but not correct flat number. Back online to change of address page and try new postcode and every blooming flat number (all 75 of 'em except Dad's) if need be. Had License number, name and postcode and Bingo - found it ... registered to Flat 60 but now changed to right flat! Couldn't get 'em to do the change 'face to face' because of Data Protection but I could do it totally anonymously online! Makes great sense, don't yer think?????

Thanks for dropping by .....

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pam I am so glad your Dad went out today, hopefully he will go every week and get to know people.
It certainly sounds like he is settled now, this must make you feel more at ease too.
As for TV Licensing........Well nothing surprises me, they usually put these things down to computer error........I think they forget it is a human feeding the computer!!

Jackie p xx

Greta said...

Why can't people just do their jobs properly in the first place? Still at least it's sorted now.
Glad Dad had a day out & there will be another pub crawl lol. He certainly sounds as if he's settling at long last. I do hope so. x