Lisa Crowley

My name is Lisa Crowley and I work full time as a personal assistant for a Director in BT. I am also a full time carer for my mum Jean.  Life for me as a carer is difficult to juggle with a full time career but my mum is very much worth it though.

BT are an understanding employer and I'm set up to work from home three days a week. What is also reassuring is that I don't feel I have to justify any absence. My manager and colleagues are aware of my situation, and they don't mind if I have to use the phone and office time for personal calls. This makes such a difference to me and my Mum.

My job is very demanding and my home life is too. It means that as an individual I sometimes get forgotten.  I have to make a real effort to find ‘me time’, otherwise you get engulfed in work and caring, and it means I have no time to regenerate and give 100%.  I make sure that I go to the gym and swim to keep myself fit and healthy and walk my dog Jay to clear my mind, if the normal stresses of the day get to me.

I have had only one dealing with the County Council in the three years I have lived in the area, and this is more than enough. I contacted the Social Services team regarding accessibility for my mum.  After I had been put on the waiting list for four months, an assessor was sent out to let us know what we qualified to get.  I believe to this day it was a waste of both of our times. 

I was told that I may qualify for a grant towards a walk in shower if I went on the waiting list for 18 months. I could also go on the same waiting list for removing my front door and having a ramp fitted outside. I asked if we could also have a metal bar placed against the back step to make it easier if mum was on foot to get in and out of the garden only to be told no. You can understand how infuriated I felt after waiting four months for nothing.

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