Simon: A life in care - Paperback

by Catherine Humphreys (Foreword by), Jae Cooper (Author)

Unable to tell anyone what he wanted
Simon Oooper lived in care homes for 36 years. He was profoundly mentally and physically disabled. For 20 years, Simon lived in a care home owned by a family. For the remainder of his life, he lived in a care home run by a company which owned and managed over 260 care homes.

His parents were his Court-Appointed deputies, legally responsible for his financial, welfare and health needs. Parents may not know they no longer have any legal role or responsibility for their children when they become adults. Social service departments have the legal authority to decide what should happen to adults who do not have the mental capacity to look after themselves.

This book is for parents concerned about what will happen to their disabled child when they become adults. They may be told that putting their child in a care home will ensure they will be better off than living at home with their parents. Simon's parents decided he should be placed in a care home because he was severely disabled and would have a better social life than at home. With hindsight, they are not sure they made the right decision. The care home company and the NHS failed to look after Simon as his parents wanted, leading to much pain for him and extreme mental anguish for his parents during the last ten years of his life.

The conclusion, by his mother, is that tthe care home and the NHS failed Simon. Care homes cannot provide the kind of care that parents can give.