Good Morning Margaret

Thank you very much Margaret for your nice card, and for making contact with us here.

I had a brief discussion with Robert a while back regarding George’s finances; here are copies of my text messages;

[26/05/2015 10:28:10 AM] Thanks for your time Rob, unfortunately it cut out. So just to clarify; I will not ask George family for help, nor will I ask for any money. I do agree however that it's very bad to harass your 85 year old father about money.
[26/05/2015 10:28:10 AM] Unfortunately Robert, it’s very limited space in SMS. You are welcome to send me a mail to olle@ollepersson.com – it would be appreciated. I can then report about George’s situation, information that might help you ease the stress for your father.
[27/05/2015 8:56:48 AM] Good Morning Rob, Thanks for calling back yesterday, here’s one more comment from me – then I shut up for a while. George received $515.00 today, he pays $ 205.00 for rent, cleaning, food, some tobacco – and more. This leaves him with over $300.00 in spending money.
Come Sunday at the latest, he will be out of money and out of tobacco – and start harassing people for more cash. In my opinion, providing more money for George do more harm than good, it goes straight to excess tobacco and junk food. Thanks for your time Rob.

Georges financial situation and his financial management.
There is one area where George hasn’t improved, it’s the ability to manage what he have available. If it is food he just keep eating for as long as the food available, if it’s money he managed to spend them somewhere and somehow - and then be without in a couple of days. As you are aware, the smoking and tobacco is the same pattern - George can smoke 24 hours, seven days a week, provided tobacco is available.

Maybe I should also say that we got used to this, and actually love having George here. Partly because of the great opportunity to help someone, but to be honest, I do like the challenge is well. Seeing the results of our efforts, seen George improving and becoming a happier individual - and also, challenging the doctors changing and improving on their very rigid “put everyone on drugs philosophy”.



Back to George finances;
George is paid $400 to $500 per week, often just over $500 actually.

Out of the $500 he pays me $150 for accommodation, electricity, water, kitchen facilities and for having his clothes washed every week.
George pays another $45 covering extra cleaning, (George can still make the bathroom very messy, requiring inspection every time he been in there, and cleaning on a daily basis sometimes three times in a day.) daily bathroom cleanings, regular cleaning of his room and outdoor dining / smoking area. These $45.00 also covers his breakfasts and daily prepare lunches seven days a week, with some exceptions when George want to go out to eat.

      
      
George’s Lunch Samples

“But wait there’s more.”  George is getting an evening meal as well seven days a week, my partner Connie cook delicious meals in bulk and dish them up in food containers. We provide him with one of these food containers every evening at about 6 o’clock.

Finally we have started a small supplementation regime as well, omega 3 fats as flaxseed oil, extra virgin olive oil or hemp oil - this is topped up with some coconut oil to about 20 to 30 ml every morning. We supplements with freshly squeezed lemon juice or other acetic drinks to support the digestive system, and we make our own probiotic cabbage also for greater digestion and “gut-flora”. Finally we do provide almonds, apricot kernels and other nuts (soaked in water) - this too for the body’s need of essential good fats.




We would like to increase supplementation with some commercial vitamins, but that is a bit of a costly exercise.

      
Connie preparing evening meals.


George payday is Wednesday, and he is rushing down to the local petrol station at midnight, (taxi service both ways, and having the cab waiting for him at the petrol station.)  to get a 40 pack of cigarettes. Come Saturday, he has spent his money as well as the cigarettes and a couple of packages of cigarette rolling tobacco.

Normally through Saturday to Tuesday I will provide him half a package of tobacco per day, and are charging $10.00 for each day I have to provide tobacco. These half packages only last George through into the afternoon, late afternoon at best, thus I can keep him smoke-free overnight - maybe keep him sleeping and being less of a disturbance for other guests and neighbors.

George emphysema is still severe, and everybody in the house is woken up regularly from his coughing attacks, and we are getting regular complaints from neighbors about the noise.

To summaries his finances in numbers;
George is getting about $500 per week, and he pays me just over $200 of those money - in very rare occasions additional spending have put his bill towards $250 for week.

This means that George has over $250.00 for his own personal spending, and I have still no idea what those money is spent on. What I do know is covering all his food needs, but also tobacco in limited quantities, and GEORGE DO NOT NEED ANY EXTRA FUNDING OR SUPPORT.

Any extra money he is getting, normally from his dad, goes straight to tobacco and thus excess unnecessary, smoking. Worsening the emphysema, worsening his over all health - and causing problem for our long term management.



Again, as I said to Robert;
Any extra money in George pockets, do a lot more harm than they do good.





To be honest I would prefer to have John's entire payment under my management, thus being able to manage both food and smoking in a better way. These however, I wouldn’t think, being beyond my authorisations as a carer, and I believe it’s George freedom and a bit of dignity to still have some self management.

I’m sure it’s part of the financial freedom, as well as freedom to come and go here, that keeps John happy and satisfied - and having stayed at one place now for about 14 months.




A little request for assistance please;

Could someone please give a list of events leading up to John being in the situation he is;
With dates as close as possible;

•    When did John have his accident? (Falling down a scaffolding)
•    When did the painting company stop operating – and did it end as a bankruptcy?
•    When did John spend time in hospital for psychiatric treatment?
•    When did John 's married break up?
•    And the sales / foreclosure on the Nerang property?
•    And the last loss for John; he apparently had his car stolen?
(If all these events happened, we do know that John 's imagination runs away a bit at times.)


But I better stop here – will discuss the individual health issues in later letters.