Listen.

My brother Eric has mental health and diabetes. Earlier this year in the independent care home that he lives in he wanted to join one of those companies that deliver frozen meals to your door, I didn’t want him to do it as I do his food shopping twice a week.

What usually happens is he phones me for what he wants from this company and I ring the company and give them his order, it has to be a small order as he has NO freezer! Just an ice box section, for his ice-cream. On average the order is £30, which is a lot considering he has no freezer.

My brother does not handle any money as I am in charge of all his finances, I make sure all his bills is paid and direct debits for the independent care home is set up.

Months ago, a Nurse who sees him twice a day to give him his insulin rang me and said, “His blood count is 19 it must come down, his diet needs to change,” I said, “It’s what he asks for,” She said, “It has to change, for his blood count, it is dangerously high.” I said, “OK, from today I will not get him what he asks for if it is fatty, I will get the low-fat option.” I was determined to do my part, I like a challenge, and I wasn’t spending my money. I was to find out just how expensive low-fat food is. They also have a very good selection at Boots the Chemist, I would occasionally go there for a change, for my brother.

The food delivery company rang my brother up about three months ago and asked him, “Would you like to make an order?” Now this company claim not to have a contract, so he is not bound to make an order every single week! It did annoy me, for Eric has no money, why ring him up and ask him if he wants to make an order? If he wanted to make an order, he would have rung them. I rang them and said, “My brother has mental health, he lives in a care home, please do not phone him and ask him if he wants to order anything, for it is I who phone you when I get his order from him, he has no money, for I am in charge of all his money.” The Assistant said, “OK.”

Yesterday when I dropped of Eric’s shopping, I was very annoyed and disappointed when he told me, “The Food Company rang me twice this week, can you leave me some money so I can give them my orders?” I said, “All you need to do is give me your orders and I will phone them and they can drop it off, I will as usual leave you the money for you to pay the driver.”

Eric is under no obligation, to order weekly, this company knows nothing of his life, struggles and difficulties. They are just adding to it!

They are not open the weekend, so first thing tomorrow I will ring them and give them a piece of my mind. I will ask to speak to the Manager, for the person I last spoke to, it made not a scrap of difference, as they still rang Eric, when I asked them not to. Some companies don’t like you asking for the Manager, they think 1, they can deal with the matter themselves, but in this case they can’t as they rang Eric, and 2, some Managers as just as bad as their Sales Assistant. I will be professional tomorrow, I will ask for a Named Person, and I will let them know I rang about this matter before, I will tell them, “If you ring my brother again, I will get one of the Diabetic Nurses to ring you, I will tell them again, ‘He does not have a freezer, he has a small table top fridge, so the food defrosts the same day, he is a vulnerable adult,” Then I will end the Service and let all on Social Media know.

When I order for Eric from this company, in their magazine, he has one and I have one too, sent to my home, I look at their symbols for low fat and low salt etc. but if Eric orders it, he would just pick fatty foods.

But I am confident, they won’t listen, they will ring Eric again.