From Mrs S. Griffiths, Sandown:

I am so enraged and saddened at the plight of Dean French (CP, 13-07-18) I felt impelled to write.

A lot of Islanders will know Dean from his many years on the reception desk at the Riverside Centre.

As Dean points out, his condition has not changed, nor will, so why has his care package?

Who deems his time at the Riverside Centre is counted as social activities? Heaven forbid he should want a social life. But social or work, it doesn’t alter the fact, he still needs helping.

I challenge anyone on the panel to put themselves in Dean’s shoes and sit in a wheelchair, not being able to put a foot to the ground, for a week.

I doubt they would last 24 hours.

I write with some knowledge being a mother of a severely disabled daughter and know how hard it is for them.

Although in my seventies, luckily I am fit and able to take her to the cinema or some social event, making sure she is safely home at the end of the evening. But I fear for the future as I get older.

The costing she now has to contribute to her care package has risen this year alone four fold, but her hours have not.

I have no doubt the social workers work hard, but it’s a disgrace that a severely disabled person has to lose their freedom and choices to socialise that we take for granted.