Family of Lawrence Ryan

STATEMENT OF FACT

DATED 22 FEBRUARY 2016

LAWRENCE RYAN

On behalf of Lawrence, we his family wish to make the following points regarding the welfare and future of Lawrence.

Lawrence moved into Briery Lodge on the 17th December after living and being taken care of by his parents.  Due to deterioration in Lawrence’s medical condition, we his family plus the medical team responsible for his welfare made the decision that Lawrence needed to be placed in an environment that suited and dealt with his ongoing medical condition.

After little or no help from our local authority (but now suddenly feel they know what is best), we as a family located a place at Briery Lodge that we all felt was the correct environment for Lawrence to be moved too.  After a battle of over three months we finally got our local authority to agree to the placement, during which time Lawrence’s medical condition was deteriorating and having to be controlled by medication which was having an impact on his quality of life.

Due to the severity of Lawrence’s autism and lack of social and welfare skills we felt it was very important that the right environment was found for Lawrence and after taking care of him for the last 50 years we feel we know what was going to be best to ensure his quality of life.

Briery Lodge has transformed his life, he now has a purpose and quality of life that has transformed his personality.  The environment they offer of 24 hour care and interaction enables Lawrence to be himself in an environment he is comfortable with.  He is confident with the support he is being offered and the people caring for him, which is a massive plus for Lawrence, as in the past he has always found it very hard to interact or accept other people.  Lawrence has minimal social skills at present, as he does not talk but the staff, residents and Lawrence himself have found a common ground which works and every day Lawrence’s confidence is growing.

Lawrence cannot take care of his own welfare, he will always needs guidance, he cannot take control of any of the following, money matters, knowing what clothing to buy, needs guidance on how to dress, needs assistance with toilet hygiene, personal hygiene, meals.

The facility that Briery Lodge offers covers all the areas that Lawrence requires to have any quality of life, the vast improvement over the past 10 weeks has been incredible and this is down to the facility and the staff, any movement now would have a detrimental impact on Lawrence both mentally and physically.

As his family, and also his medical team are in full agreement we feel that we are the people who know what Lawrence requires and if he was to be moved now then the responsibility and deterioration of Lawrence’s well-being would be down to a committee of strangers who have never meet Lawrence or spoken to any of his medical team.

Signed:  Barry Thomas Ryan (Father)

For and on behalf of Lawrence’s family

Dated 22 February 2016