Case Study 1 This 84 year old lady
holds a British passport as a result of both her father and grandfather being
British. She has lived all her life in Turkey, but considers herself to be
wholly British, and is proud to be so.
Sadly, both her husband and daughter died of cancer one year apart some ten
years ago, and whatever resources the family had were all spent on their medical
expenses. Her father spent his whole working life in British Government service,
for the Consulate and Embassy. For the last three years she has lived in a room
in a facility run by the Catholic Church which costs 800 lira a month, soon to
be increased to 900. Her late husband’s pension provides 300 liras a month, and
the BCC has recently increased the monthly amount it gives her to 400 liras. The
difference is made up through the generosity of friends.
Although her health is basically good she has rheumatism, arthritis, high
blood pressure and a high cholesterol count. The BCC pays half the cost of any
vital medicines, which must be the cheapest available on the market. The BCC
also pays for her residence permit, which after recent rises is now some £200
p.a. Without this she would find herself in the intolerable position of being an
illegal immigrant Meals are provided in the home but the portions are not large.
Breakfast items are distributed every month but quantities are limited.
This lady now needs extra money so that she can supplement her diet. As in
many of the cases, without the help of the BCC, this old lady would be virtually
destitute. In the final analysis she would probably be put on a plane to
Heathrow, and handed over to Hillingdon Council Social Services.
Case Study 2 A lady who obtained a
post as Governess in a Turkish family some sixty years ago, she moved here from
Middlesbrough as a young woman. She eventually retired after marrying and
divorcing a Turkish man and subsequently getting back together with him, and
moved to a small rented flat, living on her savings and a sometime allowance
provided by the family.
When, aged 81, she fell breaking her shoulder and hip, the ex husband
arranged for her to be treated in a private hospital and shortly afterwards, he
passed away. At the same time she became senile and became too nervous to walk
again. The son, to whom she had been governess, meanwhile moved to America, and
family support ceased. This lady appealed for help to the Consulate and was
passed over to the BCC. She was moved a cheaper medical facility, a wing in an
Armenian run mental hospital This was paid for jointly by the BCC and the
British Memorial Trust, an old charity with limited resources to help British
citizens. The cleanliness, medical and social care were faultless but she was
surrounded by people more senile than herself and by no-one who spoke English.
Eventually she became totally institutionalised.
The BCC arranged a visitors programme and made her final years as comfortable
as possible in the circumstances. She was also usually visited monthly by
consular officers. The BCC arranged her funeral in September 2006. Had they not
done so she would have been buried by the municipal authorities in a common
paupers grave.
