Crazy Carer's Assessment rules

Join the Carers UK forum, lots of support from fellow carers. The Carers Assessment is for you, to help you (I have counselling and gym membership) but he should have a Needs Assessment. Was this mentioned?!?!

Katyj. Your mum is entitled to a Care Needs Assessment before discharge if she needs ongoing support after 6 weeks. If the home she is in do not arrange this then contact your Adult Social Work Team via your local Council, and request this.
Refuse for her to be discharged until this is done, and a Care Plan put in place if necessary. This won't necessarily be free, but she is entitled to be assessed. Insist! Good luck.

Katyj, I know it sounds drastic, but if you know 100% that she’s not ready to go home, and it’s very likely going to mean a fall or other disaster ending in another hospital admission quite soon, then make sure she has no house keys on her, don’t give them any, and make sure they know there will be nobody either to take her or receive her.

I know of people who’ve sadly had to resort to such measures because staff simply would not listen.

My hubby is my main carer, as well as 2 part time ones. He gets an annual sum of £200 ish. He has to send in receipts of what he has spent it on.

Yes, there should be social worker you can ask to see, and they can arrange 6 weeks of support, which they then review and decide if continuing care will be needed.

They once discharged my mum without making those arrangements, and after a whole night in A & E, (because she was in a worse state than when she went in) we were told that because she'd been discharged there was nothing they could do.

Do Not let them send her home without a care package , if she gets home you will not get help , but if you can't get her home they have to supply carers to come in and help her . but she has to be assessed , the medics physios social workers all have to see that she can't cope .
Sorry this is all abit confused , just trying to let you know

Oops posted in the wrong place

Hi, my mum broke her hip 6 weeks ago she has been in rehabilitation 4 weeks.She's 87, when I went to visit she told me she was coming home next week, I was shocked so went to ask, apparently she is going home to see how she can manage, it's a first floor flat with a stairlift. I don't think she's any way ready for home, in fact I don't think they'll manage to get her in a car, she's still in a lot of pain, taking 16 painkillers a day plus morphine, she's also confused and says she feels ill.The rehabilitation home says it only keeps patients for up to six weeks, so she is nearing the end of her stay.Has anybody else been through this.What do I do, can I insist she needs to stay longer.She can walk with a zimmer about 12 steps, but because her bp drops she feels wobbly and has to get back in bed. She also has a heart condition.

I don’t know how Council’s afford to give Carers days out etc. I go to a meeting once a month where solicitors, financial advisors and undertakers etc come and give talks, obviously touting for custom. We used to be invited to a Carers day at county hall once a year and given lunch. The last one was over 3 years ago and we were give chip butties for lunch!
I was never offered money.

I am my husband's carer and because I receive a state pension I do not get carer's allowance - end of. He receives an attendance allowance, that's how it is.

It's all so diabolical!

Gonegirl maybe they could get one of the leadership candidates to say what he/she would do. Whether we'd believe a word is a different matter!

When I was a Carer for a relative and I had to have surgery. No help available for my cared for relative. After 5 days alone, he had to be hospitalised because he was badly dehydrated. A hospital stay for him of 6 days.

He was ‘ assessed’ as being able to cope alone.

Gransnet needs to get someone from the government in to do a Q and A on the subject of caring.

Now that would be worthwhile. And interesting.

I did feel very stupid when we were suddenly in the world of care for my mother and MiL. We just hadn't thought about it. I suppose most people don't until they have to and then it's too late. ?

I have been perusing the Carer's Trust advert/article here on Gransnet with a wry smile. It is peppered with ' you MAY be able to get/access such and such wonderful service' My response being that, 'There again you MAY NOT'

The latter being, by far, the most likely.

I do agree about these carers' organisations who have all sorts of wonderful things on offer which carers cannot get to as they are.....well.....caring|!

Unfortunately options for respite care are now very limited as residential and nursing homes are private and need all beds filled all the time with permanent residents in order to balance their books.

When I worked for SSD our "in-house" homes had rooms specifically earmarked for respite.

Until it happens no-one knows and then ,oh my, one's eyes are opened to the reality.

and to keep my Hospital appointments , I had to find a driver and a carer as I don't drive , even shopping it took a sitter and a driver , no help in that

I kept getting emails from a carers group telling of days out , meetings lectures , spa! days , all free , except for the small matter of finding care for OH for me to avail of these delights .
Any time I had to go out of the house I paid for care , DD1 took leave when I had Doctor appointments , and DS1 took leave to do the carer bit when I had my hip op , then both helped when I had a short holiday , no offer of free sitters ever

That 6 weeks was in a year.
It is no longer available in the home my H went to.

I was lucky there.
I could access 6 weeks respite care in a home for £150 a week for long planned care and £250 a week for immediate care.
I did use that for 2 weeks when I was at breaking point and he went for 2 weeks.
That is less than a week for you Granny23

I have just received the Newsletter from our local Carer's Centre. Alongside details of the regular Carers' Support Groups, it lists a whole range of free treats for Carers in celebration of Carers' Week (10th to 16th June) ranging from Afternoon Tea in a posh local hotel, through a Circle Dancing Session to Full Health Checks for Carers.

All very nice, BUT - all of these events take place in the day time and not a single one offers built in care at home or the venue for the 'cannot be left home alone, needs 24/7 supervision and help' person who is cared for. Therefore, none of these is available/accessible for the 24/7 Carers.

I have raised this issue many times with the Carer's Centre and suggested that they occasionally have an event in the evening, when family members are not at work and could 'Granpa Sit' to enable the carer to attend. I was told that elderly people do not like to go out after dark? and that all of the paid workers, work 9 to 5.

Also featured in the Newsletter - Respitality - which offers free short breaks and day trips for carers donated by the hospitality and tourism sector - again for Carers only, no provision for the CFP. and - the Scottish Government's Short Breaks Fund - offering up to £300 to enable Carers to have a break from Caring to help them cope with their caring role - examples given are Gym Membership, cinema passes and short breaks away. All very nice BUT again no mention of extra caring support to enable the carer to partake in these things.

To put it into perspective - I had a long weekend away with my sister which cost me approximately £300 (I paid this myself). DH went into Respite Care from the Thursday until the Tuesday. Respite Care costs £600 per week (Actually £800 less 20% for Free Personal Care paid by the Scottish Government) so, £428.50ish for DH's stay.

I didn't even get that! When I was looking after MiL I was assessed as needing a support group or befriender. To add to this insult the SW apologised that neither of these was available. I already knew of several of such services but wasn't interested in or needing anything they offered.
Eventually SW offered a magic person to get MiL up dressed, fed and out to a SW bus to take her to a care centre and all in 15 minutes! Then, in the afternoon another 15 minutes 'care' to magically coincide with SW transport then give her a meal and get her into bed. Cloud cuckoo land! We were so profoundly unimpressed at our much vaunted 'free personal care' that we just bit the bullet and organised it ourselves. Difficult while both working full time, but we found a lady to go in at lunchtime. Life went on. For a while.

Yes kitty
I could have had more respite at a cost of about £20 an hour but there was no more out of the home available.