Independent living?!

Gillybob, I think Age UK is a national organisation. As to 'How?', there's a facility at the top of each thread where anyone can email any thread content to anyone else. I know this cos I emailed the recent thread on what to do and see in Malta to DS2 who's going later in the year. So I imagine it would be a matter of obtaining the Age UK email address and doing it.

I did wonder if GNHQ might be able to use their contact with Age UK to ensure that the thread is brought to the attention of the right people. (Anyone listening at GNHQ? Grateful for your thoughts if so).

Oops sorry for not making myself clear Blinko I’m typing on my phone so making heaps of mistakes . I meant How can/did Age UK Newcastle go bust ? It’s only happened this week (yesterday even ). Can these organisations be trusted ?

Ah, I see, Gillybob. Apologies, I misunderstood. Maybe their rates went up and they found they couldn't meet their bills? Just a thought.

Gabriella you misunderstood my post.
The Carecall pendant I was talking about is for emergencies in the home.
It does cover falls , they bring equipment which inflates under the client and raises them up to be assisted to stand.
I am aware the carers do not do this but the carecall staff do.

If only some of our members of Parliament were left in this difficulty perhaps something might be done!

Talking of falls, when my next door neighbor of 92 falls it appears he's too helpless to even change his position in order to reach something near him on the floor or low table, or to lie comfortably (ie last time he had fallen with his face sideways against the wall) even though he's never actually been injured in the fall. I understand his legs are not strong enough to actually stand himself up but as he's actually been moving around the house and most days getting himself in and out of beds and chairs, how can it be that once he's on the floor he's only able to lie there passively until his fall alarm brings him help? Is this usual?

annsixty

Oops! Sorry.

It is the same with my H ready he is totally unable to move, it is strange but he lies like a log until lifted , the last time, the ambulance service arranged for a community lifting team to come out, my H was on the floor for 2 hours totally immobile.

"No worries" Gabriella

I never thought I would be fearful but because of changes in my family if I became ill I would be completely dependent on carers or placed in any care home who has room for me.

Annsixty how strange I wonder what causes this. I must do some googling...

Many or at least some old people would do unpaid work to help each other. I could. But there is no system in place that can fit my abilities to the recipient's needs. I am too old at 86 to drive people out for shopping as it's a struggle to do my own work. However I can offer some nursing care for someone near my home, or check they had their meds.Or read and so on to a blind person. Help with some old person's dog maybe.

I worked for a care agency on behalf of an old lady. This old lady was known to her GP and health visitor who apparently had not taken the initiative to orchestrate her care .Good neighbours, a younger woman and her husband, alerted the home helps department and kept a friendly eye on subsequent care. I was not paid to nurse or to control the lady's health concerns but do personal care only. She could not contact the GP herself. When I rang GP and health visitor about a specific health concern they only addressed the immediate issue but seemed to see no reason to take control of the lady's care. It was not the job of the care agency to intervene.

The services would be a great deal better if they were joined up and headed by someone such as the health visitor or GP. The social services especially need to work in concert with the NHS people both hospital and GP service.

Financing should be both adequate and ring fenced.

I agree Alexa. I can't drive or do heavy work, but I offered to do more for my next door neighbour than I was (which was shopping once a week and making sure his lights and curtains moved at least twice a day) However he and his family really insisted they didn't want to inconvenience me and his poor family have been driving for an hour each way several times a weeks to check on him. If there had been an actual scheme - whether paid or charitable - they'd probably have been happier to take the help on offer.

Further to my earlier post, just to report that Laura at GNHQ says they are 'exploring this issue' re working with Age UK. I've asked if we could be kept informed.

It would surely be a pity to waste this wealth of anecdotal information.

How cruel to say - if you bum around all your life and get free housing. I brought up our two children on my own then was carer for my parents for fifteen years, not exactly bumming around

Age UK is divided up into franchises. Each is independent I’m reliably informed. IMO they need investigating by the Charity Commission.

My thoughts exactly Anniebach

My thinking exactly OldMeg . I may be cynical / suspicious but I smell a rat !

As far as I understand they were still accepting charitable donations last week yet they are in administration this week .

It would be a shame to waste this very informative thread and a wealth of experience Blinko but I really want to find out more about what went wrong at Age U.K. Newcastle (now in administration).

Why is it "AgeUK" if it's not one organisation? Why AgeUK Newcastle and not AgeNewcastle for instance?

Good point ReadyMeals but they must be run/financed independently as it seem to be only the Newcastle branch that has gone bust.

We seem to hear so much about substandard care lately.
I spend a lot of my time in other European countries, where there is no such thing as a care package'.
In fact there is minimal nursing care in hospitals, family are expected to attend to the patients needs, ie toilets , washing, feeding etching.

Nurses attend to drips, injections and such.

Usually relatives stay the night with patients, and then patients are discharged in record , even if they live alone. No such thing as bed blocking in Spain and Italy.

What surprises me is that there is never any discussion on TV, questions don't get asked in parliament, and there seems to be no public outcry, or demands for more funding.
It is not a topic that seems to be talked about either.

I wonder why?

Morgi, I never thought of etching as a basic need of a hospital patient, but now you mention it, that could be good occupational therapy!

I'm not sure why a pp said that it all changed in the 60s - i.e. from families all living close by each other.

Both my parents' families were scattered from WW2 onwards, and I know many who were similar.

I do know families who all still live close to each other, but even if you want to - and it's worth remembering that not all families necessarily get on well! - the requirements of jobs do often mean a move away. My folks moved nearly 100 miles twice for my father's job - once when I was 9 and again when I was 18.

Readymeals,

I meant to say etc, but the predictive text put etching, these bloody new fangled inventions........although where would we be without them?