Kate Garroway-Care at home costs

It's not really necessary to have full capacity to express the wish to be in your own home.

Quite a lot of people are not at 100 percent capacity level in all areas of their lives.

Fluctuating capacity should be taken into account, too, and made allowances for.

Assuming Derek had mental capacity to make the decision, I suspect he desperately wanted to be at home with his family. Most people don't opt for a care home in these circumstances especially if they were young enough to feel that they had time to recover more.

I so agree Jane , seems some here know Derek’s needs and wishes more than his wife did

Anniebach

Why is it assumed all decisions were taken by Derek’s wife, and
I didn’t find the documentary intrusive

We are on the same page Annie. I'm quite saddened by a lot of these comments. I don't think anything suggested he hadn't got mental capacity and even if he hadn't, he should still be supported to make choices around his care, it's how it ethically works

Fancythat I can fully understand uour comments. Where I live the same happened last year. My DH was nearing end of life, I was caring for him at home on my own. Visit from OT with regards equipment to help. Shiwer seat too big for shower, table for bed couldn't fit underneath, bed raiser could only be fitted at 8 am as 2 man job and drivers left depot at 7.30 am (when DH was in middle of pain control meds) couldn't move, never mind get out of bed, so never fitted. Wheelchair, after I had pursued how to get one had to be measured by district nurse. Who? Where do I contact? Never seen one! Eventually found located at GP practice. When booking appointment was asked if I had a measuring tape as this was needed and she didn't have one to bring with her. When wheelchair eventually arrived, far too heavy, I couldn't lift it. Contacted service who advised they could provide lightweight one. Marvellous, no. Replacement arrived, exactly the same as other one. I had to search to find one I could hire and lift. Palliative care medic visited, she asked how things were going. As I couldn't lift my DH without causing pain she suggested going to hospice to help manage pain. Probably take a week. 40 mile round trip. Staff asked if I was ready at home for his return. No mention of any carers. I asked to speak with Dr who when I questioned how quickly someone coukd be at house to adjust pain meds, say 15 mins, answer was, unlikely. Therefore, my DH remained in hospice for 3 weeks until his death. The Hospice closed last year as emphasis is now on care at home. The only investment in the system, in my cynical view, is not in care staff but in more managers.

JaneJudge am not sure what you mean by mental capacity as in the documentary where we could see/hear Derek's voice am not convinced that he had full mental capacity- am not a medic but when a very unwell/dying person makes crying noises to communicate...have experienced this within family, they do not appear to have full mental capacity..

Why is it assumed all decisions were taken by Derek’s wife, and
I didn’t find the documentary intrusive

Social care is a ticking time bomb. The baby boom generation is getting older & the care system is just not in place to step up & provide what will he required in the coming years. Government does not want to talk about or acknowledge this as it's not a vote winner. When the caring profession is acknowledged properly & the staff given decent wages & proper training things might change. Action needs to be taken now before it's too late.

Do you know that Anniebach?
I didn’t watch this documentary because I thought it was intrusive, but I still think Kate G did much to raise the issue of high costs of care, and physical and mental toll on family and carers.
It is a problem which many prefer to ignore, UNTIL it happens to them and theirs.

I am sure Derek was capable of choosing to be home, hence my question mark

why wasn't he?

Derek wasn’t capable of making the decision of wanting/needing to be home ?

he had mental capacity and was able to make his own decisions

orly, have you ever had to put somebody in a home? To go from having a husband who was healthy, lively and fully alive, to the disabled man he had become would have made that decision so hard. Even she admitted that she hadn't realised the difficulties she would face in caring for him and her young family. It isn't a convenience to forget she made that decision, it is empathy and understanding as to why she might have made that decision. There is a lot of truth in the adage that sometimes you can't see the wood for the trees.

Unfortunately in a grossly unequal, but relatively rich country such as the U.K., our taxation system and economy is such that the wealthy are prioritised over provision for the rest, and ensures the status quo remains.

I have no hopes that the Labour Party should they win the election, will bring about any great change, as they are already talking up the Tory trop of “The Magic Money Tree”.

Everyone deserves conditions in which they can live and die with dignity, regardless of their financial state.

Imarocker

I believe it was her choice to take him home. and she has said that she didn’t realise that this would mean he was no longer under the care of a consultant. I feel for her and she wanted to give him the best possible life and obviously it was better for the children to have him at home. I hope she keeps up her campaign for more support for people needing home care but there aren’t enough people willing to do the job and there isn’t the money to fund them.

Exactly right and people conveniently seem to forget this.

In the run up to the General Election look out for party manifestos which promise "We'll put up every tax by 50% in order to pay for everything you want".

Curtaintwticher, no wonder the world is the way it is when people actually believe like you.

Yes MOnica it’s not simply one or the other.

For those who are really interested in how this country’s tax system could be overhauled to enable the system to be fairer for all, I suggest reading Richard Murphy’s “Taxing Wealth Report 2024”.

Syracute What is your defintion of wealthy? Income, capital.

Germanshepherdsmum

Well how do you suggest it’s funded? How much extra tax are you willing to pay? Genuine question.

There are plenty of wealthy people here that do not pay their fare share due offshored tax avoidance. People and companies that make their money here and pay little or no tax. That needs to stop. Compared to other countries I have lived in the UK is far behind despite its wealth. The government spends a lot of time waffling over things instead of actioning problems. You only need to see that privatization in other sectors isn’t working . Services get gutted in favor of shareholders . If the wealthy paid their fair share you wouldn’t have to fight for the care that should be provided.

Work houses alongside food banks perhaps, so the “undeserving poor” who haven’t managed to put enough money aside for private (for profit) care in old age or ill health, could be deposited there?

Curtaintwitcher, maybe families could rely more heavily on the food banks so they can provide for social care should they need it. 🙄

the standard of care should be dependent on income.
That is not only shocking but very sad to read.
Are we to return to the Poor Law for paupers?

Thank you for your post about the reality for many MOnica, and yours Luckygirl.

There are a significant number of households in this country who find it is all they can do to organise their finances to cover food and a roof over their head. Planning for any care they may need is a luxury beyond their wildest imaaginings.

Curtaintwitcher

I hope people are not campaigning for this to be available on the NHS, which was never intended for end of life care.
Although we all want the best for our loved ones, the standard of care should be dependent on income. This is something else we should all consider when organising our own finances.

The standard of care should be dependent on income ... really!?
Can you seriously suggest that people of low financial means should receive worse care? ... that they deserve less dignity and professional care than those who are rich?
We are meant to be a civilised society and yet you want different standards of care for rich and poor ... though heaven knows we already have that in the NHS.