Shame on you, Scottish Parliament

I’m not afraid of death, other than worrying about me dying before my dog. But I fear pain greatly.

I’m not at all afraid of being dead.

But I’ve seen enough of dying to make me afraid.

To be fair * oldfrill* it seems the problems with end of life care of the terminally ill is pretty much the same UK wide.
There is free personal care at home for anyone who needs it .My sister though not terminally ill has issues that restrict her life to one room and has carers 4 times daily who wash and dress her ,sort her meds and organise and cook her meals .
She has physio at home twice weekly and occupational therapy fortnightly . Dental and eye checks are also at home…both free to everyone in Scotland
She pays for her cleaner and gardener and her daughters spend time with her after work and at weekends .
She remains upbeat and is appreciative of all the help she gets.

There is free personal care at home for anyone who needs it

I wish! My friend's husband received the call at her funeral to ask what care she needed from the CHC assessor. His reply is unprintable. My friend weighed a fraction of what she should have weighed, could only move her head due to her disease, was fed by a PEG, could no longer communicate and was in dire pain. They had been trying for CHC without success even though ALL of her problems came from a medical condition. She ended up in a hospice for the last 24 hours of her life.
The funded care provided in most areas is dire and shows no signs of getting any better. I live on the border of several Local Health Authorities and I can tell you that even the one who had the most relaxed interpretation of the rules, has now been toughened up. It is a national disgrace.

The waiting list for assessment is extremely long here. People die literally waiting.

My sister came home with a care package in place,she wants to be at home .Her husband died in the weeks after her heart attacks and it’s important to her to .in their home.She basically lives and sleeps in her living room as she can’t mange stairs even a stair lift would,t be useful as she couldn,t get on or off it.
Several of my neighbours have care packages that seem to work well.We,re in the west of the country.

You are in Scotland, aren't you, Paddyann54? Certainly in the South of England, CHC are an absolute nightmare.

Shouldn't be different, in different parts of the UK.

I think this issue, of assisted dying, will be back for discussion. Meanwhile, the proposers should take time to work on why it was rejected.

Maremia

Shouldn't be different, in different parts of the UK.

It shouldn't be but it is.

Just a thought but I think that some politicians own chains of care homes. Might this bill take away some of their business?

AI Overview
Yes, some politicians own or have financial interests in private care homes and health service companies.
Examples and related information based on recent reports include:
Graham Dalton: A Reform UK councillor and cabinet member for adult social care on Lancashire County Council, Dalton has been identified as a part-owner of a private care company, 1st for Care GB. He has faced scrutiny for his role in deciding to close public care homes while having interests in the private sector.
House of Lords Interests: Several members of the House of Lords have registered interests in healthcare and care home companies. Examples include interests in The Glenholme Healthcare Group Ltd (care and rehabilitation centres) and various other healthcare-related business services.
Wider Industry Context: Approximately 84% of care home beds in the UK are operated by the private sector, and investment groups and private companies own many of these facilities.
UK Parliament
UK Parliament
+5
While some politicians may have interests in the sector, it is highly regulated by bodies such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Bedford Borough Council
Bedford Borough Council

Not afraid of death but it’s the messy bit that some go through to get there. Hope I die peacefully in my sleep.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is absolutely useless. They are so far behind on their inspections that the indicators they give for each Care Home (Needs Improvement, Good, Outstanding) are meaningless.
If you have a serious complaint, it appears it is absolutely beyond them to investigate fairly and with the facts. The last Care Home my Mum was in nearly killed her by recording as aspiration event as a choking incident. That meant she didn't get the antibiotics she needed and the other staff at the Care Home couldn't see from the records she was suffering from pneumonia rather than a UTI. The CQC helped the Care Home avoid any action by believing their narrative and, as the communications to the ambulance team were completely inaccurate because they were told she had a UTI, the CQC chose to believe that evidence rather than the detailed later notes which gave the true facts backed by the eventual diagnosis. The hospital refused to let my mother return to that home but the CQC ignored that altogether.
We need a complete overhaul of the CQC and the CHC authority. The latter break the law on a daily basis to make their decisions. They can be challenged up to the Ombudsman but when you are caring for somebody with such needs, time is precious especially if they are dying.

Article on Facebook just now. Yes, I know, not always reliable.

It's from Spain, and claims that a 25 year old woman with depression will be allowed to end herself.

Not a lot of detail, but says she has depression.

Maremia

It's from Spain, and claims that a 25 year old woman with depression will be allowed to end herself.

There's a lot more to it than her having depression. She was the victim of a gang-rape who then tried to end her life by jumping from a roof, which left her with severe spinal injuries. She is now unable to move from the waist down, confined to a wheelchair and incontinent and says she suffers constant neuropathic pain.

ViceVersa

Maremia

It's from Spain, and claims that a 25 year old woman with depression will be allowed to end herself.

There's a lot more to it than her having depression. She was the victim of a gang-rape who then tried to end her life by jumping from a roof, which left her with severe spinal injuries. She is now unable to move from the waist down, confined to a wheelchair and incontinent and says she suffers constant neuropathic pain.

The newspaper article I read also said she had suffered a terrible childhood and is obviously very distressed about everything she has suffered so just wants be in peace.

How absolutely awful for her.

Thing is though, I don't think she would fit the criteria featured in this latest bill.
Not saying that's a good thing.
Not saying that's a bad thing.

icanhandthemback

Maremia

Shouldn't be different, in different parts of the UK.

It shouldn't be but it is.

The reason its different in other parts of UK, is that other UK countries want to run services in ways that suit their very different local conditions.

butterandjam

icanhandthemback

Maremia

Shouldn't be different, in different parts of the UK.

It shouldn't be but it is.

The reason its different in other parts of UK, is that other UK countries want to run services in ways that suit their very different local conditions.

I accept that other countries want to do things their way (I misread that bit) but I do wonder how they can afford so many things England can't, eg free prescriptions, free higher education, etc. However, in England it differs from LHA to LHA for CHC. It really shouldn't. Each LHA appears to have applied criteria that aren't within the framework because of the way they interpret it, or by acting illegally. It is criminal.

Icanhandthemback Scotland chooses different priorities from England to spend its money on and residents of Scotland also pay higher taxes than in England.

SueDonim

Icanhandthemback Scotland chooses different priorities from England to spend its money on and residents of Scotland also pay higher taxes than in England.

I don't have a problem with that. I'd sooner pay higher taxes if it meant people got the care they were entitled to.