Tory minister calls for introduction of social care insurance

It is important to be realistic, pinkquartz, I do agree. Paperwork is a great bore but once it's done you can put it out of your mind and stop worrying.

My sons know what I'd like.

I had saved up some ancient tranquillisers for committing suicide if need be but one of my sons was clearing out my cabinet and seeing they were well out of date took them to the chemist's to be disposed of.

Thank you Alexa
I will look into this.
I would like to choose as you have stated.
adequate pain relief even if it kills me
I have had a living will on my mind. so it will be better to do it sooner rather than later.

I am putting this on my long term To Do list. It is important to be realistic.

Pinkquartz, care of a demented person who s suffering intractable pain is a problem which I don't know has been legislated for. I hope you find out useful info.

I have written by hand and had witnessed my living will to get adequate pain relief even if it kills me.My living will is with my solicitor, my GP practice, and I have another copy for the ward sister if needed.

*pink quartz”
Mum did say some 18 months before passing that she had had enough. I wonder if the move to the home accelerated this.

Don’t know if you ever get over losing your mum.

Really thing it would be better to discuss this on another thread, personally.

To my mind, there is nothing wrong is a real debate going on about some form of social care insurance-

what is really disgusting is campaigning making lots of promises, and barely a day later- completely change your tune. About this, and now workers' rights, environmental issues, meat and agricultural production, etc, etc, etc.

Greeneyedgirl

I do wonder about a slippery slope, but if a person is already physically ill and in pain there could be an official declaration made with a solicitor and witnesses to say that beyond a certain point the wish for euthanasia can be carried out at a future time Nothing rushed..
I must look up how it happens in Oregon State as I believe it is legal there.

With dementia is a much harder choice. I don't really know what I think because there is much more chance of someone being "bumped off" against their will.
And then again as with CoolioC's mum, that poor lady would have wanted to have relief from her suffering.

It would be good for a debate at least. And for it always to begin with a person making the choice, not a relative and definitely not the State ( like Social Services).

There is no natural divide between so called 'social care' and care of the sick. There is a need for many of a comparatively inexpensive grade of practical nurse and general domestic helper who can draw upon higher level care when the patient/client needs it.
In addition there needs to be a designated person who is paid to orchestrate the several specialist services such as health visitor, GP, physio, pharmacy, and occupational therapy, dietician for people in care in their own homes.

Any less is care on the cheap .

This is one of the most pressing issues of our times, the other being climate change.

My FIL had to go into care when MIL could no longer care for him. We were both working full time and there was no alternative. He lived for another four and a half years, entirely self-funded except for the 24 hr attendance allowance which was less for a week than the cost of a day's care. That exhausted all of his life savings but MIL remained in their home.

Soon after he died, MIL had to go into care, so their house was sold, and she also received 24 hrs attendance allowance, but no other state help. Their home was sold and the proceeds did just manage to fund the rest of her care for the next five and a half years until she died.

They both spent their last years in pleasant care homes with us visiting very regularly, and although they had to pay, it was their money. We did not feel we had any right to inherit it.

'

I feel very sorry that you feel a failure pinkquartz. It is sad that worth and status is measured by what we have, where we live, and not who we are in our acquisitive society. Much better if we all rented, if it was controlled, perhaps German style would reduce much stigma.

I feel in two minds about voluntary euthanasia. On one hand I feel some with degenerative or/and terminal conditions who really want, should have the option to end their lives. On the other hand I worry that over time safeguards will become relaxed, as has sometimes happened in Netherlands, and those who are not terminally ill, and those unable to decide for themselves, ie with dementia, may be euthanised.

Pink quartz
I agree with you. My mum passed away this year in hospital after a short stay with a stroke. At 90, she had done well but with dementia, it was too much. The home really wasn’t for her and I felt so sorry that it came to that. Mum just wanted to go home. It just upsets me to think....too much

David at last we agree about something, especially your hard-earned cash lining the pockets of the owners of Care Homes, who pay their staff peanuts.

That's so sad Hetty.

I'm with you there David euthanasia if I'm in pain that cannot be controlled or am unable to enjoy life but not to provide DS with an inheritance.

It always upsets me when I hear of someone worrying about spending their hard earned money on what they want or need, because they don't want to spend their C's and GC's inheritance.

It funny this thread has strayed to voluntary euthanasia, do I want to see all my hard work spent very quickly at £1000 a week when I am a vegetable that cannot enjoy life.

Euthanasia has its attractions!

Sorry to read that PQ

I'm all for voluntary euthanasia too. I don't see why we should be compelled to suffer to the very end. We outlive our natural lifespans by a long way.

There was a lady in Mum's care home who was bed bound and seemed to be in constant pain. She called out 'Hello?, hello?, hello?'whenever I walked past her door. She was always wheeled into the shower room on a Wednesday afternoon, screamed her way through being washed etc. then was wheeled back to her bed, wrapped in towels. Her pleading eyes said it all.

pinkquartzyou're welcome. Courage should never be underestimated

Thank you Smileless this is one of those days it really does feel like an achievement. It is kind of you to respond and appreciated.

You're not a failure pinkquartz. Success in our lifetime shouldn't be measured by material gain, it's what we do with our lives that matters, not how much money we've made.

Living with illness and constant pain is an achievement in itself.

I want voluntary euthanasia.

I live in constant pain and illness and when I can't remain at home I want to end my life not go to the hell of a Care Home.
I am just not a person who could cope with it at all.
That it saves the Govt money is neither here nor there to me but a bonus for them.
I have not been well enough to earn enough to buy a home and I do feel a failure.

I don't have a problem with our home and our son's potential inheritance being used for our care if it's needed I think that some form of insurance scheme is a good idea.

I think it's unrealistic for anyone to expect to receive an inheritance or what they think is their full inheritance if their parents need full time care.

I do agree with you though Doodledog that for many of the older generation it would be much harder, if not impossible for them to start making provision for all their needs and that should be taken into account.

Not leaving an inheritance for your children doesn't make you a failure growstuff. All that you have given and will continue to give in your lifetime is what matters.

If we had voluntary euthanasia then this would be much less of a problem.

On another thread (shh..don’t tell GNHQ) there is general support for the NZ vote on this. How about some joined up thinking? Most of us would rather stay in our own homes with support but when it gets to the stage we can’t look after ourselves (especially with personal hygiene) I know what I’d prefer to a Care Home.

Anyone agree with me?

Growstuff, why so defensive? I wasn't intending to be 'smug' and, actually, I do care about people like you. I care a lot about everybody.

I was simply trying to answer your question, along with it's inaccurate assumptions:

'I still don't understand why Labour opposed it because people would have been left with more money than they are now, even if the house had to be sold.'

As I said, people would not be left with more money, that's just what it was hoped would be believed.

I know very well that life is a lottery. I agree with Mal44 that care should be paid for through taxation, rather than insurance. It's the fairest way to do it.

Don’t be so hard on yourself Growstuff- I’m sure your children would rather have you well than an inheritance!

BTW Yes, I did understand what was being proposed.

Hetty58 Some of us worked like stink to own our own home and delayed having a family until we could afford it - and then got divorced, were very ill and lost our home, so we end up living in rented accommodation. Don't be so smug!!! :-(

My children will inherit nothing. Does that make me a failure? How do you think I feel about being such a loser?

Why the heck should I care whether your children inherit anything? You don't care about people like me.