The Cost Of Care(Money And Physically)
For approx 360 minutes of care a month we pay £70 a month! Now, if/when Mum has everything done for her by her carer to make her comfortable, possibly you can say its worth it!
Then again, by the time someone arrives, prepares for the task at hand and depending how tired the person is being cared for or immobile, some time is lost. So you'll be paying for some unused time. If it is worth £70 for 6 hours. Now we have been forced into having another 480 minutes(three extra visits of extended time)that is now 14 hours each week so we will now have to find approx an extra £82(That's £152)each month(My figures may be slightly off)
What is a family relative worth who is caring for a partner, a child, a mother, a father etc...who is there for the remaining 616 hours per month. No wonder governments prefer to keep people in their own homes and to be cared for by family members.
You'd pay much more if loved ones were in a care home and/or the government and councils had to pick up the bill.
Mum's worth it but we were told "You will have the extra care whether you want it or not!" The decision was already made so the visit form the Social Worker and District Nurse was a stitch up!
No one asks you if finding the extra money will be a problem and to be honest I can at present do what the carer does and could quite easily bath Mum and as the baths carers do are so quick, with me I could allow more time to soak in the water and feel the benefit of it. To save time I usually have already run the bath water and positioned the chairlift in the right position.
And I also think that the care that I am giving is more difficult. And I think I do it all very well and in hand, that's why it hurts to have been lied to and treated as I have.
Someone said you do realise that you will be discussed by the care and social services departments...of course I do, I am not naive but that is different to being lied to or being misrepresented. And not being allowed to answer questions directly or defend myself and put my side.
Someone elsewhere has come up with idea that Mum is not wearing any underwear and is naked or semi-naked and her dignity is being neglected, I don't know where that person got that idea but can I say she wears underwear and would if she was going anywhere, in a public place or expecting visitors at home or moving away from the bedroom and her bed would wear a skirt or something. It was suggested Mum had said she did not want to wear underwear, again I cannot see anything to suggest that.
I tried to look over my posts to see how this misunderstanding arose but cannot see it so far.
And whilst I am on I am the only living relative and I love and care for Mum as any son may and yes we are close but there is nothing sexual in our relationship. And without me Mum would probably be in a care home where as good as many of them are and those working there do care for their residents, she'd never get the one on one care that I can offer here practically 24/7.
Unless, I decide to let it go or take it further with those involved. Reading what I have written, you as a reader can only agree or disagree with me or those who have instigated matters and caused un-necessary problems. And work from what I have written which you may see as biased(I have tried to stick to the facts)I guess social services see so many bad cases and being untra careful they may have got hold of the wrong end of the stick but its difficult when you are a genuine caring person in the community to be shafted like this.
So I'll post about this again should something unexpected happens or there is some response should I try and reverse what's happened or defend myself.
Then again, by the time someone arrives, prepares for the task at hand and depending how tired the person is being cared for or immobile, some time is lost. So you'll be paying for some unused time. If it is worth £70 for 6 hours. Now we have been forced into having another 480 minutes(three extra visits of extended time)that is now 14 hours each week so we will now have to find approx an extra £82(That's £152)each month(My figures may be slightly off)
What is a family relative worth who is caring for a partner, a child, a mother, a father etc...who is there for the remaining 616 hours per month. No wonder governments prefer to keep people in their own homes and to be cared for by family members.
You'd pay much more if loved ones were in a care home and/or the government and councils had to pick up the bill.
Mum's worth it but we were told "You will have the extra care whether you want it or not!" The decision was already made so the visit form the Social Worker and District Nurse was a stitch up!
No one asks you if finding the extra money will be a problem and to be honest I can at present do what the carer does and could quite easily bath Mum and as the baths carers do are so quick, with me I could allow more time to soak in the water and feel the benefit of it. To save time I usually have already run the bath water and positioned the chairlift in the right position.
And I also think that the care that I am giving is more difficult. And I think I do it all very well and in hand, that's why it hurts to have been lied to and treated as I have.
Someone said you do realise that you will be discussed by the care and social services departments...of course I do, I am not naive but that is different to being lied to or being misrepresented. And not being allowed to answer questions directly or defend myself and put my side.
Someone elsewhere has come up with idea that Mum is not wearing any underwear and is naked or semi-naked and her dignity is being neglected, I don't know where that person got that idea but can I say she wears underwear and would if she was going anywhere, in a public place or expecting visitors at home or moving away from the bedroom and her bed would wear a skirt or something. It was suggested Mum had said she did not want to wear underwear, again I cannot see anything to suggest that.
I tried to look over my posts to see how this misunderstanding arose but cannot see it so far.
And whilst I am on I am the only living relative and I love and care for Mum as any son may and yes we are close but there is nothing sexual in our relationship. And without me Mum would probably be in a care home where as good as many of them are and those working there do care for their residents, she'd never get the one on one care that I can offer here practically 24/7.
Unless, I decide to let it go or take it further with those involved. Reading what I have written, you as a reader can only agree or disagree with me or those who have instigated matters and caused un-necessary problems. And work from what I have written which you may see as biased(I have tried to stick to the facts)I guess social services see so many bad cases and being untra careful they may have got hold of the wrong end of the stick but its difficult when you are a genuine caring person in the community to be shafted like this.
So I'll post about this again should something unexpected happens or there is some response should I try and reverse what's happened or defend myself.
posted by The Great Gildersleeve | 3:52 pm
3 Comments:
Very timely post Gildy, I was having a discussion with an NHS manager last week about the issues you have raised - the reason being that he is looking to buy a private care company. From the NHS point of view they are being hit in their PCT budgets and are trying to make the actual care time fit the budget because previously carers and visitors were offering additional services/time which wasn't being paid for. I told him that NHS homecare workers are already among the lowest paid workers in the UK - something he agreed on. His point, which is something you refer to above, is that society is simply expected to take up the slack because the Government no longer have the funds to provide this type of care. Of course the downside for you, and something that I recall from my teenage years when my sick Grandmother lived with us, is that those family members who are the only ones who can care also need some respite and some help and this is where agencies can step in but who can afford them?
I think a spot of deligation is due here now.That is, you must sit down with everyone who is coming in and out of your house and work out who is expected to do what? including yourself.For example the nurse comes in and does the dressings and looks after that side of things etc and then you ask what is expected of you.You report the nurse if the dressings are not right and the nurse reports you if whatever you have promised to do is not right--But I think you must sit down with these people and work out a care plan for your Mum and work out who does what.
If your also doing dressings as well as other stuff, then perhaps ALL the dressings should be deligated to the dressing nurse so that you can concnetrate on one aspect of her care and not drive yourself nuts trying do everything and be a jack of all trades.
Its all basic stuff for now and not as difficult as it could become(even if time consuming)if Mum lives long enough to deteriorate to such an extent.
There are times where with help Mum can do some of the tasks herself.
At present whoever does what...
There are no medical dressings.
Its basic washing, putting on clothes, changing soiled items as and when. Making certain she has good meals and lots to drink...
That's it! And that is why all this is stupid.
Out of everyone that does for Mum The carer and myself do the most as it is at present.
There always was a care plan. And that still exists...I'll sound big headed when I say this but my care is as good as anything we've been offered so far and I have the luxury of time(not having to work against a clock)I also have a special bond with Mum.
And as for Mum not being with it...I've talked to her all day and she's now watching tv and waiting to see Michael Bublé :-)
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