How Can I Get Social Services To Act More Quickly

[bongo62]

Hello there I wonder if anyone could advise me.

My father is 82 years and has been diagnosed with Vascular Dementia/Alzheimers earlier this year. He is cared for at home by my Mother also 82yrs.
They have a carer first thing in the morning to wash and dress him (when he does not refuse it!).
My Father's dementia is gathering a pace, he is often incontinent, he wanders outside and falls (paramedic is called quite regularly), verbally abusive and dismissive to my Mother and it is getting so difficult to pacify him.
My concern is my Mother she is exhausted. I contacted Social Services in October 09 to raise the concern and recommend some respite care and home help. They were very nice on the phone said they would look into it but nothing happened.
My Mother in a moment of strength contacted my Father's Mental Health Doctor in early Nov 09 regarding this, and he said he would contact SS to be in touch.
Now 3 weeks later nothing has happened, I rang SS today and while they were helpful and understanding, apparently they are waiting for my Father to be allocated a Care Manager and Assessor and this may take weeks!

I live 2 hours away and try to get down regularly to clean & cook when I can, I do the shopping via internet, but now my son is undergoing long term ill health and I have had to give up work to care for him.

Sorry for this long list but what can we do to speed up SS action?

I feel completely torn at the moment.

[uselessdaughter]

Hi

My father was referred to Social Services by his Consultant for urgent assessment for assistance at home(he lives alone and I live 200 miles away from him) in October 2008. They were reminded by the Consultant at least three times and it was only after things had come to head in August this year that he was assessed. This was after a rapid decline and I had to make numerous phone calls (no one ever calls back) and in the end I had to refuse to get off the phone until someone actually agreed to go and see him. I was constantly being told "well he is on the emergency list but we are short staffed", etc, etc. Sorry, I understand resources are not infinite but 10 months wait is more than enough. Everyone I spoke to was very sympathetic but that does not get things done. I am sorry but my only advice is to make a nuisance of yourself.

Linda

[Happy Dayz]

I'm afraid Linda is probably right. If it was me I would call them and say that the home situation HAS broken down, as opposed to it being difficult for Mum. Try speaking to your Mum and suggest she come and stay with you, that way Social Services would need to act fast once you point out the risks involved in his being home alone and can they imagine the headlines! It won't endear you to them, but it's not about making friends. it's about getting what your parents need to support them at this very difficult time. You don't have to go through with it, but it may stimulate some action.
Good luck

[bongo62]

Thank you Linda, I will take your advice and be persistent and see if that speeds things up.

Ali

[bongo62]

Happy Dayz

Yes your right I guess we don't like to make a fuss but obviously that does not get you anywhere.

Ali

[Val_B]

I think you need to sprinkle your calls to the Social Services liberally with the word "vulnerable" and "at risk" ...
Good luck.

[Happy Dayz]

now you're talking Val...some more that may help are"carer breakdown" "duty of care" "duty to assess" and a good one that often works is "local MP" along with Val's vulnerable and at risk that should just about do the trick
Gayna

[Winnie Kjaer]

Dear Bongo62
Are your parents self funding? Who arranged the carer who come in the morning? Do you use a domicilary company or do you use private carers? If you could tell us a bit more I am sure there are quite a lot here on TP who would be able to tell you how to get things moving faster. Your GP could for instance refer you to Rapid Response if your mother said she could not care any longer or by herself any more. If your parents are self funding they can just arrange more hours with the care company who will do a care plan of their own until social services do theirs, but it is not essential to have SS involved if you are self funding.

[nocturne]

As far as self funding is concerned, I don't know if it is the same all over the country, but, in my area SS paid about 1/5th of the cost of respite and day care although my mother did not qualify for any assistance on a means tested basis. I was also told I needed SS authorisation for respite.
How right Linda is about SS never returning calls. If I left a message on voice mail I was told that it must have been full and the Social Worker had not received it. If I left a message with other staff, he blamed them for not passing it on! Mum was diagnosed in November 2003 and assessed in February 2005! I was offered help with Direct Payments in August 2007 but after 12 months of inaction the Social Worker said it was "not appropriate" as Mum had dementia! It took me 6 months to get a "wandering alarm" fitted to her house but the Finance Dept. billed me for it 2 months before it was installeed!
I agree SS are understaffed and underfunded and that is why, sadly, it is only those who make a fuss who get to the top of the list. I agree that using emotive words does help to move things on but I found that when I resorted to this in desperation, they used it as an argument against my wish to keep Mum at home. If you decide to write a letter to try to speed things up I would recommend asking someone at your local Alzhemers Sociery or Age Concern to check that you are going to get the right reaction to it.
Good luck,
Jan

[bongo62]

Thanks Val and Gayna

I'll use the terminology you suggest which may make more impact and get it moving.

Winnie
With regard to self-funding - they have been assessed and they make a partial payment towards the carer. The carers come from a company who are linked to the Social Services.

Jan appreciate your feedback.

Well I am spurred on again now

Ali

[Winnie Kjaer]

OK then you do have to go through Social Services, best of luck be assertive and go for it.

[bongo62]

Hi there

Following on from my previous post, Social Services came out this week to visit my Mum. They said they cannot help with providing respite care or any home help and that she has to go through Age Concern!

I cannot believe how difficult this whole process is and how exhausting it is for my Mum to locate anyone who can help her. She made 4/5 telephone calls after the SS visit and was passed from pillar to post. Why is there not one organisation that overseas the whole care package.

As before my Mum is exhausted, my Dad is now getting very incontinent as well as confusing waste paper baskets, buckets and bins with urinals, so Mum is having a daily routine of clean up. My Dad has had more falls outside where the paramedics have been called again. The house is not getting cleaned as she has no energy for it, and she has said I just try to keep myself and Dad clean, get a meal and cope with the daily onslaught of washing.

So what to do? Is it now the stage that we get a GP Rapid Response as she cannot care by herself any more? Do we call Alzheimers Society? Age Concern? How can she get urgent help?

I feel tremendous guilt as I simply cannot help at the moment because my priority has to be my son, but I need to support and help her somehow.

Any advice please

Ali

[Izzy]

Hi there. My own experience at the moment is that my mother is to be getting a care package and we were told this could take til January. We were also told, however, that as soon as SW has a date for the agency to commence she can get the local authority crisis team to start care. As long as they know another agency will be taking over on a certain date. I'm very early in this process but I will be keeping on at them until this package is in place - whoever provides it. Good luck. Izzy x

[bongo62]

Of course another major concern is that my Mum cannot leave my Dad alone, and therefore has been unable to go to the Warfarin Clinic for 10 weeks or leave the house at all. Should she contact her own GP? could he instigate action?

Ali

[JPG1]

Ali,

Would your Mum agree to you contacting the Social Services person who came out to see them last week? You could then phone them and lay it on thick - with a trowel! Explaining that if your Mum breaks down, then the SS will have to do more than just suggest the do-it-yourself route.

There is one organisation that is responsible for the whole care package: it is the Social Services. So it sounds as if your Mum got a lousy SW.

I would contact your parents’ GP yourself, and ask him to step in pronto. The GP has a duty to listen to you, even if he will not discuss without permission from your Mum.

Another thing you could try: your location is Berkshire, so is that where you live? If so, contact your own local SS department and ask their help. I did just that a few years ago, when getting nowhere fast with the SS, and my local SS were extremely helpful.