Persistence pays off??

[lizzybean]

I have been trying to get my MIL another day at day care since June last year. At present she goes once a week. I have lost count of the times I have phoned SS. In January I was referred to a social worker, roll on 6 months & I am still waiting.

However 3 weeks ago I e-mailed SS & copied the e-mail to my MP. I had to look him up first (didn't know who he was!) I got a reply almost immediately from his parliamentary aide, he wanted my address & MIL's. She is, of course, in a different constituency, however they got in touch with her MPs team & they were happy for my MP to take on the case. He wrote (I'm guessing, he said he had "made representation"!) to them & me. Heard nothing for 10 days or so, then I got an e-mail from MIL's MP with the e-mail he had sent to the head of adult social care. Less than two hours later I had a phone call from a SW, MIL is now going to be reassessed next Thursday.

I have also had an e-mail from the head of adult social care with an apology!!

I know at this present moment I haven't actually got anything but it feels like a small victory.

 

[Kevinl]

IHowever 3 weeks ago I e-mailed SS & copied the e-mail to my MP. I had to look him up first (didn't know who he was!) I got a reply almost immediately from his parliamentary aide, he wanted my address & MIL's. She is, of course, in a different constituency, however they got in touch with her MPs team & they were happy for my MP to take on the case.

How many times have I posted on here to do it in writing or e-mail and copy people in like your MP or LA. Phone calls are the preferred method for social workers and the LA but e-mails leave a paper trail it's quite hard to fob someone off in writing specially when other people can see what has been happening and what's being said.
I'm lucky my MP is Shadow Minister for Older People, Social Care and Carers, makes the LA more responsive when her name comes up.
MP's in general probably aren't uncaring about the situation they're simply unaware of it and the realities our all our and our loved ones situation.
K

 

[lizzybean]

How many times have I posted on here to do it in writing or e-mail and copy people in like your MP or LA. Phone calls are the preferred method for social workers and the LA but e-mails leave a paper trail it's quite hard to fob someone off in writing specially when other people can see what has been happening and what's being said.
I'm lucky my MP is Shadow Minister for Older People, Social Care and Carers, makes the LA more responsive when her name comes up.
MP's in general probably aren't uncaring about the situation they're simply unaware of it and the realities our all our and our loved ones situation.
K

OK, OK! I'll know for next time.

 

[Kevinl]

Hate to say I told you so

 

[Dave66]

Hi

It's very important that everyone who is caring for someone or who has a member of the family with dementia, to have a complete list of email contacts.

You need it for everyone from GP, Social Worker, Support Workers, Adult Social Care, Admiral Nurse etc, etc. Plus the head of the relevant organisation/agency.

Then there's the political level..MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health), Minister of State (Department of Health), the Shadow Secretary for these roles, your local Councillor, the local Councillor who is the Portfolio Holder for Health/Adult Social Care. All these people can be found by a quick Google search.

The Government have a standard email format of....
first name.lastName . mp @ parliament.uk

I know this may seem over the top to some people, but having read a lot of the horrendous stories on here of how people have been messed about by the system, over looked or even neglected, I'm not prepared to be fobbed off by anyone when it comes to my Mam's care, now or in the future.

If you have a concern, query or complaint, go through the process of emailing person A, if you're not happy with their response, tell them and copy in person B to the email, if you're still not happy, copy in person C and so on and so on. It won't take long before you get a positive outcome!

As Kevinl says, paper trail, paper trail. Organisations don't like it, they have to act as there is a record of communication that may, one day, come back to haunt them. They would rather you rang to be told someone will ring you back, then give you an excuse of why they didn't, don't accept it, you don't have to and you shouldn't.

Good luck to all those who are facing bureaucratic problems with incompetence and a general none caring attitude from those that should.

 

[lizzybean]

Wow, three cheers for you lizzybean, well done you. I'm sorry for your sake that it took that to get it sorted but I say again, three chears for you lizzybean!!! You go girl!!

Thanks Carmar, must admit to getting to a point of really being fed up. Had been meaning to do it for a while but kept putting it off. I hope I don't get blacklisted because of it. Like I said I don't actually have anything yet, it kind of depends what the SW is like & what MIL is like on the day. I just hope that the SW knows not to take MILs answers as read cos there will be a lot of rubbish about how she can shower everyday & how she does all her own shopping etc etc etc.

We shall see!

 

[lizzybean]

Update.

A very nice SW visited yesterday. She was completely clued up on dementia as her Father suffers from Vascular Dementia. She treat Mil with kid gloves but ultimately took her cues from me. I had explained that she still thinks she showers everyday, shops, cleans etc but that these things don't happen. I explained that I did not want to keep contradicting MIL so she would ask her questions & mil would answer & I would shake my head. If it was a who does your laundry/shopping type question I was able to just put my hand up. I was pretty much out of MILs direct eyeline so she didn't notice.


Anyway I feel very positive about the outcome.

 

[Canadian Joanne]

That sounds very good, Lizzy. So much better when the professionals we deal with have personal experience with dementia, I think.

 

[Spiro]

I know this may seem over the top to some people

OTT it may be, but absolutely essential.

 

[lizzybean]

Further update.

The SW rang yesterday & the new budget has thrown up enough for an extra day at day care (after a bit of jiggery pokery) however not enough for any personal care. The SW then went to her manager & got me two extra half hour visits a week to help her wash etc.

So my persistence did pay off.

 

[Canadian Joanne]

Congratulations! It's both sad and annoying that you had to keep grinding away at it but you've achieved a result.

 

[Slugsta]

Well done Lizzybean!