Care Manager? - Scotland

mistyred

Registered User
Apr 13, 2011
2
0
Glasgow
Hi

Im new to this forum

Both my grandparents suffer from varying degrees of dementia, they live alone together in private sheltered housing, they have a private carer and my parents who's live a ten minute walk away, more recently my parents whole lives have been consumed by caring for them, This is really hard on them both, My Mum has tried tirelessly to get them more care, they have been assessed on numerous occasions all never ending in the support they need for varies reasons

A lot of the reasons why we keep hitting a dead end is the lack of a care manager......can anyone help with any advice on how to get a care manager? We have been to the GP with no avail

Any help or advice would be welcome - Thankyou very much
 

lin1

Registered User
Jan 14, 2010
9,350
0
East Kent
Hello
Welcome to TP . Though im sorry of your need to find us.
Others will be along later today with advice and support

A care manager here in england is a named social worker assigned to a person (sadly here in england) many are losing care managers. Hopefully this is not the case where your grandparents are .

You dont have to be referred to social services , you can contact them yourselves
Your grandparents should have had an assessment from social services and your parents should have a carers assessment, by social services, if they have had one previously it sounds as though they serioudly need a review of assessments
Here in england you are entitled to such assessments ,even if self funding, i dont think its any different in scotland

Its a sad fact that unless you shout loud , you get left out . It definately should not be like this , as it means we have to fight for help when we are at a low ebb ourselves .

Other organisations may be able to help or at least point you in the right direction to get help that you all so desperately need.

The scottish Alzheimers association
Age uk (formally age concern )
Sadly you dont have Admiral nurses in scotland but they have a national helpline you can find them online , I know of one scottish TP memeber who had contacted them for advice.

I do hope you all get the help you need soon
Please let us know how you get on
 
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BeckyJan

Registered User
Nov 28, 2005
18,971
0
Derbyshire
Hello Mistyred:
I am sorry to hear about your grandparents and also to hear that your Mother has not had much success with obtaining support.

I am at a loss regarding lack of Care Manager. Can I suggest you contact one of these Dementia Advisors (3rd and 4th on the list) to see what they advise:
http://dementiascotland.org/services/glasgow-city/

Please let us know how you get on as your experience could help someone else.

Best wishes
 

imac.girll1

Registered User
Feb 20, 2009
2,976
0
Glasgow
Hello Mistyred,

Interesting phrase Care Manager, not something in Scotland that I am aware is a phrase that is used that often.

What i think you may be trying to get is -

SW - Social Worker
CPN - Community Psychiatric Nurse
and a Pyshcogeriatric specialist doctor.

I would also make sure you make contact with your Carers Association local to your parents/grandparents. They are a mine of info and help.

All of these can help you in your needs.

Go directly to your SW dept, and ask to speak to a duty SW. They will take on board your needs and organise what is required for your parents and grandparents.

Have they been tested for dementia, what sort of are have you asked for but not received, do let us know some more details of what has happened so we can help you further.

Take care.
:)
 

EmJ

Registered User
Sep 26, 2007
244
0
Scotland
I would contact Alzheimer Scotland and seek advice from them. They should be able to advise you.

EmJ
 

mistyred

Registered User
Apr 13, 2011
2
0
Glasgow
Thanks for all your replies very helpful!

We have contacted Alzheimers Scotland and Dementia Scotland previously but without the elusive 'care manager' they can offer us no help

Yes My Grandparents have been diagnosed and are under physo-geriatric care, but as my parents do everyhing for them they seem to have closed the case, hence the frustration

Will keep you posted once we've been on to social work

Thanks again

Great Forum!
 

FifiMo

Registered User
Feb 10, 2010
4,703
0
Wiltshire
Mistyred

SW is your next port of call if your grandparents are needing help with the practicalities of day to day living etc. Can I just mention one thing though? Your parents do need to step back a bit and whilst not putting your grandparents in danger, they need to let people see what their needs are and how vulnerable they are. With a system that is so strapped for cash right now, any indication that there are relatives around who are willing to step in and help means that they don't give the same priority or level of support that these people might need.

For example, we (my 2 sisters and I) all live in England but went up to visit my mother who was in hospital at the time and driving the nurses mad with her wandering. She had been found out in the grounds at 2am looking for cigarettes! So I said to the Sister, would you like me to take my mother off the ward for a couple of hours, tire her out and see if that calms her down. So I took her to get her hair done and it was a pleasant afternoon. When I took her back to the hospital there was someone else in her bed. They had discharged her and all her belongings were in a plastic bag!
I told them I didn't live here - was only here for 2 days - what was going to happen then? They said - you'd better get on to SW then hadn't you! Her GP told us that we had to step back, because if we didn't then she would get overlooked in favour of those who were considered to have less support and more pressing needs. She said we had to stop being so available at short notice (we would fly up there if anything happened, myself and my 2 sisters) and we had to stop managing things at a distance too (we would send online shopping, send people round to check on her, had quite a network of support from all her lovely friends etc). Reluctantly, we did as advised and to be fair the system kicked in - she now has carers 3 times a day, they made sure the house was safe and put in things like a bath chair, extra banisters, that sort of thing. Not sure if you have one yet but please consider putting in a keysafe which SW should supply. As things have progressed we have had incidents where people could not access the house for various reasons and locks have been changed without our knowledge etc. A keysafe would ensure that there is prompt access in emergencies.

Fiona
x
 

cmnotz

Registered User
Apr 19, 2011
17
0
Dundee
Contacting Social Work in Scotland

If you do an internet search for "Community Care location" (where location is your grandparents Local Authority area (eg Glasgow if that is where they live) you will readily find a page detailing how to access services offering both telephone and online contacts. Here in Dundee for example, you would make a referral by contacting our First Contact Team and from there your grandparents would be able to access, in due course, a Care Manager (a Social Worker).

It is a requirement here in Scotland to offer a Carer's Assessment and your parents would be well advised to accept this and detail their need for support in their caring role.

I am saddened by some of the experiences quoted in response to you and there is no excuse for Local and Health Authorities not working effectively with families. In my role as Telecare Coordinator I meet service users and families and would welcome family involvement when it is beneficial to the service user but recognise that unpaid (familial carers) do also have their own life and cannot go on caring 24/7 indefinitely without suitable supports.

Your grandparents each need to be offered a comprehensive assessment which should culminate in individual care plans documenting what care services they need. Their Local Authority should discuss in detail with them and your parents what the options are and ensure that they have made choices where possible. One of those choices may include Telecare which could allow the family relief from anxiety and the Care Manager should consider those options and explain them to the family.

It really should not be troublesome to make a referral to Social Services and it should not be a painful or stigmatising experience either. Best wishes in the family getting the assessment of the care and support they need.
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
73,994
0
72
Dundee
My own experience with SW department in Dundee has been very very positive. The same for the Princess Royal Trust for Carers and the Dundee branch of Alzheimer's Scotland. I wouldn't say we have a care manager for my husband and mother but the key Social Worker has been overseeing things - it was he who suggested we go down the route of Direct Payments. Even with self funding there is the element of free personal care for the elderly in Scotland.

A good needs assessment and a thorough carer's assessment is essential.
 

branwen

Registered User
Oct 3, 2010
110
0
I've heard of Geriactric Care Managers in the USA but nothing really equivalent over here. I'd agree with the comments above. SS only got round to putting a keysafe at my parents house after 2mnths of them locking the carers out (which SS/carers didn't bother to tell me was happening)- and after the police had had to break in one night because my Mother again phoned 999 saying my Dad was trying to kill her, and a few days before they were taken into an EMI ward. I also was trying to ride to the rescue all the time - often after a 12hr day at work, driving 60miles over there late at night because of another problem, missing meals because I had to go over, getting by on a couple of hours sleep. And because I did it, nothing got sorted. Things only came to a head when I was so exhausted I slept through the phone ringing in the early hours - only then did things start to happen.
 

cmnotz

Registered User
Apr 19, 2011
17
0
Dundee
My own experience with SW department in Dundee has been very very positive. The same for the Princess Royal Trust for Carers and the Dundee branch of Alzheimer's Scotland. I wouldn't say we have a care manager for my husband and mother but the key Social Worker has been overseeing things - it was he who suggested we go down the route of Direct Payments. Even with self funding there is the element of free personal care for the elderly in Scotland.

A good needs assessment and a thorough carer's assessment is essential.

Thank you on behalf of my colleagues Izzy - it is always nice to hear good positive outcomes/experiences and a good reminder about Direct Payments since there is a draft bill in the Scottish Parliament on Self-Directed Support which if it progresses will make this a mainstream option for all citizens.