Direct payments. Yes or no?

[Billie61]

We were advised that when the enablement team finish, it is beneficial to have Direct Payments for ongoing care. All the paperwork has gone off for approval, but MIL's social worker visited last week and said it is not worth the hassle, saying that it is a lot of work and is not necessary to achieve relatively the same care result.

It seems that the only benefit anyone can say is that having Direct Payments allows you to specify the times for the care visits, morning and night.

We do not need to have the same carer every time as MIL does not remember from one day to the next that the carers are coming to help her get washed dressed/undressed.

Are there any other reasons that would be so advantageous for us to continue the application, or does anyone advise not to go down that route?

Please let me have your opinions...

 

[Nebiroth]

Direct Payments give you a lot more freedom than choosing timings of care visits. They allow you to select the sort of care you want - providing that it meets your care needs as assessed by the local authority.

In essence you can either:

Get the local authority to do it all, in which case, you have to accept whatever services they offer, whom they employ to provide it and the conditions of that service. The upside is that this minimises the hassle. The downside is that it gives you a lot less freedom of choice.

Direct Payments mean that instead of providing the services, the local authority provide you with a budget (ie money), which you can then use to commission your own care. So long as it fulfills the care needs as assessed by the local authority you can commission the care that best suits your preferences. This would, for example, let you employ carers from an agency of your choice - rather than ones provided by the local authority. Direct Payments can also be used to commission things that the local authority don't provide.

Direct payments can also be made to carers to commission things that help them in their role as carer, and can even include things that might be classed as "leisure activities" - again, so long as there is agreement from the local authority as part of the assessment process.

The upside is the freedom of choice; the downside is, of course, all the hassle; managing the money, making your own arrangements, record keeping and so on. But again, the local authority can offer help with these things. Worth noting that if you pay someone directly then you in essence become an employer and that can be a lot of bother.

 

[Billie61]

Yes. That's what I thought. You have the added responsibility of managing the bank account and being an "employer".
Not sure I have the energy for it at the moment. MIL is such hard work and getting up several times a night takes its toll.

 

[Winnie Kjaer]

We were advised that when the enablement team finish, it is beneficial to have Direct Payments for ongoing care. All the paperwork has gone off for approval, but MIL's social worker visited last week and said it is not worth the hassle, saying that it is a lot of work and is not necessary to achieve relatively the same care result.

It seems that the only benefit anyone can say is that having Direct Payments allows you to specify the times for the care visits, morning and night.

We do not need to have the same carer every time as MIL does not remember from one day to the next that the carers are coming to help her get washed dressed/undressed.

Are there any other reasons that would be so advantageous for us to continue the application, or does anyone advise not to go down that route?

Please let me have your opinions...

Hello Billie,
She may not remember the carers, but she will know which routine she likes, and if you have regular carers they will get to know her and her routine, which in most cases is essential for her well-being.

I would go for direct payments any time as it gives you total flexibility as to what you can and cannot do. You may want carers longer one day and less the next etc. and you could use partly private carers (cheaper) and partly agency carers, you can even use all agency carers if you wish, which makes the paperwork so much easier as in that case you are not their employer.

The direct payment office staff are excellent and will sit with you until you know exactly what you are doing. It is not a problem however, because you can always change to direct payments if you decide not to go for it initially or the other way around.

Even if you do go for a domiciliary company, it will make life so much easier for your cared for and yourself if you have regular carers who get to know you all and for you to get to know and trust them.

I wish you luck with having carers which quite changes your life in more than one way. x

 

[Billie61]

Thanks Win,
I suppose we are not concerned about MIL getting to know the regular staff. She does not remember the ones we have now, even though she may see the same 3-4 every morning and evening. She does not recall who I am most of the time and thinks her son is her father, her daughter is her sister and her grand-daughter is either her daughter or her niece.

Because we get very little sleep.....she is up several times a night, getting dressed and ready to go out......I just want what is the easiest, even though that may not seem sensible. Sometimes I just feel that I want to think more about what is best for me and then I always feel bad.

My husband, son and daughter feel the strain too. Their sleep is disturbed, they get tired at work and then come home to Mum/Nana who does not recognise them and gets very moody/aggressive after around 6pm ish onwards.

Sorry...waffling on now.....

 

[meme]

I wasn't offered direct payments and had I been I would have said no. The thought of more accounting and organizing was a no no! My mums LA carers are regular..teething problems at the beginnning but once establshed she has 4 visits a day and most are by one carer she loves and various others who are regulars with the occasional fill in. I can change times as i did with her early morning visit to be earlier and her last visit to also be earlier as she lays down in bed and sleeps like a log around 7/8pm!! And after 6 months I was asked if we were happy with the carers agencey...and as we were they stay another year and so on....

 

[larivy]

In Essex there is a team called Essex pass they do all the accounts for you they get the money direct from social services and deal with all the taxes and stamps they even organise insurance incase of any accidents there is no charge for this service all you do is give the carer their wage slip it goes directly into their account I'm sure there are other boroughs that do this just look on line or ask your social worker or cab hope this helps larivy

 

[Billie61]

Thanks all.
I think we will delay starting the direct payments until such time that we have problems with the carers sourced by the council.
There is so much going on at the moment that I cannot manage that as well for the time being. Anything to make life easier.