After all the saga we had in July to get MIL into appropriate care - documented at length earlier in this thread - we requested under FOI to see the social workers report. To say it was inaccurate was an understatement. Husband and I went through it line by line and requested inserts, amendments and deletions on certain comments. Luckily, I had made meticulous notes at the time so felt in a strong position to do this. We’re not usually this pedantic ( well, not until we got involved in this whole scenario! ) but there was clearly a question in the SW’s mind about our intentions, which we wanted removed from the records. We’re both just a boring middle aged couple that have never rocked the boat or challenged authority to see some of the comments and observations made about us were very upsetting.
One entry said that I had “put the phone down on the occupational therapist” I definitely didn’t and when I queried this, the response was, “at the end of any telephone conversation, the receiver is put down” Maybe, but the clear inference was that I’d put it down in temper!
The NHS/county council have now come back and acknowledged some errors on their part and agreed to amend their records plus keep a note on file that we had challenged the contents but that others will stand as they stand by the “author’s accuracy”
One of the things that has outraged me personally the most is an email exchange between the SW and the care agency manager. She had written in an almost casual, matey way to the SW about she found my husband aggressive, confrontational and bullying to herself and his mother. She’s even recorded that she overheard my husband tell his mother, “You’re going into a care home because it’s cheaper and that’s it!” That was never said, and certainly never in that tone. We did try to explain the difference in cost to MIL but didn’t ever force the issue because it was very apparent that she didn’t grasp the concept and was unable to retain enough information to process it, so it would have been pointless anyway. There were several other embellishments added that certainly weren’t said by us. The email was written retrospectively and in my records, on that day, we merely all met at MIL’s home to assess and discuss arrangements for her ongoing care. There were no conflicts or clashes - just a general look-see visit by the agency.
Paradoxically, the manager had expressed a personal opinion that she believed we were motivated by money, despite the fact that her agency were charging MIL a massive amount for her care and would stand to lose a substantial contract if she moved into residential care. If anyone was motivated by financial gain, it was her company!
My dilemma is; as MIL is now happy and settled in residential care and we’ve got the best for her in the end, do we just let it go? I’m torn between just shrugging my shoulders and walking away and on the other hand, wanting to challenge the scurrilous note about my husband.