ADVICE & INFO PLEASE RE- SOCIAL SERVICES

[leicester61]

Hi All
some of you may remember that i started a carers group last year for carers of anyone with dementia. Its going very well and most times we are all able to support/advise and help one another. However I cant get my head around this next query so Im hoping someone here can help. One of our carers looks after her husband who has AZ, he has had an assessment from social services and been given some paid time at a day centre. His wife has also had an assessment and been given 3 hours per week to use. Now social services are saying that she can only use this as a sitting service for her husband, what she would like to do is tag these 3 hours onto his time at the day centre. They are both late 70's/80's. She does this all by herself, and he needs care 24/7. She is so fragile at the moment, particularly when she rarely gets a break. What I cant understand is what difference does it make to social services what she uses the 3 hours for, so long as it benefits her respite. So Im hoping there is someone here who can tell me whether they are allowed to do this, and what can I do to sort this out for her, Im wondering if my next step is to talk to the local MP because social services are just not making sense on this one.
thanking you in anticipation
Suz x

 

[marionq]

Hi All
some of you may remember that i started a carers group last year for carers of anyone with dementia. Its going very well and most times we are all able to support/advise and help one another. However I cant get my head around this next query so Im hoping someone here can help. One of our carers looks after her husband who has AZ, he has had an assessment from social services and been given some paid time at a day centre. His wife has also had an assessment and been given 3 hours per week to use. Now social services are saying that she can only use this as a sitting service for her husband, what she would like to do is tag these 3 hours onto his time at the day centre. They are both late 70's/80's. She does this all by herself, and he needs care 24/7. She is so fragile at the moment, particularly when she rarely gets a break. What I cant understand is what difference does it make to social services what she uses the 3 hours for, so long as it benefits her respite. So Im hoping there is someone here who can tell me whether they are allowed to do this, and what can I do to sort this out for her, Im wondering if my next step is to talk to the local MP because social services are just not making sense on this one.
thanking you in anticipation
Suz x

The first question is whether or not the day centre would be able to accommodate this. My husband's centre finishes at 3 pm so they wouldnt be able to offer this. Of course they could offer another day and those three hours could be part of this. The important thing is what the carer feels would be best for them.

I would love to go to the theatre occasionally on a Friday night but would require 4/5 hours for this and that's hard to come by.

Your carer needs to be listened to. Good luck.

 

[tss502]

Hi,

It should be stated in the care assessment and carer's assessment what the hours have been granted for. I would first ask to see a copy of both of these if they haven't already been provided and you can then see the rationale and justification for this in more detail. It sounds unusual to me for Social Services to insist that this has to be a sitting service - in my experience they normally just state it's for (eg carer respite and leave it up to you to decide how best to use those hours.

 

[leicester61]

The first question is whether or not the day centre would be able to accommodate this. My husband's centre finishes at 3 pm so they wouldnt be able to offer this. Of course they could offer another day and those three hours could be part of this. The important thing is what the carer feels would be best for them.

I would love to go to the theatre occasionally on a Friday night but would require 4/5 hours for this and that's hard to come by.

Your carer needs to be listened to. Good luck.

Hi
thank you for replying, theres no issue with the day centre theres plenty of room. And the carer absolutely needs this respite, even if she spends it at home alone. It just beggars belief that once again not only are carers not listened too but dont receive the support/help that they so desparetly need
suz x

 

[Beate]

The difference probably is in the cost - day care and sitting service are probably priced differently. You also need to follow the rules. When I wanted to make half a day at the day centre into a full day, I couldn't just tell the day centre to use 3 hours of sitting service. For starters, the sitting service was with Age UK and not transferable, but also, the day centre needs to be paid properly for all their hours, so SS have to expressly put it into the care plan that they will be paid for a full day instead of half a day. Sorry, but it all needs to be agreed by SS properly, so if you want more time at the day centre, you need to tell them so they can officially agree to it. No service will take someone without the funding being agreed on it.

 

[leicester61]

Hi,

It should be stated in the care assessment and carer's assessment what the hours have been granted for. I would first ask to see a copy of both of these if they haven't already been provided and you can then see the rationale and justification for this in more detail. It sounds unusual to me for Social Services to insist that this has to be a sitting service - in my experience they normally just state it's for (eg carer respite and leave it up to you to decide how best to use those hours.

Hi
thank you for replying,thats helped already the suggestion at looking at the assessment, which i will do. Then hopefully from that i can move forward with social services. I also have not come across such stringent rules before when choosing what to use your hours for.
Suz x

 

[leicester61]

The first question is whether or not the day centre would be able to accommodate this. My husband's centre finishes at 3 pm so they wouldnt be able to offer this. Of course they could offer another day and those three hours could be part of this. The important thing is what the carer feels would be best for them.

I would love to go to the theatre occasionally on a Friday night but would require 4/5 hours for this and that's hard to come by.

Your carer needs to be listened to. Good luck.

Just a thought does your local alzheimers society run the Side by Side project, if they do then a volunteer is matched up with the dementia sufferer and would be able to sit with your husband whilst you go out, my hubby has such a volunteer every monday for 4 hours. There is a bit of a waiting list here but its worth enquiring
suz x

 

[leicester61]

The difference probably is in the cost - day care and sitting service are probably priced differently. You also need to follow the rules. When I wanted to make half a day at the day centre into a full day, I couldn't just tell the day centre to use 3 hours of sitting service. For starters, the sitting service was with Age UK and not transferable, but also, the day centre needs to be paid properly for all their hours, so SS have to expressly put it into the care plan that they will be paid for a full day instead of half a day. Sorry, but it all needs to be agreed by SS properly, so if you want more time at the day centre, you need to tell them so they can officially agree to it. No service will take someone without the funding being agreed on it.

Hi thanks for replying, just sent you a lengthy reply but its not posted so here goes again lol
as it happens, the day centre is cheaper than the sitting service that shes been offered ( sitting service age uk one) Also she has already got the time agreed by the day centre as soon as she gets the funding. However when her assessment came through it was ss who decided on a sitting service, she contacted them and said that this isnt what she wants and could she not use the day centre instead, ss are saying no. My question is, is there any recourse on this, i had the sitting service for my OH but it really didnt suit or work out so contacted ss and changed it, he now uses the day centre 2 days a week, which is fantastic.
i would like to find out what rules or maybe policies they work by, do you know who i could contact. In the meantime i will call them again tommorow and see if I can speak to someone who would answer these questions.
suz x

 

[marionq]

Hi thanks for replying, just sent you a lengthy reply but its not posted so here goes again lol
as it happens, the day centre is cheaper than the sitting service that shes been offered ( sitting service age uk one) Also she has already got the time agreed by the day centre as soon as she gets the funding. However when her assessment came through it was ss who decided on a sitting service, she contacted them and said that this isnt what she wants and could she not use the day centre instead, ss are saying no. My question is, is there any recourse on this, i had the sitting service for my OH but it really didnt suit or work out so contacted ss and changed it, he now uses the day centre 2 days a week, which is fantastic.
i would like to find out what rules or maybe policies they work by, do you know who i could contact. In the meantime i will call them again tommorow and see if I can speak to someone who would answer these questions.
suz x

I would think each local authority had its own policy on these matters.

 

[mab]

Just last week I had the answer that the LA were giving me Direct Payments towards a sitting service. These cannot be used to 'care' for my OH, but should be used as a sitting service to give me respite to have the much needed breaks. Basically they are for MY benefit, not his.
Maybe different authorities have different rules.

 

[leicester61]

Just last week I had the answer that the LA were giving me Direct Payments towards a sitting service. These cannot be used to 'care' for my OH, but should be used as a sitting service to give me respite to have the much needed breaks. Basically they are for MY benefit, not his.
Maybe different authorities have different rules.

Hi
thanks for replying, yes i think its one of those 'muddy areas' and changes with each local authority as someone else has just mentioned. I'll give them a call tommorow and see if i can get someone to clarify this. They really dont make anything easy for us eh.
suz x