BBC News Elderly to get personal care cash

[gigi]

Oh dearI'll keep posting on this. I'm planning a break in April and my daughter has offered to come and stay as she knows Eric and is more capable than anyone else I could imagine. As I understand it currently I can apply for funding for respite care but haven't got any further than that. The people I rely on for info tell me it will be too expensive to keep Eric at home while I go away and he will only get funding if admitted to respite care-what a nonsense. So.... Christmas is coming and I've just handed in my notice at work.... but.. I'm on the case. Realise this new thing hasn't come into being yet but think it's all a bit of a mess. I was told at Eric's SS(!) assessment that we could buy in services for respite-so am still VERY I'll try to phone them before Christmas to clarify our own personal situation and will keep you posted. Maybe I'm missing something somwhere-it's all very new and strange to me and quite honestly fills me with fear and dread-another reason to give up work. I really don't know how all of you out there caring for loved ones mange to cope with work as well-this is a minefield of beaurocracy(have I spelt that right)Am getting angrier by the minute.... but we've just put our tree up and Eric and I sang "we wish you a merry christmas" as Eric put the angel on top and I switched the lights on-and he told me he loved me! So... not all bad Oh dear-I've been ranting-sorry folks x

 

[Chrissyan]

Well it has very little press coverage saw nothing on todays news.

You are correct gigi &jenniferpa what happens to the elderly & confused that have no one to look out for them, will it be even harder for them to get swept up into the system now? Social services help is better than none.

TinaT You have been eating or drinking at your keyboard, naughty girl. Try tipping it upside down and banging it about if it's crumbs or a paperclip or something it will dislodge. If it's a drink you have spilt it will be a bit more difficult to sort out.

gigi it's going to be very complicated as you are going away at the start of a new system & know one will know their way around it. Good luck you will really need it.

 

[gigi]

Thanks for your good luck wishes chrissyann- am hoping once I leave work i'll have the energy to delve a bit more and deal with these things-but just for now it scares me-applying for CA online was a nightmare and I'm pretty well educated too-how do old/ill/vulnerable people deal with all this c**p- it does make me angry. Is it also a case of different local authorities have different guidelines? More info welcome... Love Gigi x

 

[Lucille]

Hello all

Have just read your posts with interest. Jennifer, I think you are right, this sounds like Direct Payments! I find it worrying that it implies we won't be able to opt out. As I mentioned on a thread last month, it was suggested by SS, that I take up this option for mum. However, on speaking to the squad at Direct Payments, they admitted it might be tricky as I am caring at a distance. As some of you have mentioned how will someone manage if they don't have anyone acting for them. When I had my carer's assessment the other day the social worker again mentioned Direct Payments. I highlighted that if one person couldn't come in to see to mum, I'd have to find someone at short notice and how would I manage, and she said I had a point! Also, I don't want the responsibility of having to acquaint myself with employment law and PAYE. I am not on the doorstep and neither are friends or neighbours to take this on regularly.

I was told that Direct Payments can pay for the existing care package we have and 'add-ons', but then why change the existing package? Why not buy in the add ons when needed. It's all very confusing ... worryingly so for those who, as someone said, thinks it's the 'holy grail'. I can imagine some government crony sat in his office thinking up a report headed up 'Elderly Care.' I bet his hand was aching having to keep using the delete key to exclude the words 'Direct Payments'. Oh, go on, just call me a cynic!

TinaT - hope you fixed your keyboard, I had to laugh ... but also admire your perseverance!

 

[towncrier]

what about me?

I keep seeing references in the media to care services, payments for carers and pension credits for people on the basic state pension (which therefore is officially less than needed to live on). The general public seems to believe therefore, that all carers are helped.
I look after my Alzheimer partnerin my home, 24/7, but I can't be paid a carers allowance because I am myself a pensioner and "you can't have more than one state benefit."
He is not entitled to a top up (pension credit) to his income because I am in receipt of occupational pension which makes our joint income (a little) too high for him to get it.
If I want to apply for help, such as respite care for myself, I will have to have means assessment. This I absolutely won't do, because the small means and saving I have are the result of thrift throughout my working years and were achieved after paying tax. Because my occupational pension exists alongside my old age pension I still find myself paying tax. Now, in effect, the Government will confiscate my assets if it can. It turns out to have been a poor idea to try and provide for my own old age.
Although my partner lives with me, I have always kept our finacial affairs separate, apart from my giving him assistance voluntarily . For years I managed his finances and correspondence for him, dealing with tax and other officials. (He was unable to do all this for himself, mainly because of dyslexia, for years before the Alzheimer's diagnosis). I took him to live with me when he was about to be transferred for his medical check-ups to a hospital in his home town, where a scandal of elder abuse had been reported. No-one was ever prosecuted for it as the patients were incappabe of giving evidence. So he came to live with me in the neighbouring health authority area.
I deliberately chose not to marry him because I wished to keep our afairs separate, and options open for both of us but since then, by government decree, partners are regarded as married. At least married people can divorce.
The only way I can think of not to be financially, physically and emotionally drained would be to tell the social services and health authorities to take over his care because, despite wanting him to have best care, which he gets from me,I resent being forced to do for him at my expense, what I always have done for him voluntarily.