Hello all
Have just had a review with mum's CPN, support worker, SW and agency carer and am still trying to get my head around it all. Would appreciate your views/experiences.
Briefly: mum lives alone, drop in carer for medication twice daily, has recently been taken off her AD medication.
During the review the CPN announced that as mum was no longer on AD medication, she and the support worker would be withdrawing from mum's care with immediate effect. This really upset me as they have been great and mum and the support worker really 'gel'. To add to this, the new SW who has just been assigned to mum, suggested I think about Direct Payments for mum's care plan instead of the agency carers we have now. This is so that I can manage mum's care. I was quite shocked and surprised at all this, especially when I asked who do I call to talk about mum when she goes into decline. 'Ring this number, it's a single point entry CHN'. Huh?! Is that the same as 'one of our helpful advisers in Mumbai will help you ... press 1 if your loved one is wandering, 2 if you have an incontinence query or 3 if you haven't a clue and need advice ... I'm sorry 3 is not available at present.'
So, now, I seem to be left with the unenviable task of becoming an 'employer', sorting out timesheets and PAYE. Whilst I appreciate that the Direct Payments route might be more appropriate for mum's care in the long-term, it's not going to be, as was suggested, 'getting a person in who can get to know your mum.' Surely, I'll have to get 2 or 3; they can't work 365 days a year and what if they're sick? I have a pile of info to digest so perhaps I'm putting the cart before the horse, but it is the prospect of completely wiping out what was seemingly a reasonable-in-the-circs arrangement, to starting all over again. I was also informed that the charity providing 'buddy' services, which I thought might be a suitable replacement for mum's support worker, does not CRB check anyone, so I could be leaving her exposed to anyone! I don't live near mum, so the logistics of setting all this up will be 'interesting' to say the least... interviews? probationary period?!! Nightmare.
Any views on Direct Payments or the withdrawal of CPN/Support Worker because mum's no longer on AD meds. And can anyone translate 'the Single Entry CHN' I know I should have asked but I felt like I'd been slapped and just couldn't get the words out. (Not usually a problem I have and re-reading this post, I guess you'd agree!)
Have just had a review with mum's CPN, support worker, SW and agency carer and am still trying to get my head around it all. Would appreciate your views/experiences.
Briefly: mum lives alone, drop in carer for medication twice daily, has recently been taken off her AD medication.
During the review the CPN announced that as mum was no longer on AD medication, she and the support worker would be withdrawing from mum's care with immediate effect. This really upset me as they have been great and mum and the support worker really 'gel'. To add to this, the new SW who has just been assigned to mum, suggested I think about Direct Payments for mum's care plan instead of the agency carers we have now. This is so that I can manage mum's care. I was quite shocked and surprised at all this, especially when I asked who do I call to talk about mum when she goes into decline. 'Ring this number, it's a single point entry CHN'. Huh?! Is that the same as 'one of our helpful advisers in Mumbai will help you ... press 1 if your loved one is wandering, 2 if you have an incontinence query or 3 if you haven't a clue and need advice ... I'm sorry 3 is not available at present.'
So, now, I seem to be left with the unenviable task of becoming an 'employer', sorting out timesheets and PAYE. Whilst I appreciate that the Direct Payments route might be more appropriate for mum's care in the long-term, it's not going to be, as was suggested, 'getting a person in who can get to know your mum.' Surely, I'll have to get 2 or 3; they can't work 365 days a year and what if they're sick? I have a pile of info to digest so perhaps I'm putting the cart before the horse, but it is the prospect of completely wiping out what was seemingly a reasonable-in-the-circs arrangement, to starting all over again. I was also informed that the charity providing 'buddy' services, which I thought might be a suitable replacement for mum's support worker, does not CRB check anyone, so I could be leaving her exposed to anyone! I don't live near mum, so the logistics of setting all this up will be 'interesting' to say the least... interviews? probationary period?!! Nightmare.
Any views on Direct Payments or the withdrawal of CPN/Support Worker because mum's no longer on AD meds. And can anyone translate 'the Single Entry CHN' I know I should have asked but I felt like I'd been slapped and just couldn't get the words out. (Not usually a problem I have and re-reading this post, I guess you'd agree!)