Dear Wendy,
You sound so desperate - I am sure there is some help out there for you!
Unfortunately, I don't know what 'laws' apply where you live, but I will tell you how it works for us.
First of all, who told you that you'd need carers in seven days a week? Have you and your husband had assessments (separate for patient and carer)? Has anyone explored alternatives with you, such as Day Centres, Befrienders, etc?
Once the amount of care needed is assessed, your husband will have a financial assessment. In our case, he had to declare all his income, savings and expenses. If his savings are below a certain threshold (I think it is around £12000, but you need to check this figure out: the Citizen Advice Bureau would probably be able to help you with this, or even your Care Worker), he will qualify for funded care, which means you will not have to pay for it. This is obviously very important if you are working hard to keep a roof over your head and also to feed your family.
I felt just like you: I could not imagine having someone else in our home to look after my husband while I went out to work. But I have got used to it, and I recognise that it is the best compromise for us both!
To begin with, we had someone in for an hour a day to help hubby with lunch, a drink, and to make sure he was ok. Over a period of 6 months our situation deteriorated considerably, and we now have a care package of 20 hours per week (as assessed and funded by Social Services). In addition to that, our daughters pop in and help out while I am at work, and occasionally, I use a private care agency to cover an extra hour here and there .....
We have a lovely CPN (Community Psychiatric Nurse) who visits every fortnight and knows that before long, we may need to ask for the care package to be reviewed in the hope that they may add a few hours.
Very important: there are other financial benefits you need to explore.
1. Does your husband receive Attendance Allowance? (You can apply on his behalf if he can't do it, and a CPN or Care Worker should be able to help you with this).
2. Have you applied for Council Tax Relief? You should get 25% off - every little helps.
I hope this has given you a few tips and a little bit of hope. You are facing endless forms and a heap of beaurocratic red tape, but it's worth it in the end!
Please keep us posted, and 'good luck'.