Catching up

[Short girl]

Hi - I've been off the radar a bit, but lots going on.
Truly humbled by a lot of comments I have read - we all do a grand job!
My Nan's started on the Aricept which has been so far, been hit and miss - same with her other medication, find loads of loose pills. It's in a medi-pak and the carer comes in the morning to prompt the breakfast ones (and now chuck any loose ones or ones left over) Of course the last resort is locking them all away, but am not prepared to go that route yet, besides the way I see it is that the breakfast pills are the most essential, the others (pain killer, anti immflammatory) not so essential.
The personal care - still not letting carers assist, I've gone in the last few Sunday mornings and persuaded her to have a bath and then let carer take over when they turn up (has a bathlift) -realise carers cannot make her if she declines - difficult to crack this one!! Anyway if I didn't she'd spend days in the same pair of knickers and vest!!! Oh and interchanges her clothes without washing them!! I've been ruthless and washed anything that smelt of stale perspiration or fusty. As you know it's hard work, but she's clean and fragrant - I am hopeful she'll let the carer assist eventually, especially once we get some bubbly bath in 'Lily of the Valley' (along with Avon's Timeless, her favourite fragrances - aromatherapy?)
On a positive note I now have Enduring power of Attorney duly registered and have an appointment with Nan's bank, also the Council as she now entitled to receive Full Council Tax Benefit (interestly - if you don't know - if someone has over £16K, gets AA and gets guarantee credit, they are entitled to Council Tax Benefit and I thought £16K was a ceiling, well it is in all other cases - Even I'm flummaxed by the benefits minefield!)
Not heard a dickie from Uncle in Canada lately and my Aunt is coming down as she normally does at Nan's birthday - miffed as I don't get asked, "hows mum these days?" and my Aunt surprised that she's lost weight - er, which part of she's self neglecting and not bothering to eat properly/enough are you having difficulty understanding!!! TAKEN FOREGRANTED is how I feel at times. Do any of you feel the same in your roles?
Enough of my rant.
Postive note, Nan's physio appointment went well, she was very cheerful and managed and enjoyed a shopping trip to ASDA.

 

[Linda Mc]

Glad you have some things sorted out especially the financial ones!

As to the medication do you think one of those Pivotell containers would help..the medication is in a carousel and an alarm goes when it is time to take it and the required dosage drops out. It has really helped me having one.

Linda x

 

[andrear]

HI Short Girl
Sounds like you are getting a bit of a result.
Rant all you like - thats what we are here for!!
Love AndreaX

 

[alfjess]

also the Council as she now entitled to receive Full Council Tax Benefit (interestly - if you don't know - if someone has over £16K, gets AA and gets guarantee credit, they are entitled to Council Tax Benefit and I thought £16K was a ceiling, well it is in all other cases - Even I'm flummaxed by the benefits minefield!)

Hi
I thought that anyone diagnosed with a mental impairment was totaly exempt from paying council tax. I know My parents were.

You are doing a great job of looking after your relative. It isn't easy.

Take care
Alfjess

 

[lesmisralbles]

Hi Alfjess

We pay full council tax, well, we get a reduction of £6 per week.
Does this mean with Ron having this illness, we do not have to pay the full amount ? If so, it would be a big, big help.
Barb & Ron X

 

[May]

Barb

Here you can get a reduction of 25% on council tax if you have a diagnosis of dementia(classed as mental health problem)and are living with you partner. If the person with the diagnosis lives alone they would be entitled to a 100% reduction, ie no council tax to pay. Don't think this varies much so if you're not getting 25% reduction would be worth checking.

 

[gill@anchorage5]

Council Tax Disregard

Good Morning

The following page on the CAB website

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/life/tax/council_tax.htm

gives details of discounts & those who may be disregarded for council tax. The list includes:-

"people who are severely mentally impaired"

"care workers and some live-in carers"

Our CPN helped Mum to apply for the discount some years ago (I think this was suggested when Dad started to get Attendance Allowance.) Dad is disregarded & so Mum receives 25% discount for being a "single occupant" for council tax purposes.

Interestingly it took me over a year to discover that I was also exempt at their address for being a full time carer for Dad, and that under section J - I was also exempt at my own home address, as I had moved in with Mum & Dad to care for them. Worth knowing if anyone finds themselves in the same situation.

I seem to recall though that Mum could not have claimed council tax disregard for being Dads carer as she is his spouse.

Hope this may be useful. As carers we don't get much - so "every little helps"!

Love

Gill x

 

[alfjess]

Hi Barb

Both of my parents have dementia so they were both exempt.

It is as others have said, if you are a spouse then you should apply for the 25% single occupier's discount.
Your husband would be exempt due to severe mental impairment.

Why an exemption doesn't cover the spouse as a carer, beggars belief, especially when they have given up a paying job to care.

Love
Alfjess

 

[Short girl]

Many thanks for all your supportive comments.

Re: Council Tax Benefit - I now do recall that anyone getting AA and Guarantee credit get fulls benefit, I believe the same applies if a carer ie. spouse lives there too. My Nan lives alone and she will get full benefit and she is going to get a refund too backdated to October when she got AA and PGC awarded, so thats £600 or thereabouts. I do know that even if a carer is does not get a carers allowance (because of their income being over the limited) like entitled but we are not going to give you anything! this still opens a gateway to CTB.

A Pivotell dispenser sounds like a good suggestion - they are difficult to tip up for some, you'd need to empty into a container. My mind is still working on the meds issue. So long as she get the morning pills, some being the most important, I am not too bothered about the others. She's not always compliant at times, but I see the MARs sheet is mainly ok.

My Uncle e-mailed me to say he's sent Nan a birthday card and ordered some Thornton's choc to be delivered - very nice - but my only concern is Nan will scoff the lot and end up being sick with me getting a confused phone call saying she feels lousy!! That's what happened last time. Did mention very subtally to my Uncle about this, my husband suprisingly told me I was initally a bit harsh and yes, well he is her son and who am I to say she can't eat chocolate as she makes can her choices and eat what she likes - that's dreadful and tantermount to abuse I guess (she's not a child) She hardly eats properly and she needs enough proper food to cushion the effects of 'treats' Lots of chocolate on a empty stomach is going to make anyone sick, in my case it would be a massive migraine with vomitting.

 

[Chrissyan]

Sounds like you are doing a brilliant job short girl. Goodness knows where your Gran would be without you.

 

[Margarita]

The personal care - still not letting carers assist, I've gone in the last few Sunday mornings and persuaded her to have a bath and then let carer take over when they turn up (has a bathlift) -realise carers cannot make her if she declines - difficult to crack this one!!

From my own experience when my mother declined to wash it was because she had a fear of getting into the bath water, also would not even let me wash her .

So I ask the OT to do an assessment on my mother getting in out of the bath as she was also finding that very hard to cooperate getting in out of bath so we had a walk in shower put it .

Then when we moved . The house we moved into was not adapted so it only had a bath & a shower over the bath .

So the OT thought rather then doing adaption taking bath out she would give my mother a bath lift .

For good 12 week my mother use the bath lift , but as she declined more in her mental ability her coordination got so bad that she refused to use the bath lift, as she felt that she would fall off it that if I was not care full in her panic on getting on to the bath lift she would fall onto me in panic.

So my mother been having a wash down in the downstairs toilet sink .

while the OT ( Occupational Therapist ) came around came around & has done a assessment for a specification shower over the toilet with slip resistant flooring also if shower over toilet is not feasible a surveyor will consider extending toilet room into living room so shower area can be created.( all starting in 6 weeks )

Even if you own your own property your local authority will fund all adaption work under the Local Authority private sector housing department disabled facilities grant.

My point in telling you all this is that Just may be its not that you Nan does not want to wash , but has the Symptoms of fear of water in the bath or getting into a bath chair .

For my mother I found that walk in shower made her feel more safe in having a wash , rather then getting into the bath .

even thought Just like you Nan my mother would flatly refused to even have a wash down , before I had walk in shower put into my Old flat were we use to live in .