Dear Carol,
Many thanks for your support.
I feel that I've been manipulated by the 'system' right from the beginning when my parents were diagnosed with AD. I was extremely naive at the beginning of this trip. NOT NOW...
I was 'advised' to sell our family home to place my parents in Warden Assisted accommodation. It was incredibly expensive but I'd spent 11 months looking after my parents at home alone, so I did as was suggested by the SS.
The Warden assisted accommodation owners then 'advised' me after 2 years that they had no EMI registration. They then insisted that my parents had to move immediately. They then 'advised' me to place my parents in an EMI Nursing Home. I spent several months checking this out. I was told that my parents had different AD needs and would not be able to stay together and probably not even the same Home. I was 'advised' that this was the best possible course of action, although my parents have been married for 63 years and I knew that they would certainly die without each other. I resisted a great deal of pressure and 'advice' to split them up.
When I decided to rent a bungalow and for us to all live together again, I was 'advised' by just about everyone from the CPN's to the SS, that I was making a serious mistake, despite having found some incredibly good carers. By this time, I was getting a bit sick and tired of being given advice.
We've been living in this bungalow for the past 10 months. My parents are in incredibly good health, they are eating us out of house and home - almost 4 times the amount of food that they used to consume I'm happy to say. They are walking 2-3 times a day and are bright, relaxed and happy. I've reduced their Nursing Home fees and expenses by a significant amount each month and the balance is spent on decent, wholesome food and plenty of excursions for them.
The Consultant Psychiatrist visited us last week and in his own words was 'delighted and amazed at how well my parents are'.
I've got this far pretty well alone. My parents are 86 and I think they might just go on for another very happy few years in this way.
I've got off the point here, but basically I'm looking after my parents and my parents' finances after having some extremely BAD ADVICE in the past from presumably 'wellmeaning' people in authority.
So as far I'm concerned, I will continue to look after my parents in the way that I see fit, to the best of my ability. I will also use any or all of their money to do so, with the blessing of my family. And so far as I'm concerned, the COP can quite frankly, get stuffed!
I have NO intention of complying with the COP in what I feel is another thinly veiled attack by this Govt to ascertain the details of my parents' funds and to control or redirect their finances before they die.
Sorry to take up your time, but thanks anyway.
Jude