I'm wondering if it would be of benefit for us to change to a system of Direct Payments. Currently we get double up carers twice a day to get my husband up in the morning and put him to bed at night, additionally I get 6 hours of sits a week. SS have also approved 4 weeks a year respite care, which it's expected he will spend in a Nursing Home. Places are very hard to find for respite, and I don't like the idea much, so having someone I trust to live in while I go away would be preferable. I'm meeting with someone from SS on Thursday to discuss this but from preliminary enquiries don't think it's going to be feasible as the Care Agency we're with charge a higher rate if you get services from them privately, and the cost of having someone to live in for a few days is astronomical. The system SS use here is to put money onto a Credit Card that you can use to pay for care, and as we're partly self funding, we would also have to make a payment onto this card. The difficulty with that is you can only pay people who have a facility to take payments this way, which rules out most individuals. Also I understand you get into employment law and issues with Ni and pension provision.
I would really appreciate advice from anyone who is using this system successfully or otherwise. Thanks a lot in advance.
I would really appreciate advice from anyone who is using this system successfully or otherwise. Thanks a lot in advance.
