Do any other 24/7 Carers of a PWD ( mid stage) try to work from Home?

[maryjoan]

Sadly, I often find myself on the couch with him, watching mindless stuff.....it tends to be along the antique show line. Life is funny, when our kids were little I had a room I could lock where I kept the TV so I could make sure they did not just sit in front of the TV. But now I find myself there. Luckily not all the time.

Oh, we must not forget the antique shows. I have always enjoyed Antiques Roadshow, but the Bargain Hunt, Flog It , Antiques Roadtrip etc etc are on all the time with himself. Anita Manning and Charles Hanson amuse me - but I don't really need to watch them all day long with himself, and if I see another 'Over 50's Funeral Plan' I will scream!!! All the adverts are so aimed at people who, sadly, have to sit watching TV most of the time.

It has long been said that the TV 'baby sits' children, but it also babysits whose who are following Shakespeare's Seven Ages of Man.

 

[kindred]

Geology with the open university. It is my life saver.

I will be 62 in October and have another 4 and a half years until pension. I get nothing, not even carers allowance as I am still waiting for the DLA people to decide if dad should go up to the middle rate or not. I will have to top up my national insurance as well or pension will be short.

On the other hand I hardly need money as I have no opportunity to spend it. I buy nothing and my husband keeps me although I am only home for the afternoons.

Geology, how wonderful is that!! Congratulations, that shows style.

 

[Laura40]

Mary Joan,
Your post about daytime tv to resonates completely as I usually hate daytime tv but I have to own up as I found myself watching some in the school holidays. I actually got to sneaking in to our lounge to sit and watch it by myself! Can't blame anyone else for this but it was basically a way to switch off. I think when I had stopped work for the summer holidays I was so tired with the all the changes and responsibilities it was one little area to relax my brain, took no brain power whatsoever.

 

[PalSal]

Oh, we must not forget the antique shows. I have always enjoyed Antiques Roadshow, but the Bargain Hunt, Flog It , Antiques Roadtrip etc etc are on all the time with himself. Anita Manning and Charles Hanson amuse me - but I don't really need to watch them all day long with himself, and if I see another 'Over 50's Funeral Plan' I will scream!!! All the adverts are so aimed at people who, sadly, have to sit watching TV most of the time.

It has long been said that the TV 'baby sits' children, but it also babysits whose who are following Shakespeare's Seven Ages of Man.

I have applied to go on Bargain Hunt with my sister in law who lives in Sheffield. I am not sure they will be interested in us as I would have to come from abroad but I love the show. I like Paul Ladlow...and Anita and Charles and Caroline Hawley and Thomas Plant. I am a real fan. Silly.

 

[Amethyst59]

The only reason I am coping financially, is because my husband has a personal pension that keeps him in a beautiful care home, and me at home. I gave up work to look after him when he got cancer a few months after we married, and then he was diagnosed with dementia about 18 months after he got the all clear from cancer. I have no personal pension coming as I gave up a teaching post years ago, to care for my late husband who had cancer. I am not due to get the state pension for another seven years.
If Martin could not support us both now, he would be in a state funded home...no, actually, he would still be at home, with me run into the ground looking after him, because the LA will only fund a care home place when it is absolutely the last resort. The carer’s allowance is a joke.
I had to live on that and my late husband’s state pension when he had cancer. My two youngest children received EMA at the top rate of £30 a week, which just covered their travel to school (they were both in sixth form, so no state funded travel) and school dinners. My eldest daughter used to give them a monthly allowance so that they could afford to go out for coffee with friends after school...and they both had Saturday jobs, and worked part time while at Uni.
It is a nightmare, for those with young families, or those who need to work.

 

[allchange]

Ollibelle - could you apply for early release of your husband's pension on health/compassionate grounds? It's worth seeing what if any provisions his pension scheme has for this especially if it is a final salary scheme. Otherwise it could be worth seeing an IFA (independent financial adviser) about possibly moving your husband's work pension (assuming he paid into one) to another pension provider under the 2015 pension freedoms. Then it may be possible to drawdown a pension now as your husband is 55. I think a lot of IFA's will offer a free hour session to see if it looks a runner or not. Otherwise Pensionwise could probably offer some free initial advice.

Do ensure that you are not disadvantaged long term though, e.g. if you would ultimately get a 50% widows pension. If there is no widows provision currently then moving any private pension could enable you to inherit any unused pension capital remaining in due course.

Editted to add pension freedoms do not apply to unfunded government pension schemes, i.e. those where the pensions are ultimately paid via taxes and not an invested pension fund.

 

[allchange]

Amethyst59 - what a kind daughter/nice sister.

 

[maryjoan]

The only reason I am coping financially, is because my husband has a personal pension that keeps him in a beautiful care home, and me at home. I gave up work to look after him when he got cancer a few months after we married, and then he was diagnosed with dementia about 18 months after he got the all clear from cancer. I have no personal pension coming as I gave up a teaching post years ago, to care for my late husband who had cancer. I am not due to get the state pension for another seven years.
If Martin could not support us both now, he would be in a state funded home...no, actually, he would still be at home, with me run into the ground looking after him, because the LA will only fund a care home place when it is absolutely the last resort. The carer’s allowance is a joke.
I had to live on that and my late husband’s state pension when he had cancer. My two youngest children received EMA at the top rate of £30 a week, which just covered their travel to school (they were both in sixth form, so no state funded travel) and school dinners. My eldest daughter used to give them a monthly allowance so that they could afford to go out for coffee with friends after school...and they both had Saturday jobs, and worked part time while at Uni.
It is a nightmare, for those with young families, or those who need to work.

Yes, what a kind and understanding daughter and sister to your other children - and how hardworking you all are - they are a credit to you.