Getting diagnosed/help

[Megan101]

Hello everyone,
My Nan now lives on her own as my Grandad hs just passed away. She has had symptoms of dementia/alzheimers for about 1.5 years and now she is living on her own it is more obvious. We are doing every thing we can to help her but also need some help.

With coronavirus her local memory clinic which would be able to diagnose her is closed. I am just wondering if anyone else is facing this issue and if there is a way around it. We want to do everything to help her but am stuck as to what resources to access and how to get her diagnosed so she could get a carer.

 

[canary]

Hi @Megan101 and welcome to DTP. I am so sorry to hear about your Grandad - please accept my condolences.

You dont actually need a diagnosis to get carers - it depends entirely on need. My OH has carers in to help him shower, shave and dress even though he does not yet have a formal diagnosis (he has all the symptoms of frontotemporal dementia).

If your nan would be self-funding - ie she has savings of £25,000 or more - then you can just go ahead and get someone in. Phone several agencies up and talk to them, just like you might if you were getting somone in to fix the roof and then decide which you prefer. If your nan doesnt have that much savings then she could get Local Authority to help with the cost. Contact Social Services for a needs assessment. Once it is decided what help she requires, then there will be a financial assessment to work out what she would need to contribute.

 

[Megan101]

Hi @Megan101 and welcome to DTP. I am so sorry to hear about your Grandad - please accept my condolences.

You dont actually need a diagnosis to get carers - it depends entirely on need. My OH has carers in to help him shower, shave and dress even though he does not yet have a formal diagnosis (he has all the symptoms of frontotemporal dementia).

If your nan would be self-funding - ie she has savings of £25,000 or more - then you can just go ahead and get someone in. Phone several agencies up and talk to them, just like you might if you were getting somone in to fix the roof and then decide which you prefer. If your nan doesnt have that much savings then she could get Local Authority to help with the cost. Contact Social Services for a needs assessment. Once it is decided what help she requires, then there will be a financial assessment to work out what she would need to contribute.

Thank you I really appreciate the response, it’s very helpful. My Nan has less than £25,000 so I think the care assessment is the way forward. Do you know if social service carers are able to take their patients out just on walks and things? Just wondering. Thanks for everything.

 

[canary]

Do you know if social service carers are able to take their patients out just on walks and things?

Yes, they can do this, but there are also charities like the Red Cross, and Crossroads that will do this too, although there might be a bit of a waiting list and they are not actually working at the moment because of covid - though they will be soon.

 

[canary]

Just to add - if your mum is lonely and wants to do things, then she would probably find day care good and they will often send transport to pick them up.

Unfortunately, she would probably require a diagnosis for this as somewhere specifically for dementia would probably be best and they dont usually accept people without a diagnosis. Its something to bear in mind once you have a diagnosis, though.

 

[Megan101]

Just to add - if your mum is lonely and wants to do things, then she would probably find day care good and they will often send transport to pick them up.

Unfortunately, she would probably require a diagnosis for this as somewhere specifically for dementia would probably be best and they dont usually accept people without a diagnosis. Its something to bear in mind once you have a diagnosis, though.

Thank you for the suggestions I think we’re definitly going to look into the day care. Especially as she is not that bad at the moment it would be good to get her out when it’s possible to do so. Thanks again.