Help and support?

[freddie65]

Hi,

Can anyone please offer any advice on what support is available from GP's/Community Nurses to support an elderly person who has been suffering from Alzheimer's for several years and lives at home alone.

In particular, is there a statutory requirement to support the person in the home when the condition develops to the level where falls are common and normal daily life is almost impossible for the sufferer to cope with?

 

[MartinWL]

The local authority has the responsibility for support. Ask adult social services to do a care needs assessment. There are many things to consider. Care has to be paid for, but if she has less than £23250 in savings the council will pay. Someone needs to have powers of attorney to manage her finances. If you share more about the situation people here will try to help.

 

[Bunpoots]

Welcome to Dementia Talking Point @freddie65

As Martin has said you need to get a care needs assessment from SS unless the Alzheimer’s sufferer will be self funding but unless you have LPA you won’t be able to arrange anything without the agreement of the PWD.

I don’t think one can force the local authority to pay for 24hr care at home but self-funders can choose this option although it is very expensive. It’s also very difficult for a carer to deal with a dementia patient once they’ve reached this stage and a carehome, where there’s a whole team of people working together, is often a better option.

We can help more with specifics if you let us know a little more about the situation.

 

[Violet Jane]

The general rule for most LAs seems to be that if a person cannot manage with four visits a day s/he has to go into residential care. At least that is the position for people who are funded by the LA. People who are entirely self-funding can have whatever they want, subject to a care agency being able to provide it. That includes live-in and overnight care which, at least in my LA, the LA won't fund. We are now in this situation with an elderly friend. As she is a self-funder she could have live-in care. We are waiting for another needs assessment from the LA as we don't have any standing to make any decisions about where she should live, my husband only being her attorney for finance and property (nobody has a PoA for health and welfare and she has no close family at all).

You should certainly check your LA's policies. Some might be more generous than others.

In practice, the risk of falls is very difficult to manage, particularly in the case of a PWD who cannot retain advice about how to reduce the risk. You should try to get to the bottom of what is causing the falls (it can vary from fall to fall and more than one factor might be at play at one time). An OT should look at the home environment to see whether your mother needs any aids or adaptations, At the end of the day, there comes a point where the falls become so frequent that it is no longer safe or appropriate for the person to live alone, even with carers coming in, particularly if s/he is not able to summon help quickly via a pendant alarm or falls sensor.