HELP: need practical advice on getting a good care package from the council

[Relm]

Can anyone point me to a site which offers practical information on how to get a good care package from the local council?

We are in the middle of applying for a care package for my mum who has moderate to severe dementia and who wishes to remain in her own home with me there. I have Lasting Power of Attorney so I can speak up for my mother's wishes. I have my own illness which requires care which means I can provide only supervision.

Even allowing for budget cutbacks, the package currently on offer from the council is rather basic and almost unworkable unless family members put in time they don't have spare. The council are proving very hard negotiators.

For example, in addition to daily personal care the current proposal makes provision for only 7 hours a week for all other support activities. This would include:

• 1 hour for shopping,
• 1 hour for housework,
• 1 hour for doctors visits (my Mum averages 1.5 medical visits a week).

This leaves 4 hours a week for:

• visiting a day centre
  [*]companionship & socialising
  [*]cover for my holidays
  [*]attend a club or activity
  [*]etc

I know looking after someone with dementia is not going to be easy but this is almost unworkable.

The council seem to be giving us minimal information, not showing us my mother's assessment (until we asked), telling us financial information only by phone as they claim not to have any printed info about this, etc. Local advocacy charities, such as Age UK, aren't able to offer any practical help.

Maybe there are routes such as making an appeal or complaint before our application goes any further within the system.

Any advice?

 

[cragmaid]

I do not know of anyone who gets Local Authority support for Doctor Visits. If your mother cannot attend a GP under her own/ with family/friend support, then she could have home visits.
If she needs to visit the GP then her Attendance Allowance could be used to pay for a carer to accompany her.

Financial consideration of her income will be taken to ensure that if she needs Respite Care while you are away on holiday, the funding will be available. Likewise she would normally be expected to pay a contribution for Day Centres etc.
Many LAs do not provide shopping cover especially if a client does not live alone.

My own late mother only qualified for 5.5 hours carers plus 2 hours cleaning/laundry per week( which she paid for) because she lived alone and was registered blind with Dementia and certain other health needs which meant her medication had to be delivered at particular times of the day.. I actually had to refuse to perform these tasks before she got any help.


There is only a limited amount of funding available. Sadly clubs and socialising do not come free.

 

[legolover]

You say you need care yourself. Does this mean you have your own care package? How do you do your own shopping and doesnt your mum's shopping form part of that if you live together? Its certainly true that day centres, clubs, carers to accompany people arent normally free. Does your mum receive all the benefits she is entitled to, and therefore can use some of that money to pay for care, which is what it is meant for? How many hours (visits per day) for personal care visits are the council funding?

Lots of questions to think about.

My MIL has to pay for all her own care

 

[Pear trees]

My mum had to pay for her own care when it was done through SS, the agency was useless with 15 minute visits and rushed carers who were always late and often rude.
The only way you could get the care you want is to go private, some agencies will arrange carers to go to gp and daycare, and pay for the carer's time.

 

[Rosettastone57]

Can anyone point me to a site which offers practical information on how to get a good care package from the local council?

We are in the middle of applying for a care package for my mum who has moderate to severe dementia and who wishes to remain in her own home with me there. I have Lasting Power of Attorney so I can speak up for my mother's wishes. I have my own illness which requires care which means I can provide only supervision.

Even allowing for budget cutbacks, the package currently on offer from the council is rather basic and almost unworkable unless family members put in time they don't have spare. The council are proving very hard negotiators.

For example, in addition to daily personal care the current proposal makes provision for only 7 hours a week for all other support activities. This would include:

• 1 hour for shopping,
• 1 hour for housework,
• 1 hour for doctors visits (my Mum averages 1.5 medical visits a week).

This leaves 4 hours a week for:

• visiting a day centre
  [*]companionship & socialising
  [*]cover for my holidays
  [*]attend a club or activity
  [*]etc

I know looking after someone with dementia is not going to be easy but this is almost unworkable.

The council seem to be giving us minimal information, not showing us my mother's assessment (until we asked), telling us financial information only by phone as they claim not to have any printed info about this, etc. Local advocacy charities, such as Age UK, aren't able to offer any practical help.

Maybe there are routes such as making an appeal or complaint before our application goes any further within the system.

Any advice?

I'm going to be blunt. I think this is unrealistic to expect the LA to fund as much as you would like. No LA is going to cover costs of going to the doctor. My MIL is self funding and pays for everything. Even when she went to the local day centres those people who were supported by SS still had to make some small contribution. With the current financial climate I don't think everything is going to be covered. As others have commented who does the shopping now? If it's you then SS aren't going to change this. Why not have things delivered? Are you getting your full AA and other benefits?