Dear Barbara
I am learning slowly. If you are self-funded you are not entitled to any input from social services. The Home will draw up a Care Plan, and should do it to the normal standards, but do not need to involve you in it. They are supposed to review it after 6 weeks, and again after 6 months, and are supposed to invite you to that 6-month review. Thereafter it is reviewed every 12 months. BUT if it is a decent home, they will let you see the care plan at any time (I didn't ask, got a bit shirty about it), and if you want to be involved in the 6 week review you can be, and if you have concerns a Social Worker should be available to help. My undertstanding is that you do not have access to a Social worker as of right, but if you have concerns about the care you are getting, they have to respond to any reasonable request. This is all learnt in the last fortnight, after mum has been in the home for nearly 7 months.
Hope this helps, and do get back to us, cos I am in a similar position - awaiting that first six months review (now 7 months on), and have yet not seen the care plan.
To be fair, the Social worker originally assigned to mum before it was known that she was self-funding, has been helpful, and has offered to come with me to the first 6 month review, but this is purely ex-gratia. Things you should look for in the care plan include a risk assessment, is your mam at risk of falls, getting lost, mobility problems, does she need special feeding assistance, help with taking medication. What is in place to solve those issues, e.g. locks, mobility aids, supervision, special feeding equipment. My mum needs none of this, what she needs is company at night, the ability to wander safely between bedroom and lounge, someone to keep an eye on her. As I haven't seen a care plan yet, I don't know for sure, but this week I made a request that my mum sees the chiropodist every 6 weeks, doesn't seem an unreasonable time to get one's toe nails cut, but I was told the chirpodist only sees 6 people every 6 weeks, so it could be 24 weeks between cuttings as staff are not allowed to cut toe nails. So I hope that has gone onto her care plan. Also that she likes a drink of water in the night, the water in her room is not drinking water, so I requested a jug of water. Maybe that has gone into the care plan. The home didn't have a jug!
RE the power of attorney, is this one of the "old style", i.e drawn up more than a year or so ago? In which case, it only gives you power over financial affairs, not personal affairs, e.g. medical affairs. My application got lost for 3 months. They eventually found it, issued an apology but still charged me the £150. If it is one of the new type, I don't have any experience. If you are trying to sort out Mam's money most banks will accept an unregistered POA to do that, but you need to take the original with you, or a copy certified by a solicitor - it is worthwhile getting 2 or 3 of these done at the same time. I even needed to submit a POA to get the gas bill on mum's house directed to my address!
I'd forget the social worker if I were you. You are in the elite class of the self-funders, i.e. on your own apart from the sterling help on this website.
Come back to us with any problems.
Love
Margaret