Hi, I'm new to this wonderful forum. Let me tell you my concerns about my mother who has had dementia coming up to 3 years now. My sister is her primary carer, and my sister has to travel a few miles to get to my mum's residential flat. She prepares her breakfasts and dinners for the first few days along with her medication. She's arranged for help to come on some mornings to help my mum wash, dress and have her breakfast and tablets and then someone comes in the afternoon to make sure she has her dinner and tablets and also to make sure her scooter is on charge. This is paid for out of my mum's pension. Lately my mum (who is a churchgoer) goes to church several times a day for something to do and it's the only place she knows how to get to. She doesn't realise that she is using up the power in her scooter and more often than not she's seen getting flustered because her scooter has run out of power. My sister has asked for help from social services but has been told that because she doesn't need help at night then she ought to be fine during the day. They really don't know what my sister has to put up with. My mum has become unhygienic, gets lost, doesn't eat unless someone makes her, and forgets her tablets. There is no conversation from her and she gets really, really upset when visitors leave.
What does it take for social services to help my sister out? All she wants is some respite for a few days but to get the sort of help she really needs would cost at least £150 per day so someone can stay with her all the time including nights. She just cannot afford this. Where's the help? No one seems interested and how bad do you need to be to get help?
I sometimes stay with my mum, it could be for 7, 10 or 14 days, and I do this about 3 times a year but as I live in the south coast it is a fair distance to my mum in Maidstone.
Any suggestions would be most welcome.
What does it take for social services to help my sister out? All she wants is some respite for a few days but to get the sort of help she really needs would cost at least £150 per day so someone can stay with her all the time including nights. She just cannot afford this. Where's the help? No one seems interested and how bad do you need to be to get help?
I sometimes stay with my mum, it could be for 7, 10 or 14 days, and I do this about 3 times a year but as I live in the south coast it is a fair distance to my mum in Maidstone.
Any suggestions would be most welcome.