Oh no! Have I done the right thing?

[Turkish Delight]

I have just clicked send. An email to social services. I was asking for advice as i fear a crisis may be looming where my brother's ability to care for Mum is going to fail. They replied promptly, asking for her details. I cried when I typed them. Has it really come to this?
I'm just back from a visit. I'm so tired. The weather made travel an all night affair - so much for flying to make anything quicker.
I nearly thought I had a brother again, not a relative who is an alcoholic. This recent visit, comments from a neighbour, and phonecalls with brother, made me suspicious that things are not well.
I am not spending another year fire fighting, so I have contacted social services.
Has anyone experienced this, and what happened?

 

[Louise7]

Of course you've done the right thing - your Mum needs support so you have taken steps to get help for her and ensure that she is safe. Social services will carry out a care needs assessment to determine what help/support your Mum needs, which could be things like carer visits, day centre etc. They will then conduct a financial assessment to see how much your Mum may have to contribute to the care costs. This useful factsheet explains the process: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/legal-financial/dementia-care-needs-assessment

 

[Twopoodles]

I have had this problem too and we have gone through all the assessments and have had to arrange own care. However to get help from social service’s regarding brothers way of caring I would have had to submit a safe guarding request which I didn’t have the nerve to do. I live a long way from mum but have now moved in to help and stop the free loading from my brother. So social service’s, doctors and the new carers know there is a problem but cannot do anything about it without the safe guarding. I wish you luck it is very frustrating.