Sunday Express article today 'Foster a Granny'

[susiesue]

I am wondering whether anyone has read and taken exception to this article, describing a scheme to foster elderly people with dementia and the support they will receive from the Council!

http://www.express.co.uk/search/Foster+a+granny/?s=Foster+a+granny

Elaine has already written a scathing response to th Sunday Express which I will try and paste here.

Just wondering how you all felt

 

[susiesue]

Sunday Express article

This was elainen's response:

Reading your article on 'Foster a Granny' made my blood boil!
My husband died of dementia in 2010 and I tried so hard to care for him at home, so hard it nearly broke me. Eventually he had to go into care and died there. Why? Because there was no help for me - no one to get up in the night when he was wandering for hours and trying to break out of the house through windows, doors, mirrors, wardrobes - no one to help when he tried to do the same during the day when I'd had almost no sleep. The help that's being offered to the 'Granny fosterers' (no doubt free respite care) should be offered to the family carers who, like me love their spouses, parents, relatives and wish with all our hearts that we could continue to do what we do best - care for our loved ones at home. I was told catagorically that there was no way I could continue to care at home because the funding wasn't available to provide the support we so desperately needed. Most of the people I know would rather cut off their right arm than put their charge into care but in the end we're beaten by the system.

Elaine N

 

[jan.s]

I find it a very strange concept.

I, like Elaine, tried to care for my husband at home, and almost cracked under the pressure. I received no support at all.

What safeguards are in place to protect these vulnerable people from abuse? They vet the family, but that is not foolproof.

If support is on offer, why not offer it to families caring for dementia sufferers?

I wish Tracey Hopkins well in her venture. I wonder whether she has come across someone who hallucinates, and then becomes violent, trashes the room and swears at her. Someone who fails to understand what the toilet is meant for; who walks around at night, then sleeps during the day; who refuses any form of personal care and ends up smelling.

I could only look after my husband, because I loved him - could I do it for a stranger? I don't think so.

Maybe they will cherry pick the most suitable candidates for this venture and pour in loads of support.

Cynical? Probably.

 

[nellbelles]

Interesting concept! Interesting but rubbish!

Strange house, strange people, strange meals!

Chaos!

The last time Tom spent away from me in another house, he went to his daughters for two hours, she told me never to do that again! How would a stranger cope.

Time those who know better than us stopped pontificating and actually helped us to care.

 

[Grannie G]

I`ve just tried to post a comment on the paper but even though I registered my user name was rejected twice.

This is an insult to family carers who care 24/7 with little or no support and I would like to bet the scheme won`t even get off the ground.

 

[Sue J]

Why 'foster' and not a permanent placement? The latter is what people need not to be moved around when things don't work out like some children in the care system suffer. It will just cause people's symptoms to be worse - just demonstrates how little real understanding of dementia there is.

I wish Tracy Hopkin's well in her offer of care, from her experience she must have some idea of what she is up against but I agree with everyone above why do 'fosterers' get support that ordinary family members don't get now? But maybe that's akin to fostering children , if there was better family support maybe foster care wouldn't be so necessary.

 

[nellbelles]

I managed to post a comment, for what it is worth!

 

[Grannie G]

I had an email confirmation of my user name, which is the same as the one i used but it still wasn`t accepted.

 

[2jays]

Media ********

My first thought... Good for you. Fantastic

Then after reading on a bit, I thought "you patronising *****"

It could be Media "fixing their words??"

Either way.... Fanatastic!!! Well done!!! You have achieved!!!!!

You have achieved the alienation of anyone who cares for a person with any form of dementia

I too couldn't post my comments.

 

[lin1]

Grrr
I registered and wrote a long piece about my views, guess what
I couldnt post my comments either
perhaps we have frazzeled the ether or whatever its called

 

[jenniferpa]

They do seem to have some submission issues: when I look, I see multiple submissions from the same people. That has to be some kind of error.

 

[2jays]

I have emailed a complaint to the editor. I know, I know, waste of time but boy do I feel good about my email. Polite. To the point. Sympathetic towards, in my opinion, misquoted "foster a granny" person.....

 

[2jays]

They do seem to have some submission issues: when I look, I see multiple submissions from the same people. That has to be some kind of error.

submission errors. hmmmm

Fixing.

Either the comments are fixed. Or "they", in my opinion (legal speak) are fixing the comments

 

[jenniferpa]

I realise I'm going to sound "establishment" but I'm reasonably certain that they don't want 3 duplicate posts from the same contributor. I don't think this is intentional, but is much more likely to be down to some kind of system slow-down.

 

[2jays]

I realise I'm going to sound "establishment" but I'm reasonably certain that they don't want 3 duplicate posts from the same contributor. I don't think this is intentional, but is much more likely to be down to some kind of system slow-down.

Wave that magic wand you have

Yeah you are right, apart from you being an establish thingy. You are wrong there. You an Establish thingy? - no way. Anyway if you were, what's wrong with being an establish thingy.

A computer blip. That's what it is. Can't cope with the rush of responses. Positive or negative.

 

[jenniferpa]

Sadly, some people's forums aren't as well run as ours is. Not that that is a forum exactly... I think that they have some computer issues though: they've probably never had to deal with this sort of multiple directed response. I bet that come Monday business hours, this will be sorted out.

 

[jeany123]

This was elainen's response:

Reading your article on 'Foster a Granny' made my blood boil!
My husband died of dementia in 2010 and I tried so hard to care for him at home, so hard it nearly broke me. Eventually he had to go into care and died there. Why? Because there was no help for me - no one to get up in the night when he was wandering for hours and trying to break out of the house through windows, doors, mirrors, wardrobes - no one to help when he tried to do the same during the day when I'd had almost no sleep. The help that's being offered to the 'Granny fosterers' (no doubt free respite care) should be offered to the family carers who, like me love their spouses, parents, relatives and wish with all our hearts that we could continue to do what we do best - care for our loved ones at home. I was told catagorically that there was no way I could continue to care at home because the funding wasn't available to provide the support we so desperately needed. Most of the people I know would rather cut off their right arm than put their charge into care but in the end we're beaten by the system.

Elaine N

How true I am dreading it coming to this for me I am crying just thinking about it

 

[susiesue]

It seems we are all having problems posting a comment to the newspaper. I attempted it three times and got so fed up I gave up (maybe that's the idea
I know Elaine has tried several times and I think she now has her opinion on their twice (not deliberately).
Why do they make it so hard to post a comment - I'm busting a gut to tell them what I think...........

 

[2jays]

It seems we are all having problems posting a comment to the newspaper. I attempted it three times and got so fed up I gave up (maybe that's the idea
I know Elaine has tried several times and I think she now has her opinion on their twice (not deliberately).
Why do they make it so hard to post a comment - I'm busting a gut to tell them what I think...........

Email the editor. I did last night. Well one of the editors. There seem to be so many different editors, so I emailed the Sunday paper one.

 

[sistermillicent]

I agree with the comments you have made about this being a ludicrous idea.

I have previously tried to post comments on articles in other online publications and found it extremely difficult, I have never managed yet despite repeated attempts so I don't think it is unusual to find only a few there and be unable to add to them.