Trackers and human rights

[marionq]

Here's the postscript to it. John went off again tonight with me following at a distance as he was unusually belligerent. I had to phone the police as he would have been off on another fruitless trip to nowhere. When they picked him up and came home with us they were very pleased about the tracker as "it gives us something to work on rather than just hoping we will stumble across him".

The reference to the POA seemed to be about making sure I had activated it and had the right to make such decisions. The police asked him if he knew how it worked which of course he didn't but accepted that it was to help find him.

Sadly if he keeps this up he will end up in a care home and I really didnt want that to happen but how do you stop this need to visit people and places from 60 years ago.

 

[Onlyme]

Before he went walkabout again I was going to suggest to the SW that you will ask the Police helicopter to send their bill to her department next time he gets lost while NOT wearing the tracker.

SW needs a good talking to.

 

[Pudster]

Hi I wonder if the social worker was referring to a new act? my autistic son had to have a mental capacity assessment to ascertain his understanding of why he needed 24 hour support and to clarify if he was able to go to places without being prevented. It was called 'deprivation of liberty'. my understanding was that it was to recognise formally if he had freedom to go where he wants and when, if not to have paperwork in place that clearly states why not, particularly relevant should someone report that he was being stopped. there is more than this but wonder if it might point you in the direction the social worker was coming from!

 

[Davidth]

Deprivation of liberty (DOLS) would only apply where the state has some involvement in the care of the person. It wouldn't apply where the person is living at home and being cared for by family. It's not new, it became law in 2009, but it is a topic of much discussion and misunderstanding within health and social care services at present.


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[LadyA]

Sure, isn't google tracking us all! Unless of course, we actively switch off the tracking thingy in our phones?! Honestly, SW needs a smack with a wet kipper! In the last couple of years here, there have been I think it's three elderly people with dementia who wandered off and sadly, were not found in time - one poor lady just walked and walked and walked, with her little dog, and sadly, the little dog, who was sitting by her body when they found her, died shortly after of exhaustion and dehydration.
Even hospitals and nursing homes use trackers - my husband had a tracker strapped on his ankle while he was independently mobile. If he went too near an exit while it was open, alarms would go off all over the building.

I think you are doing the most sensible thing you can do in the circumstances, and I'm sure the police would agree. If your husband wanders off, the best thing for everyone is that he is found as quickly as possible.

 

[esmeralda]

What an awfully sad story LadyA.
Thank you for the clarification David, fads and fancies do come in Social Care but it's worrying that the law is not properly understood, especially when ill considered and ignorant advice can cause such anxiety and possible danger.
Sorry that you are having such difficulty with John wandering Marion, I do hope that the situation eases for you. It must be exhausting.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[gringo]

Deprivation of Liberty (DOLS) would only apply where the state has some involvement in the care of the person. It wouldn't apply where the person is living at home and being cared for by family. It's not new, it became law in 2009, but it is a topic of much discussion and misunderstandingwithin health and social care services at present.

With respect, much of the misunderstanding about DOLS. is caused by leaving out the word 'Safeguards'. The whole point of DOLS is the introduction of safeguards to ensure that a term is put on the deprivation and that the process can be monitored by a nominated representative.

 

[technotronic]

If you have a POA then the social worker should realise that you are responsible for his health and welfare and if putting a tracker on him helps to safeguard him and let you know where he his, then i wouldn't think any of his 'human rights' had been breached. Social workers tend to talk a lot of tosh without fully knowing the facts. Ignore her and safeguarded your OH as you feel you need to!