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Lorraine Homayom-jones
26 August 2016 at 09:15Services parachuted in despite reservations from carer. Complaints about services dismissed, family carer expected to intervene because care agency unfit for purpose. Lip service to personalisation. Months passing before carers assessment and care package even started. Ctr being used incorrectly. unqualified Occupational Therapy assistant being used instead carer expected to postpone medical treatment due to lack of suitable respite provision. Continuing Health Care request ignored even though satisfying criteria. [Edited by moderator to remove abbreviations]
The Mother
26 August 2016 at 09:07What support? For twenty nine years we got nothing. It was only when my daughter nearly died and was left with even more serious health issues to get anything. Now suddenly we have equipment - oh but hang on - most of that's for the benefit of the CHC support workers - and we've caught some of them sleeping on duty! All we've ever had from local government is bullying and harassment - even the agency bullies us. Everything we say or do is twisted and lied about to be used against us. Not being able to make a suggested date for a visit because we have prior plans is listed as 'cancelled appointment and our reasons queried' - not agreeing to an 8 am visit from the agency manager is listed as 'excluding ' said manager. The time of day I send e mails is apparently a safegaurding issue, as is not arranging an appointment with the OT because we'd been unwell - though there was no mention of her not being at work anyway becsue she lived too far away to get to work in the snow! Tried to find out about carers grants and carers breaks funds when they came into being - nothing! Bullying of carers in such ways is a national issue [Edited to remove link to external campaign]
Deb Patterson
26 August 2016 at 09:02Adult care needs it's agencies to join up together. Accessing the system is extremely difficult and for continuity of care this aspect is really important. Carers have not got time for searching for telephone numbers and web sites....make it easier for us!!
Carole Myall
26 August 2016 at 08:35To answer the above questions:- The current system does not work for carers we are ignored at best and at worst persecuted Changes have only been for the worse pushing more on carers to save money and justify excessive pay packages for social workers £24 per hour while carers get £62 a week Services could be improved by getting rid of lots of social workers who don't understand the needs of carers are replacing by people who have long term carers experience probably at a lot less money For unpaid carers the biggest challenge is the social services their unreal demands and punitive measures I have been a carer for approximately 20 years and never had any help, the social services send people in who sit and tell me what to do, they have no experience, no understanding, no compassion and are never concerned about my health or well being as a carer, it is an interrogation when you have no human rights
Carole Myall
26 August 2016 at 08:18I have asked for help for years as a carer for disabled children and adults, I have been a carer for approximately 20 years, but got No Help. I got ill as a carer the response was to threaten imprisonment and other punitive measures
Laura Graham
26 August 2016 at 00:15The Care Act 2014 has been ignored. I question why Social Workers are necessary to the assessment, and why are funding panels able to reject what a Social Worker has assessed as necessary, and without any accountability or transparency! We need a thorough review of the Social Services and their role in supporting carers. Additionally, the way carers are treated, both in relation to their carees and in their own right, which is appalling! Carers are so vulnerable and are treated so badly, but save the country billions of pounds each year doing something truly amazing! It is a disgrace!The Carers Allowance is an insult, and keeps people doing an amazing job poor and having to make choices about whether to heat or eat.Carers health is a massive reflection on all that is wrong with the current system - they cannot access GPs because of a lack of replacement care and an inflexibility of GPs to recognise this regardless of a carers register. They suffer with stress, burnout, vitamin D deficits, back and muscle problems from lifting without support and all manner of preventable conditions due to their current inability to attend for regular health checks. There is a current petition circulating social media highlighting the problem of institutional bullying of carers by Social Services, by GPs and hospital staff etc and this disgrace must be taken seriously. It is high time that family carers are rewarded for the valuable work they do rather than suffer from the deplorable treatment that the Care Act has failed to change.
Jelena B.
26 August 2016 at 00:15Having care at home for people who really need it like my elderly terminally ill mother who can no longer walk is crucial and when it works it has been a God send and allowed myself and my sister to work, albeit part time as almost no services nor support is available outside the Mon-Fri working hours which is shocking. Also the carer service works well if you are lucky to have consistency and carers who are a) trained and who b) care and c) have decent standards of hygiene and knowledge. Some attitudes and neglectful behaviours have affected me and my family's health, plus a plethora of seemingly useful but actively useless sideline orgs are funded for not doing much that is useful. There is plenty of money, but it is in some cases wildly misspent. Make a 'carer' a real profession and not something people fall into when they can't do anything else. Also neglectful carers should be dealt with appropriately, some of them are liabilities. Also it taints the excellent work of those who are good at what they do and make a difference to people's lives.
c collins
25 August 2016 at 23:37There isn't enough support. Voluntary organisations are filling the gaps on reducing funding, There is no clear complaint pathway for individuals who are receiving inadequate or poor care and face a brick wall with social services or the agencies/care homes that are providing care. CQC does not deal with individual complaints and there needs to be a fast acting service that supports and helps individuals - this is the only way to improve care Family carers struggle financially and struggle with dealing with multi professionals all overlapping and causing confusion and delays. Adult care services are so underfunded that they will soon be unable to function. There need to be significant changes around the amount paid by LA for care home fees and the fees paid by self funders - this is a massive hidden tax - self funders often pay more than double the price the LA pay - and are therefore subsidising the local authorities. However there also needs to be a cap on care home owner profits, more money ploughed back in to provide an excellent service and not filtered off to give investors the 50% profit they now expect. I cared for 2 family members for 4 years and worked and brought up a family, the strain and stress was very damaging. People are very afraid of what the future will bring. There is poor care in every area - and carers are plugging gaps and professionals are often not listening. How can care improve if the CQC do not take individual complaints, social services frequently will not listen and the delays in the system are appalling.
a. power
25 August 2016 at 23:09I see every aspect of the situation in Adult Social care. I am a worker at a Care Agency and have been for 15 years and I also have sole responsibility of caring for a mentally disabled adult who is an offspring. After a recent psychotic episode that resulted in hospitalisation it is obvious my offspring can no longer be left alone, so it looks as though I will have to stop work and care for them for 24 hours a day...not a duty I object to..but how will I survive and pay my mortgage on benefits. I asked the person that came out to do my assessment and she offered me an hour a month to talk about how I feel..I don't want to talk about my feelings to the state, that's what friends and family are for, what I want from the state is an explanation as to why they will pay up to 35 hours a week for two carers from an agency costing £1120 a week, but refuse to pay me a decent living wage to enable me to support my family member with real loving care that is not task orientated but love orientated. I know the system would be open to abuse by dishonest families but the current system is also open to abuse by systematic unscrupulous agencies and carers that don't care two hoots, and its a lot more expensive.
Ian Beswick
26 August 2016 at 09:54Sister and I have cared for mum with dementia for 5 years. She died last week. Initial assessment was 4 visits daily. Care company so poor with diff' carers coming at diff' times, often stressed and overworked themselves. We found it was better just to do it ourselves. Social services showed no interest subsequently in why, and we have had no further help in the past 18 months. Both sis' and I are exhausted and find the future very scary. All moneys stopped and accounts frozen until will sorted so there's the added financial pressure. Have to stop now as funeral is this aft'.