Hi Siobhan - I'm so glad to hear your Mum's recovering.
Unfortunately, I have to say I'm surprised you even managed to a) identify a care home and b) have the vacancy open for her. Even when a family has the means to finance it, the availability and vacancy is a 'postcode lottery' (as many carers like to say on the forums).
Often, the availability of care providers/agencies and how much time/visits they can offer trumps whether someone can pay/not for it. This also means, for some families that they have to make do with 'what's offered' and quality is second to availability. These are some realities I've heard over and over from other carers who feel obliged to reduce their work hours...and become burnt out.
I'm sorry to share all this, I'm sure you're already aware of these issues - ;they are top of mind for several carer-friends given the lack of social care reforms and the push by the Health Secretary for care to shift from hospitals into the community!
Yes, I agree, our care homes are relatively good compared to other parts of the country - although with the price we pay, so they should be. We were lucky to find somewhere for 2 weeks, yes, agreed. But what I was shocked at was how they could take such large sums of money and not actually provide the care they purport to offer.
There are no homes for respite, mainly only for hospice and even then its a waiting list! Thankfully there is one brilliant charity that has trained nurses for hospice at home care.
When I was helping to orchestrate care for an elderly family member in London - borough to borough it was very different!
YES very large sums and yet under resourced. As you said Re-valuing care and radically changing how care is delivered is a burning platform crisis.
Thanks Richard. I feel it’s important to share these kind of experiences so that others are prepared for inevitable falls. Thankfully Mum didn’t have a serious fall but all the same it’s been tough.
Thanks for sharing this sound advice, Siobhan. I'm so glad that your mum is now doing well. I was intrigued by your parting comment... Do you dance? And, if so, what kind of dancing? I reckon there's nothing like it to lift the spirits! xx
Thanks Sharnalee. I do dance but mainly for fun and at parties Its my way of expressing abandon and joy! My comment was a fun quip to suggest how happy I was at the sun coming out ;-) PS I don't have a clue about jigging, or at least the Scottish jigging type! If i had more time I would be off learning to jive or something like my daughter Ciara who's doing that at Uni.
I love the idea of you doing a sun dance! Like you, dancing is my way of forgetting all my worries and inhibitions, if just for a while. I like a good bop at parties and gigs, but have learned to jive, like Ciara, and rock 'n' roll dance, Lindy Hop and line dance, and am now giving the waltz a go, too... I'd highly recommend it all, if you ever have the time!
Hi Siobhan - I'm so glad to hear your Mum's recovering.
Unfortunately, I have to say I'm surprised you even managed to a) identify a care home and b) have the vacancy open for her. Even when a family has the means to finance it, the availability and vacancy is a 'postcode lottery' (as many carers like to say on the forums).
Often, the availability of care providers/agencies and how much time/visits they can offer trumps whether someone can pay/not for it. This also means, for some families that they have to make do with 'what's offered' and quality is second to availability. These are some realities I've heard over and over from other carers who feel obliged to reduce their work hours...and become burnt out.
I'm sorry to share all this, I'm sure you're already aware of these issues - ;they are top of mind for several carer-friends given the lack of social care reforms and the push by the Health Secretary for care to shift from hospitals into the community!
Yes, I agree, our care homes are relatively good compared to other parts of the country - although with the price we pay, so they should be. We were lucky to find somewhere for 2 weeks, yes, agreed. But what I was shocked at was how they could take such large sums of money and not actually provide the care they purport to offer.
There are no homes for respite, mainly only for hospice and even then its a waiting list! Thankfully there is one brilliant charity that has trained nurses for hospice at home care.
When I was helping to orchestrate care for an elderly family member in London - borough to borough it was very different!
YES very large sums and yet under resourced. As you said Re-valuing care and radically changing how care is delivered is a burning platform crisis.
Sobering stuff. Thank you for sharing in such a balanced and measured way. God bless you. R x
Thanks Richard. I feel it’s important to share these kind of experiences so that others are prepared for inevitable falls. Thankfully Mum didn’t have a serious fall but all the same it’s been tough.
Thanks for sharing this sound advice, Siobhan. I'm so glad that your mum is now doing well. I was intrigued by your parting comment... Do you dance? And, if so, what kind of dancing? I reckon there's nothing like it to lift the spirits! xx
Thanks Sharnalee. I do dance but mainly for fun and at parties Its my way of expressing abandon and joy! My comment was a fun quip to suggest how happy I was at the sun coming out ;-) PS I don't have a clue about jigging, or at least the Scottish jigging type! If i had more time I would be off learning to jive or something like my daughter Ciara who's doing that at Uni.
I love the idea of you doing a sun dance! Like you, dancing is my way of forgetting all my worries and inhibitions, if just for a while. I like a good bop at parties and gigs, but have learned to jive, like Ciara, and rock 'n' roll dance, Lindy Hop and line dance, and am now giving the waltz a go, too... I'd highly recommend it all, if you ever have the time!