Social Services cant find a care provider for my Dad and have said I have to look for one!!! Dont know where to start please any advice

[hulahoopsilove]

at the moment stand in carer company going in they want to finish and cant carry on as it was temporary until SS found a care provider, they cant everyone is full inthe area (Silverdale/Clifton Nottm area).

Theyve said they can pay us direct and we can find one with the help of a company but this will cost more and can we chip in!!!!! None of us can do this. As my Dad just needs help in the morning and evening - he's not a priority as he just needs help with general things like getting up, getting into bed etc...

Surely they cant pull this company out without anyone going in? They did say how would my Dad cope if just dont know what to do - any advice very grateful am so worried

[sarahsnail]

Have you thought about paying someone private to do it, like 10 hours a week, rather than get a company to do it. ???

Obviously you would have to check out their cv and experience in social care but it is becoming more common now to do it this way.

[hulahoopsilove]

i just dont have the time to do this at all it was ss who were suppose to put all of this in place

[Sunna]

He's your dad - make time.

[vladthedisorganised]

Hi OP, I've been pretty much where you are too - it can be very confusing.

If your dad's finances exceed a certain threshhold he will be self-funding, and SS will usually ask families to find the care themselves. There are a lot of private agencies out there. In the interests/ guise of 'service user choice' (read 'cuts to an already overstretched SS') it isn't unusual for the families to have to find care themselves even if the user is below the threshhold - it was one of the most stressful periods in my life.

What I found helped:

1. Contact SS and ask for a carers' assessment for you if you are providing the main care, even temporarily. Answer all questions as honestly as you can and include everything - even if you have to help him make a cup of tea, put it in. I found it was quite an eye opener. Once the assessment is done it also highlights the risk of leaving everything to you.
   
   
2. Ask who your dad's named social worker is - there should be someone who is responsible for him that you will be able to talk to. Has he had a financial assessment already? Has his house been assessed for safety?
   Is a statement of need already in place? If so, you need access to this to ensure you find the appropriate care for your dad.
   
   
3. SS should have a list of approved providers - the ones in my area did, and while I had to do all the legwork, it meant I had somewhere to start. It takes them no time at all to provide this.
   
   
4. If all the local agencies are full, mention this to your dad's named social worker and ask if a safety assessment has been done on the risks of leaving him without formal care. Emphasise the results of your carers assessment and the risks that you can envisage off the top of your head.
   
   
5. There may be a local carers helpline (there's one where I live) that can be worth their weight in gold on navigating the bureaucracy. Don't hesitate to ask their advice.
   
   Hope that gives you a start, and best of luck.
   
   PS Sunna - I see where you're coming from, but that's not colossally helpful.. I've 'made time' for my own father, and the damage it has done to my health and my family life is proving very, very difficult to get back from. It's not a straightforward right or wrong.

[MpowBristolUK]

I found this article really helpful: blog.careselector.com/5-ways-to-cope-with-the-emotional-struggle-of-caring-for-a-loved-one-with-dementia/

[VixxFace]

Isn't it enough that ss are paying for it? Why can't you look for someone yourself. It's not rocket science.

[Viviennemary]

I've heard Age UK can be helpful for advice when people are looking for a care package. And they will know what care people are entitled to. You could try contacting them.

[Jenna213]

Hi!

I use a social enterprise that's just been set up to get care for my Grandpa. It's uk wide but most of the carers at the moment are in London, however they do have people everywhere. It's WAY WAY cheaper than the private agency we used because they don't take a huge chunk of your money and the carers wages for "Admin" - I think because of this they also attract much better quality carers - because they actually pay a living wage.

They're called SuperCarers (think it's all one word) and this is the link try.supercarers.com/carers-now/

Know I am a bit late to the party but hope that helps!