Social Services cant find a care provider for my Dad want me to work for an agency to find one!!!! Any advice grateful please

[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 in the 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!!!!!

Surely they cant leave him without care..they did ask me if thought he would be ok for a while I said NO.

I just dont know what to do - any advice very grateful.

[BelleateSebastian]

I think if the (over worked) social worker can get someone else to do the donkey work for then they will! Politely state that you don't have the time or resources to source care for your father - they will have to pull their finger out and sort it out. Could he have respite residential care in the interim?

[hulahoopsilove]

he was in hospital end of Sept then they sent him to nursing home to recoup for 4 weeks then sent him home with intermediate care for 2 weeks until a care package could be put in place - intermediate care incidentally couldnt provide someone so they put in a "stand in" team who now want to finish as the 2 weeks has gone on now for 7 weeks...which is not our fault the social worker never contacted us until 3 weeks ago!!!

I do feel as if they are trying to pass it on so I should stand my ground????

They have said that as my Dad doesnt need high maintenance care ie he can wash dress, feed himself he just needs help getting out of bed, help getting into bed and light house hold duties twice a day for 4 days...they are saying that he is not priority.

Surely they cant leave him without care - they are the ones who have assessed him and said he needs this care

[Blanketontheground]

Respond in writing telling them it's their responsibly. Politely say that they are professionals in this area (not you) and so they should take the lead.

[hulahoopsilove]

So it IS their responsibility to do this then? I feel so upset about this at the moment as im housebound as Ive pulled a muscle in my back so can be doing with out this!!

[Sunna]

It's only their job to provide care. Housework isn't in their remit. That's down to the family to sort out.

[Blanketontheground]

Yes. They are responsible. Tell them you are not capable of if finding a carer and make it clear you cannot 'stand in' as you yourself have health problems. Call today and speak to the duty social worker if you can't get hold of the one you've been speaking to. Quite often you can get a different response from another person. Your trump card will be to tell them he has to go into a home of they don't sort this out. Believe me that'll spring them I to action!

[BelleateSebastian]

Maybe give the Red cross and Age concern a call to see if they have any suggestions.

[juliascurr]

www.ageuk.org.uk/contact-us/

they havebeen very helpful to my dad and his partner who has dementia

[Theas18]

Recently lots of experience re carers and my 2p in this situation is tread carefully. From what you have said he has very low needs for actual care - light household duties isn't counted as care needs and if he has carers 4 days for get up and tuck in he copes 3 days a week. They could easily say no social care need exists at all :(

Re cleaning / household stuff my parents have lovely cleaner after resisting for years - found via age concern.

[AgentProvocateur]

There is a big push for ss depts to get clients to accept direct payments and organise care yourself. (It's cheaper for them, obviously). But they're not so quick to tell you that you can refuse these if they don't suit. You need to stand your ground. The danger is that, with budget cuts, some areas are only providing care to "critical" cases, and as your dad can wash, dress and feed himself, he wouldn't be classed as such.

[fridayfreedom]

There is a huge problem sourcing care at the moment due to increased need , reduced funding and agencies not being able to get staff .
Therefore social workers can not just magic up care which isn't actually available. There posts are also being cut so together with increased caseloads and more complex cases their jobs are horrendous.
They will ask families if there are other options for care as they are having to look at all options available, they are not being cheeky, just trying to get care in whatever way they can.
Is there any way family could support until care becomes available?
It is not ideal but the system is close to collapse and as an NHS worker with some very complex cases I am up against care shortage everyday and much of my time is spent juggling options to support people.
Try and work with the social worker to sort a solution if you can.

[hulahoopsilove]

the social worker came out assessed my Dad and wrote up a report requesting carer package be put in place. This was submitted and passed through. Within a week the finance person came out and said that my Dad's income was that low he would prob get funding, they then said next stage was to find a carer provider.

Bit of background my Dad had surgery for lung cancer 3 years ago and had part of his lung taken away, he is housebound and can only walk for a few mins before coming breathless, when I say he can feed himself and wash himself he can in a fashion but this wipes him out for the day quite often he stays in his pjs all day as he wouldnt be able to dress himself. Light household duties I mean taking rubbish out, washing up - last time he went outside to the bin he fell and was outside from 11am till 9pm at night....this was before we got the personal alarm in place...so he is very vunerable and is not to go outdoors now...so although 2 visits a day doesnt seem alot it has been idefintified by the social worker as needed.

There is no family to look after him now we have tried to for 3 years and now it is not possible

waiting for SW to call with an update and will tell him then that they must find a provider for him before they pull this temporary care

[Sunna]

Taking the rubbish out and washing up aren't personal care, so they may well refuse to do that.

We got a cleaner for my father who did that sort of thing. We popped in every other day as well.

[hulahoopsilove]

they asked at the assesment what else does he need help with - they identified this as a need and when the report was submitted by them it was approved and passed through