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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think we take responsibility for our own family.

53 replies

Thelastone · 17/03/2012 10:04

Not just our children.
The state should only step in when necessary as they do with children.
The elderly and infirm should live with their families and daycare available for families who's members all work if the person concerned needs constant supervision.
There is no way I would put my gran in a home.
She has four children and eight adult grandchildren.
Why should we all not all contribute finacially and/or physically if our grandmother can not provide for herself?
Five of us do not work so are claiming benefits.

OP posts:
OhDoGetAGrip · 17/03/2012 10:09
Biscuit
catgirl1976 · 17/03/2012 10:11

You make no sense.

catgirl1976 · 17/03/2012 10:11

If you are claiming benefits then the state has already "stepped in" hasn't it? I have no ides what you are trying to say

TheFallenMadonna · 17/03/2012 10:12

Is your grandmother living with you?

Jins · 17/03/2012 10:13

What is it with these threads at the moment?

Each to their own OP, each to their own...

carabos · 17/03/2012 10:15

Define "family".

Thelastone · 17/03/2012 10:16

I am saying care home neglect should not happen as people should not be in homes except in extreme circumstances.
It is families who are responsibly ultimately for the neglect by not caring for their own families.
My gran is in her own home with a lot of family support.
Four of us visit regularly and my mum stays part time.

OP posts:
Thelastone · 17/03/2012 10:17

Family isgrandparents, parents, brother, sisters, cousins, children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

OP posts:
catgirl1976 · 17/03/2012 10:18

Marvellous

Well that's lovely. Write to Dave and get them closed down as you have sorted that issue and probably saved the country billions.

Any other proclamations on how people should live their lives? You could probably sort the country out completly within about 5 posts.

I'm off to make a cup of tea, when I come back hopefully you have a few more deeply thought ideas that take full account of the complex issues involved

ErikNorseman · 17/03/2012 10:19

Well if 5 adult children can look after her that's great but maybe you have the time because none of you have jobs?

Mrsjay · 17/03/2012 10:19

carehomes have been in the news atm for neglect and its awful , however not everybody can care for an elderly person in their own home , my grandmother was at home until she was to ill for family to cope , she had 5 dd and grand daughters looking after her , until we could not cope anymore , so she went into a care home she was senile and incontinent , she needed nursing care , YABU

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 17/03/2012 10:20

So there are 12 of you that could help your Gran, not including spouses. What about families like mine, where I am an only child and have my own younger children to look after too. What if at the same time as my Mum needs care, my DHs parents do too. He is also an only.

Or do you expect the two of us to look after three elderly parents who live two hours apart, at the same time as raising our own children, after same time as earning a living, because if we don't we must be in 'extreme' circumstances and not care enough to keep our relatives out of a home?

Hmm
ssd · 17/03/2012 10:20

ah op, you must be about 10, you are so niave

that is, if you were being honest, you are clearly someone who is bored and on the wind up, hope you enjoy this thread

theincredibequeenofwands · 17/03/2012 10:22

I work in a care home. Some people can't be looked after at home.

Yes if five of you are claiming benefits then you have the time to look after granny.

People with young children/full time jobs/health issues of their own are unable to do this.

And as someone else said, the state has stepped in. They're paying benefits so you have the time to care for her!!

lockets · 17/03/2012 10:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lazylula · 17/03/2012 10:24

My first ever Biscuit.

diamondsonthesolesofhershoes · 17/03/2012 10:24

YABIncrediblyU
Your statement completely ignores the heartbreak some people go through making the decision to ask for help and/or hand the care of a loved one over to someone else.
Somebody who works full time to support themselves and their family simply would not be able to provide the 24 hour care that some people need.
OP how do you feel about families with disabled children? Should they take all responsibility and not ask for any help either?

Dustinthewind · 17/03/2012 10:24

So taxpayers are enabling many of you to claim benefits, presumably because you are not working? So you should have time to care for your family's geriatrics plus another dozen unrelated elderly.
So we keep you and you care for them? Sounds better than workfare and of more benefit to the community.

Thelastone · 17/03/2012 10:43

Dust in the wind - sounds like a fair plan.
I think the unemployed should do community sevice.
It is not just hospitals that are filthy and there are so many young, old and infirm people needing help but loads of people lay about not working.
I said care homes in extreme circumstance but that does not mean families stop being responsible.
They should give or pay for extra help to bath and feed.
Four of the five in my family actively choose not to work.
They should not have the choice.

OP posts:
everlong · 17/03/2012 10:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

marriedinwhite · 17/03/2012 10:53

I would not put my gran in a care home - she has 4 children and 8 grandchildren

Neither my mother, my grandfather nor I wanted to put my grandmother into a care home - actually it was a geriatric mental health unit for those with advanced alzheimers.

My mother and grandfather cared for her for 8 years at home, with some day time respite care and shortly before they could no longer help with two weeks in every five of 24 hour respite care.

When she went into full time care she did not know who we were, she could not make a cup of tea or dress herself. She was often hysterical and the police brought her home in the midddle of the night twice in her nightie. At that time my grandfather was in his early eighties and it was making his health deteriorate as well as my mothers.

In the home she was visited daily by either my mother or grandfather, my mother maintained her clothes and ensured a hairdresser visited. The standards of care were incredibly. My grandmother spent her last five years in that home. She had no underlying medical conditions apart from a stricture of the oesophagus and latterly suffered from tia's. That gave the Alzheimers the opportunity to wreak its worst with her mind and body.

At the end of the last year - she was bedridden - she had a special moving bed to ensure no bed sores develeped, she knew no-one, had forgotten how to speak and eat and drink and when she died she was 4 stone.

OP - get yourself back on here and repeat that you would never put your gran in a care home to me and all other members of my family. When you have experienced that level of tragedy, that level of destruction to a mind and body that was once fit and healthy and clever and charming and entertaining, then you can make some declarations.

I don't use this often but Biscuit

Anniegetyourgun · 17/03/2012 10:54

Ah, I think I see where the OP is coming from now. She's got a bunch of layabout relatives who ought to be helping but can't be arsed. She'd like to see the buggers pulling their own weight, either by helping to look after Granny or paying towards her care. If I've read that right there is some sympathy to be had with her situation. It's just the sweeping statement aspect that people are fairly taking issue with.

DurhamDurham · 17/03/2012 10:54

Well I live in Durham, have two children and work full time, perhaps you could pop down to Melton Mowbray and look after my mil. Just so we don't have to make any tough decisions soon, because at present her needs are not being met by her family because despite our best efforts we all live miles away and work!!!

Anniegetyourgun · 17/03/2012 10:56

X-posted with you marriedinwhite. I'm so sorry for you all and most of all for your grandmother, and totally agree there was nothing better you could have done for her. That care home sounds fabulous; what a huge shame they can't all be like that!

fedupofnamechanging · 17/03/2012 11:12

Care homes should be as inspected and regulated as schools imo. That would help to improve standards. Workers shouldn't be on minimum wage, what they do is hard work and should be paid properly and treated as a profession and regulated in much the same way as nurses and teachers are.

Your OP seems to be accepting of the fact that abuse has happened in these places and blames families for not caring for relatives, when the real focus, should be in ensuring that abuse doesn't happen, so that people can use care homes without having to worry that they are not doing the right thing by their loved ones.