To be concerned about call from Social Services

[WhataMissMap]

My elderly aunt and uncle are both in their early nineties.
They live alone but have help several times a day from carers as my aunt is in a wheelchair.
I am their only relative but I live 250 miles away. I visit each week but I have become concerned about my uncle. He cares for my aunt very well but he does seem to be slowing down.
He still drives and collects all the shopping, when I can’t do it.
He is amazing for a man of his age.
He was in the military and he is very self disciplined.
He does the Times Cross Word each day and speaks to a friend of his on the phone twice a week in fluent Italian. He plays the piano beautifully still.
I have just received a phone call from the Social Service a in their area to say they would like to visit my Aunt and Uncle next week with me present.
My Uncle says he has no idea why this is happening. He called the GP for a home visit last week when my Aunt was feeling “glum”z
I’m a bit concerned could the GP may have alerted Social Services or is this a just routine visit.
I feel a bit out of my depth, does anyone know if this is just a normal routine visit, Albeit they have never had one before or is there more to it?
Please excuse typos, I’m on the train and my phone is playing up

The GP has definitely made a referral to social services.

It will be a visit to assess if they need any support. If they don't need or want any support then it just be a case close. Nothing to worry about.

I don't have much experience of social services with the elderly but I didn't want to read and leave. I think it is probably routine and as your aunt and uncle seem to be very independent it may be about accessing more support. A single visit from the GP may have triggered a system warning to check things are OK. They sound absolutely brilliant and much more switched on than me at half their age. As do you who sound very very caring and supportive. Try not to panic and if you can get the number of the social worker who made contact to see if you can guage what's going to happen so you can all be prepared. I hope everything's OK.

Do they pay for their own care or is it council funded? You are amazing to be travelling that far for them on a weekly basis by the way.

I work part-time in a council post related to elderly and vulnerable people. We get frequent referrals from social workers for social alarms, befrienders , boiler replacement schemes etc after these check in type visits. Hopefully the meeting will be helpful for all of you.

I expect the Dr just recognised that your uncle might need more support as gets older. Caring for another person is exhausting at the best of times.

When Social care were sent to my MIL, she was 95 and living alone although we lived very close by, they put in all sorts of things so she could manage better such as rails in the bathroom, stools in the kitchen etc. Don't be too worried, they are there to help and have access to many things that could be very useful.

I doubt this is a routine visit, they don't offer help/services if it isn't needed. I would assume that the GP is concerned that your uncle either isn't able to deal with your aunt's care needs, or is not coping well himself. In my family it was the reverse, my great aunt was caring for my great uncle, both were in mid 90's but very sound mind. GA was a fiercely independent, wouldn't even allow carers to come in, carried GU on her back up the stairs at bedtime as she refused a chair lift . Both of them immaculately dressed and turned out, shirts starched, dinner on China ware.

GU was taken into hospital suddenly and GA fell the next day and also taken into hospital (she died several weeks later) It was only when they were in hospital and my mum had to go into the house (upstairs) that she realised things had not been good. Bed sheets hadn't been changed for ages, bottles of urine everywhere (GU had a catheter, which it transpired wasn't being changed and had lead to bad UTI ) The upstairs was flea infested as they used to let in a neighbours cat...long story short GA was not coping and hadn't been for a long time but no one had any idea as downstairs was pristine and both very well kept. It was also very telling that GU put on half a stone in first week of hospital, it seems they didn't eat regular balanced meals either. Is there any chance a similar situation may be occurring OP?

Op tbos is a good thing, ss will hopefully be very helpful. As they know the types of care needs an elderly couple may need in order to make the lives of people such as your elderly aunt and uncle may need as they become more frail.

Take a notebook and pen to take notes and be prepared to chase up anything once they have made their assesment.

They are lucky to have you

OP you are amazing as another poster said to be doing that trip every week. I would be wanting to talk to SS beforehand to explain that you are a 500 mile round trip away, so is it really necessary for you to be in attendance. Imagine if you went all of that way and they wanted to tell them about possible rails in the bathroom or a buzzer.

I regularly make referrals to social services for this type of thing as part of my job, personally I have to have consent from the person the referral is about unless they are a danger to themselves/someone they care for. I don't know if it's different for a GP or not.

Referrals can be for so many different reasons such as need for carers, physical aids such as frames/stair lift/keysafe and pendant set up, a concern that assistance may needed in terms of additional resources - meals on wheels or cleaning.

This may purely be a check in, an opportunity to get things in place should either of them deteriorate, have the fire service come in the do checks such as fire alarms, fire resistant supplies and linking a fire alarm to a service that automatically informs the fire service if it goes off.

Honestly don't be concerned, go in with an open mind and remember as long as your aunt and uncle have capacity they can refuse everything if they don't feel it's needed.

Just to add all of the above applies in my area of the UK, individual areas may have their own local policies that may differ slightly.

250 mile round trip every week? Bloody hell OP you're a star

It is advised to get support in place before it is needed.

They may want another point of contact, changes to the home, a check of their income and benefits, some respite, help to access the bath and shower, fall assessments, clubs they may like, etc.

When they need help it is better to be in the system as SS work so slowly. I see it as a positive proactive step.

My uncle (89) lived in squalor. I referred him to SS several times as did his GP. I offered help and SS phoned him several times to offer support. He refused. The GP offered support. He refused. There was nothing anyone could do because he passed the dementia test and was considered to have capacity. I was desperate but he wouldn't let me do anything - he didn't even have a working fridge for the last 6 months.

Your uncle sounds on the ball and I am sure he will be able to sort out which support he needs and refuse what he doesn't.

I work this area and its nothing to worry about. When a GP notes that an elderly person might be struggling to cope or their mood has changed (and they have care)they simply refer to Adult Social Care (and thus- a social worker)for them to be reassessed for extra support or assistance. We do this all the time. We ring adult social care if we have concerns OR if we feel someone could do with another assessment and/or extra help. It doesnt necessarily mean anything sinister. Dont worry!

Could be that it's taking the carers longer to do their job. Could be to do with who pays for care, look up continuing health care NHS funding, could be the gp thinking they need a little bit more help. Doesn't sound too worrying to me.

No advice but you are an amazing niece.

Maybe you can have an email dialogue with SS rather than drive for the meeting?

Could you maybe set up Regular online food deliveries and prescription deliveries - to save both you and your relative the hassle?

Respect to you for making what must be at least a 5 hour journey each week - that alone can’t be easy

I work in adult social care. I don't think you need to be concerned. It's probably just to ask if they want any extra help, equipment, alarms etc. I'm assuming they pay for their own carers, otherwise you'd be used to seeing social workers. It might be to explain how funding from the council works. There is a small possibility the GP is worried they are not managing very well. Someone will have made a referral, we don't just routinely visit all older people. Perhaps your uncle has been putting on a brave face when you visit and has said something else to the GP. My experience is that older people don't ask for help very often so perhaps they are finding things tougher. As long as they can make their own decisions its up to them what happens. It's a long way for you to go, so perhaps ring the social worker back and ask for more info first.

I am a social worker in adult social services so deal with these referrals daily. The social worker will likely complete an assessment of needs, see what they may benefit from e.g equipment, telecare, carers breaks, carers and it will be up to your Aunt and Uncle if they wish to accept that support.

Other reasons why we may visit is to make enquiries under safeguarding, but I would hope the social worker would have discussed that with you prior to the visit if this was the reason for visiting. This could be due to someone raising any kind of safeguarding concern but wouldn't necessarily result in a home visit.

We don't visit without a referral from somewhere- this could be anyone though so GP, family member, charity or self referrals. Best practice would have been to discuss where the referral has come from over the phone and explained what the visit is for rather than leaving you in limbo.

The social worker cannot hide who the referral came from so you can always ask them. Honestly we are not scary, only there to help!

Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply it was very helpful.
I’m not selfless really. I enjoy the drive and a few hours to myself to listen to an audiobook.
I can also tie my visit into my work. I also enjoy seeing my aunt and uncle too.
Thank you all again.

Oh well you’re not that amazing then.