Support bubble

[Phillpot12]

Hi,
Sorry if this is a silly question but...
Do I actually formally count as a support bubble for my mum in the following situation? Father has dementia so she is his carer and they live together with no other adults. I live with 3 children and husband. I have been supporting them since March as both have been shielding.
If they are totally on their own at Christmas I think their mental health will be hugely affected so can we go there and socially distance/well ventilated room? They are Tier 4 but only by a mile and v rural we are Tier 2.
Can my whole household be in their bubble? I think so but they worried they are breaking rules. (Anxiety exacerbated by dementia!! ).

I don’t think you can legally support bubble because she isn’t a single household.

However mental health is important and you could visit her to provide support on those grounds.

You can provide a support bubble to a household where one adult is the carer of another, so under those guidelines it fits

Do be careful though, if you have school age children etc who may have been exposed last week of term

Yes I think you can as she is a carer:

Who can make a support bubble

Not everybody can form a support bubble. However, on 2 December the rules changed to widen eligibility for forming one.

You can form a support bubble with another household of any size if:

• you live by yourself – even if carers visit you to provide support
• you are the only adult in your household who does not need continuous care as a result of a disability
• your household includes a child who is under the age of one or was under that age on 2 December 2020
• your household includes a child with a disability who requires continuous care and is under the age of 5, or was under that age on 2 December 2020
• you are aged 16 or 17 living with others of the same age and without any adults
• you are a single adult living with one or more children who are under the age of 18 or were under that age on 12 June 2020

You should not form a support bubble with a household that is part of another support bubble

Mental health is just as important as physical.

However, is it because you want to spend Christmas with you parents? Or is it that you support her the whole time regardless of whether it’s Christmas.

I know loads of people in tier 4 that are continuing with a normal Christmas, the shops and towns are full of people. So his plan hasn’t really worked.

So I would say, you do what you feel is best for your family x

I have been supporting her throughout, drove her to hospital last week, drop off shopping etc so always going stuff.
So hard as well aware they a physically both vulnerable but mum will be hit hard mental health wise. She doesn't want me breaking the law so I just checking it officially ok eve though I have been doing it since March before the rules changed yesterday.

Yes, your dad needs continuous care x

I belive you can join another household to provide respite care

Everyone’s situation is different, if you support her all the time then I don’t see how Christmas Day rules are any different to your normal life.
Your support her, therefore she needs support.
Forget it’s Christmas Day and continue to support her like you and been.
I’m sorry about your dad, dementia is horrible x

Thanks, SI3ppy - it is such a grim illness.
It's been a terrible year for everyone one
2021 had better bring some better times!

@Phillpot12

Yes - quote from the Gov guidance below - you and your family can bubble with your parents for the reason dementedpixie highlighted. This allows you to think of yourselves as one household although as you suggest you should continue to take sensible precautions.

What a support bubble is
A support bubble is a support network which links 2 households. You have to meet certain eligibility rules to form a support bubble. This means not everyone will be able to form a support bubble.

Once you’re in a support bubble, you can think of yourself as being in one ‘household’. It means you can have close contact with the other household in your bubble as if they were members of your own household. This means you do not need to maintain social distance with people in your support bubble.

I hope that this helps - a difficult situation made many times worse I am sure.

Yes, I read something similar but wasn't sure if I I was interpreting it properly. Thank you!
All such a mess for so many people.
Thank you for the reassurance.