How to access adult social care/carers

[Bemyclementine]

A friend currently going through this. Her mum is mid 60s but has a lot of medical issues. Has had a stroke, almost blind, diabetic, history of falls. Huge deterioration in the past year. Hospitalised several times, possibly kidney failure, heart problems.

Family members helped with meds, diabetes checks etc.

The mums partner has left suddenly. She can't make any food, can't stand for long enough, or see. She really needs carers doing in several times. Friend works full time, children. Also her mother had started being really unpleasant to everyone.

Friend has called social services, GP, other agencies and is getting nowhere.

I did all the above and we eventually had a visit from the social worker attached to our GP surgery. We heard nothing more even though I was back and forth to the surgery in tears every month or so unable to cope with the pressure and then out of the blue a carer turned up on the doorstep. It was 6 months between mum being assessed as needing care and finding a company who could provide it.

I know different authorities have different pressures but that was the reality for us. It might have been a little easier because mum and I had the same GP but I don't know.

She really needs to shout to everyone that this is a safeguarding issue. If her mum falls friend should call the ambulance and ask them to put in a safeguarding report as well. If DM is in hospital she should say that she is not able to supply any support on her release and she needs a care package.

Your friend needs to talk to the rest of the family who are supporting her mum and make sure everyone is on the same page so that there is no expectation on the family to provide the level of care that she obviously needs.

blimey hairbrush I had no idea it took six months!

OP I'm assuming the lady can't fund anything herself?

And they've tried Adult Social Care direct? My experience has been that the GP has no links to care. Could Age UK possibly help?

Has your friend applied for Attendance Allowance for her mum? If not, she should do that. There are a lot of scare stories on here about how hard the form is - it's not, it's extremely long and tedious and you have to repeat yourself but it was granted to my mum and she has a shorter list of problems.

If op's mum is mid sixties she may not even be state pension age so it would be PIP rather than AA. PIP is certainly a whole lot harder to get then AA.
I would ring adult social care and say she needs an urgent assessment as she's unsafe to be alone and at risk of neglecting herself. You can arrange carers yourself but sounds like she'll maybe need a financial assessment for funding of them ?