Frustration with social worker

[2010Aussie]

DM is currently in a respite home recovering from a broken hip after a fall. She also has dementia and has tried to escape from the home, resulting in further falls. Meeting with the social worker last week, it was decided that DM would be safest in a permanent residential care setting.

Respite home is some distance away (although in the same county) and I am really struggling with the all the travelling to go and see her. No-one else is visiting her. I asked the social worker to try and find a permanent place in a home nearer our village where other friends & family also live. I suggested two places which I know nearby.

A week later, she has come back and said that neither has availability but there is a place at a home even further away in the same county. I declined this and asked her if she had looked at other homes in our area, including options across a county boundary which runs close to where we live (we know people from our village who now live 'over the border' and our local authority fund them). She hadn't even thought about it, so I suggested that she might do that.

I am very angry and frustrated. Not only do I feel that I am doing her job for her, as I tried to explain why I was turning down the place offered, she kept interrupting and talking over me. I would be grateful for any advice as to how to deal with this. Thank you.

Can you not find a place for your mum yourself and then tell the social worker where you want her to go?

Remind the social worker of DM’s rights under this, which can include the right to live in her community and/or close to family:

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/human-rights-act/article-8-respect-your-private-and-family-life#:~:text=and%20family%20life-,Article%208%20protects%20your%20right%20to%20respect%20for%20your%20private,and%20emails%2C%20for%20example).

As another poster has said - look around for yourself, but ask the homes if they accept SS rates first though. Just because SS will be making a contribution to her care does not mean that you cannot look around.

Yes definitely check that the homes where you want her to be accept SS rates. We were lucky that one in our village did and DMIL could go there.

It was a bit shabby but the staff were amazing and clearly had an affection for her.

I sympathise, but the social worker will have a list of homes for your county that they work down on having places - that won't include over the border.
I'd def just go and look at places close to you, ask if they have space for SS funded residents, and then if they have , pass on the information to the social worker while asking if they can assess your mum for suitability

It's possible that some places just can't meet your mum's needs, particularly if she gets up alone. EMI beds funded by social care can be few and far between in some areas.

But absolutely go and look at places yourself. And ask if they accept council funded places.