Life Without Carers?

MrHappy

I ended my Social Services care package many weeks ago (i won't go into reasons why) and so far i think i'm coping ok-ish. Housework is a problem, showering is a problem, taking my meds is a problem, and dressing is a problem too. Basically everything is a problem! The plus sides are i can do more than i thought i could do and i am no longer getting stressed about poor levels of care - sometimes very poor levels of care.

Is no care better than poor care? Well, my current answer is on balance yes it is however its highly likely at some point in the not too distant future i will probably have to accept poor care over no care.

Rachel_Scope

That's great that you've realised you can do more than you thought and are less stressed. Make sure you don't overdo it though. Did you make a complaint about your poor levels of care? You shouldn't have to accept poor care.

theme79

I hope you manage to find the right balance and not over do it but yes! I get your reasons - as it is my wife does everything for me and the complete car crash of social service care packages makes it a last resort and basically instead of enabling disabled people it crushes us. And often we have to pay for this poor care.

Also seems the system is set up for very restricted lives of elderly non working and sedentary older people. Hope things go well for you .

Stickman

I use a company called CuramCare.

MrHappy

Hi @Rachel_Scope

Yes i did repeatedly complain about poor levels of care both to the various care agencies and Social Services albeit without much success. In my opinion there is now an acknowledgment and much more worryingly an acceptance by SSD's that inadequate care is better than no care.

Perhaps one of the 'issues' being the limited or virtually non existent training for new carers.

Another issue being SSD's budget's are now so restricted whether they like it or not they are forced to hire the very 'cheapest' agencies.

And another very real issue is the dwindling supply of carers which has been made even worse by some of the government's mind-bogglingly strange decisions recently - an example being the rush to restrict overseas carers from bringing their families to the UK. The absolute fact is that overseas carers already make up the vast majority of the care sector work force in London and the South East and those numbers are only going to grow. It used to be carers from the former eastern block countries (Poland Romania and Bulgaria etc) but now its African countries (Kenya and Tanzania etc). My last two agencies both based in Surrey consisted entirely of carers from Africa. Yes that's right… 100% African staffed agencies.

MrHappy

Hi @theme79 You are spot on with your comment regarding the 'car crash' of SSD's care packages. And you are 100% correct with your comment poor care/care packages doesn't enable us it crushes us.

MrHappy

Hi @Stickman I wasn't familiar with CurumCare until i read your post.

At first glance CurumCare seems very promising so thank you very much for posting.

Stickman

You're welcome.