Yesterday 9th October 2015

RAGING RAGING RAGING RAGING RAGING RAGING

SO SO SO ANGRY……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Everything was going along fine and dandy, I completed my normal routine and even managed to do my 50 minute tummy crunched DVD. My children left for school and I drove my mum to the day care centre.

I then went home and began to clean, I put a washing on, hung a washing on the clothes line and started to iron the dried clothes.

and then I received a telephone call……….

A man from the financial assessment team called me and told me that the discretionary panel had been in touch with him and that they are looking for further information regarding my mum’s expenditure. He said that they needed a breakdown of some of the costs which I had logged as expenditure for my mum.

We discussed the following:

1. How much heating fuel my mum uses and could I provide evidence.
2. How much electricity she uses and could I provide evidence.
3. Could I provide evidence for the amount of food shopping I have marked down for my mum such as food receipts.
4. What outings/social events I took my mum too and what part did my mum pay for or did she pay for it all, could I provide a breakdown.
5. Why I had £40.00 written down for my sisters fuel and respite – I explained that my sister came to my house every second weekend to look after my mum so that I could take my children out and spend quality time with them. He said that he did not think this would be taken into account. I asked why. He said that from previous experience, the discretionary panel has not taken this into account. I explained that I had used local authority respite before and during a 7 day stay in a care home my mum sustained 28 bruises, therefore, local authority respite was not safe to use and therefore, was not an option for my mum. I asked him to pass this information on to the discretionary panel.

During this conversation we needed to talk about my mums toileting issues and the items I required to keep my mum clean and hygienic. The man from the financial assessment was extremely nice on the phone but the topic was terrible.

I am astonished at the level of disrespect, the lack of dignity and the lack of privacy afforded to my family. I am astonished that in a family home I am expected to talk about my mum as a single unit, when she is part of my family.

I contacted my local MP’s office to vent my annoyance at this type of treatment. I was told that they were on my side…… phew! and that everyone has to fill in these forms. I explained that I had already filled in the forms however they were now looking at all the intricate detail and that it was degrading.

I explained that I was educated to an academic level and could quite easily go out and get a well paid job and I was informed that I made the choice to look after my mum. I said that I understood this however I was saving the local authority over £700 pounds a week by looking after my mum, so surely they could manage to ensure that my  family have a ‘normal and full life’. I was told that I should contact my mum’s keyworker. I asked why. The answer to that was so that she could help me fill in the forms. eh! phew! I do not get it! This is deliberate buck passing and it is disgraceful.

I am demented, I am angry.

NATIONAL CARE STANDARDS

Scottish Ministers developed the National Care Standards to ensure everyone in Scotland receives the same high quality of care no matter where they live.  The Standards explain what you can expect from any care service you use, written from the point of view of the person using the service. They also help you raise concerns or complaints. There are 6 main principles behind the Standards:

• Dignity
• Privacy
• Choice
• Safety
• Realising Potential
• Equality and Diversity

(http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Health/Support-Social-Care/Regulate/Standards)

I have now emailed Nicola Sturgeon, as follows:

Could I ask that you read my blog www.acarersstory.com and give me feedback as to why carers and those cared for are treated in such a way. To the extent that they are made to feel like a burden to society.

I am totally taken aback that I am being asked to provide receipts for my shopping bills, evidence of how much heating fuel my mum uses within my house hold, evidence of how much electricity she uses. Has it really come to this? Are things that bad, that people who are living in borderline poverty are being degraded and disrespected  by Government bodies just to prove that they are not overspending.

Imagine how undignified it would be to be required to explain your mother’s sanitary requirements to a male financial assessment officer over the phone and your mother being double incontinent. I had to do that, so that he could assess whether or not I am spending too much of my mums money on my mum. This is distressing, embarrassing and humiliating. It is disgusting behaviour, I feel disgusted.

Imagine how patronizing it would be for someone to ask you if your disabled mother did not stay with you, if you would still have a phone on your property, I was asked this because my mother, who lives with me contributes to the telephone costs.

I am totally shocked.

There are Governmental pushes to get older people to live in their community, we have an aging population and research is saying 1 in 3 people will have dementia by the year 2015.  From what I can gather from my experience as a carer of my mum people like us are getting pushed into extreme poverty, we are being isolated and we are being treated in an undignified way, we are being discriminated against, we receive unequal treatment and we are being negatively affected by disjointed services.

Sore head not a great night at all.