Age Concern/Carers.

Ken68

I can't for the life of me, get my head round Carers Allowance.
I am in receipt of Attendance Allowance and Guaranteed Pension Credit plus Old age Pension and plus quite useful savings.
Age 73, single live solo and about to go into hospital though only for a week max.
Then I shall want care at home ,for say a month and been told that the hospital discharge service will give information and options.
I figure this will be too late to get a carer. Can I just pay someone to come in, does it have to be an official Carer. If it is an official Carer, do I pay her or supplement her wages.
I will be ringing Age Concern tomorrow but thought to get some knowledge beforehand.
Thanks for help.

cookie54

not sure if this will be the case where you are but i work in sussex as a a carer for an agencng and when people live the hospital the discharge unit / social services refure them to us and we come and care for them for the time given . ire personnel care etc and then you can try and get age concern to do you shopping cleaning etc ..........

Ken68

Thanks Cookie, so probably depends how the patient is, maybe I shall opt for a convalescent home for a week or two and an Age Concern cleaner afterwards, but nowt like your own home. Many thanks.

margaretclare

Depends what 'care' you need, but this is the idea of AA, to help pay for things like this.

Have you thought of stocking up the freezer with 'ready-meals' before you go into hospital, so that you have food to eat when you come home? This IMHO is one of the ways in which 'ready-meals' are so useful, not for normal use!!! https://www.oakhousefoods.co.uk

Ken68

Odd you mention that Margaret, just started doing ready meals from home grown veg and fruit, seperate up to now in the freezer and garden.Did a whole lot of slow cooked stew veg, parsnips, beans, carrots etc plus a can of chillie con carne, and then into freezer packs, First effort .Local restuarants do the council meals on wheels service. Not so salty as the Farmfoods and Tesco stuff.
Minimal actual care can get up and go to bed unaided, just knowing someone about is appreciated. Brilliant young neighbours but they work early and finish late.
Quite like housework but gonna need help.And just read about Day Centres and yet to go into PALS.
Definately a sea change in my attitude and understanding of help received.
Thank you both.

Glyndwr_2

Social Services will have a reablement team which can come in for up to 6 weeks.
Your PCT will have a Collaborative Care Team (though name of this will vary) which can also come in for up to 6 weeks.
Depending on what you are having done there may be specific team to help e.g. COMBAT (a locally specific name) for orthopaedic services.

You may find some information on your hospitals website, or on you local council website now you have come words/phrases to look for.

You would be assessed in hospital if they feel that you will need help. In my experience you do not get a choice in which service you recieve. You may be financially assessed to see how much contribution you will need to make but as far as I am aware this is if you then need longer term help. Also you will not have a choice of what time they come to do, or what time they arrive e.g. again from experience a morning visit could be any time betweem 7.30 and 11.30 & then a lunch time visit could follow 1/2 hour later at 12. Needing medication at strictly regulated intervals did not come into it :rolleyes:. Other times they may just miss you out altogether with no explanation.

margaretclare

Ken68 wrote: »

Odd you mention that Margaret, just started doing ready meals from home grown veg and fruit, seperate up to now in the freezer and garden.Did a whole lot of slow cooked stew veg, parsnips, beans, carrots etc plus a can of chillie con carne, and then into freezer packs, First effort .Local restuarants do the council meals on wheels service. Not so salty as the Farmfoods and Tesco stuff.
Minimal actual care can get up and go to bed unaided, just knowing someone about is appreciated. Brilliant young neighbours but they work early and finish late.
Quite like housework but gonna need help.And just read about Day Centres and yet to go into PALS.
Definitely a sea change in my attitude and understanding of help received.
Thank you both.

Good idea doing your own ready-meals. Things like cottage pie are easy. Veg soup. Stew, yes I agree. I used to do a lot of this when I worked away, when I came home I always had a meal I could defrost and heat up.

You may find there is a local firm of domestic cleaners. I had the house completely cleaned through last year when DH was in hospital with septicaemia - I wanted it all to be spotless for when he came out. They would come on a regular basis if I asked.

margaretclare

We have a friend aged 91 who lives in a local retirement complex - she recently had a knee replacement but had complications, was in a residential home for 2 weeks but couldn't stand it. She, like you, wanted to be in her own home.

There used to be convalescent homes, but no longer.

I wouldn't want anyone poking their noses in doing 'assessments'.

Mojisola

The Red Cross also do a "Care in the Home" scheme to help people in the first few weeks after being in hospital.

If money is no problem, phone round some of the agencies and choose your own carers or, if you have a relative or friend who is willing, offer them the job.

Ken68

WOW many many thanks, can feel the worries going.

Those teams you mention Glynd sound like PALS at Addenbrookes.
And I know a Red Cross lady , Mojisola, who helps out in a local charity shop, will ask her if she is interested
. And the charity shop concerned, special adult needs, may have a team that will do a blitz on the house (Know they do gardens), although already fairly clean, won't get thoroughly done afterwards for a few months.
The op involves releasing pressure on the optic nerve near the pituitary gland hopefully restoring full vision and no more headaches.
So we have a plan of action. Something to go on.Something to do. Monday.
Smile at the convelescent home remark Margaret. Didn't know that. Remember being put on a train in London in 1964 after ear op. With a placard round me neck asking other passengers to make sure I got off at St. Osyth. Was met there but things have certainly changed.

Glyndwr_2

If it's Addenbrookes I've always found their website very helpful & informative. The the following may be helpful (the teams previously listed are different from PALS):
Planning your discharge
Welcome Home from Hospital is their help through the voluntary sector