Urgent Court of Protection Application help please - worried

elmer

Lozz you can apply to the council for an exemption for the Council Tax from the day your mum goes into care. Give them a ring and they will send out the forms.

elmer x

Lozz

Hi Elmer,

Thanks for that, unfortunately it doesn't look like she will be going into nursing care anytime soon Mum passed panel for continuing care but the PCT have refused the home we really wanted her to go to as two of her friends are carers there and we know she would be looked after properly, nursing homes round here don't have a good reputation unfortunately and a social worker (who has only bothered to give me her first name, no surname or contact number) has said she will send me a list of homes, and pick one! No reason given for the refusal at all.

If they think I'm going to roll over and dump my Mum anywhere, they are mistaken. The social worker has said she will get the PCT to call me and tell me why so I suppose that is the next step, but unless she goes somewhere I am completely happy with unfortunately she will have to stay in hospital

Lozz x

pollypenny

Just caight up with thread, Lozz. Glad the finance is a bit easier, but good luck with search for home.

If your social worker is unhelpful, get on to her supervisor. I had to fight for my dad in a similar situation.

NeverEnough

Lozz, the refusal is likely to be based on costs (of course:(). Try to find out exactly what funding has been agreed - costs vary widely. If there is a small deficit between what the LA will pay and the home of choice's costs, perhaps your mum's finances will be able to top it up, or you could at least appeal about the level of funding which was agreed as being too little.

You must be assertive and insistent when dealing with some social workers and LA staff as insensitivity does creep in sadly, and they are all too keen to hide behind anonymity. The Complex Case co-ordinator should be on your list as well - they will have details about exactly who the social worker is, what funding has been agreed, what portion is from health, what portion from social care / LA etc.

You are your mum's voice now, muster up the strength to assert yourself and insist she is decently and appropriately cared for .........thoughts are with you and best wishes, let us know how it goes.

poppasmurf_bewdley

Lozz

I was in exactly the same position as you two years ago, but fortunately my Mum had signed a document at her solicitors a few months prior giving my brother and me control of her affairs if she was unable to do so herself.

But prior to that, I knew her debit card number and pension card number as Mum was housebound for a few months before she went into hospital for the final time, and I had been taking money in and out of her bank from her pension account at the Post Office to pay all her bills. The bank never raised any objection.

Most people and firms just accepted it when I told them I had 'power of attorney' for her.

Just use her debit card for her needs and paying her bills. Make sure she has a few pounds with her in the hospital in case of little emergencies.

But please, anyone else reading this - if you can, get your relative to visit their solicitor and draw up a power of attorney document before it is too late. It only cost us £100 and it could save £1000's.

Lozz

Hi pollypenny, thanks for your message. I would love to get on to the social worker's supervisor, unfortunately all she has bothered to give me is her first name, I have no idea who she is other than that or where she is based. Her phone number is unavailable.

Neverenough thank you so much, I agree much as this social worker kept going on about a 'safeguarding issue' the manager wouldn't have bothered to see us if this was the case. If it is a funding issue Mum has the income to top up by at least £200 per week, and I will contact the complex case manager first thing tomorrow, to try and find out what is going on, and exactly who this social worker is. It just seems that everybody who had been assigned to Mum has dissapeared, the complex case manager, her pallative care nurse, her consultant...she has been moved to a community ward where she receives basic care only

poppasmurf, that is such good advice, myself and DH in amongst all this have realised we need to do something ourselves which will obviously have to wait a while, I put £3 into Mum's purse the first night she went into hospital but she hasn't got a clue how to spend it, it's still sitting there now I think I have finally realised what I have to do, for the whole of July I took £120 out of her account and £100 of that went on TV cards! I agree with your advice to anyone reading this, please sort out power of attorney before it's too late.

Lozz x

Savvy_Sue

Lozz, if you phone the SS duty desk, you might be able to identify the SW involved, even with just a first name.

pollypenny

I was going to post the same as Sue. The social worker must work for your council, so contact the department.

At a most basic level, it's unprofessional not to have given her surname, let alone contact details.

My problem was with the hospital, OT in particular. Dad's social worker was like a social worker to me as well. She was wonderful, as were the rest of the department.

Good luck, Lozz, you'll have to keep fighting I think.

teabag29

What about applying for attendance allowance, its a non means tested benefit so her pension wont come into account and they have a fast track service for terminally ill

Lozz

Hi all,

Sorry I haven't updated for a few days but quite frankly we are going through it a bit at the moment, and I now officially hate the PCT with a vengence. They have given us every excuse under the sun to deny all of our nursing home choices to the point they have blatently lied to us today, it's got to the point I have contacted my Mum's MP as they want to dump her miles away when there are places available 10 minutes away from us!

Sue, thank you for that, unfortunately she turned out not to be a social worker but is the person responsible for placing Mum, Mum's complex case manager is going to speak to her supervisor tomorrow, we have spoken to several people in the department and the "couldn't give a flying" attitude is all we are getting. I seriously am at the stage that I want to put a bed in our dining room and bring her home.

Pollypenny, I wish we had a social worker like your's as this turning into a complete farce, 31 years of home care services from my Mum obviously isn't enough to warrant some dignity at the end of her life, still stuck in hospital when we have found several nursing home places that the PCT don't agree with, the last excuse being blatent lies.

teabag, from what I understand Mum isn't entitled to attendance allowance as she is in hospital, and (supposedly) going into nursing care as an NHS continuing care patient. I'm happy to be corrected if I am wrong though.

Thanks for all the support, I really do appreciate it xxx

Lozz x