Adult Social Care - advice appreciated

[Deleted User]

Update - I went back through the stuff on the LA website. The way they do it is they have a team called “let’s talk” and on the site it explains they will get in touch with my mum and she will speak with a adult social care needs advisor. From there they can look into the next steps. 

I’ve arranged a call back. We have put together a list of everything she needs help with and I’ve told her to ask for an assessment. 

elsien

That's good. Don't forget to tell them the health issues/disability underlying your mum's support needs as having those conditions is part of what triggers the assessment. If they decline to assess ask them to give  a specific reason why not, ideally in writing as that will then allow her to challenge through the LA complaints procedure if she needs to. Which hopefully it won't come to, but best to be prepared. 
Also, your mum has the right to have support in the assessment if she wants someone else there, if her health/disability means she would have difficulty otherwise. That can be due to mental health, sensory impairment, ASD, any number of reasons. So she can ask for the assessment to be completed with your/another family member involvement if she feels that would be of benefit. 

[Deleted User]

elsien said:

That's good. Don't forget to tell them the health issues/disability underlying your mum's support needs as having those conditions is part of what triggers the assessment. If they decline to assess ask them to give  a specific reason why not, ideally in writing as that will then allow her to challenge through the LA complaints procedure if she needs to. Which hopefully it won't come to, but best to be prepared. 
Also, your mum has the right to have support in the assessment if she wants someone else there, if her health/disability means she would have difficulty otherwise. That can be due to mental health, sensory impairment, ASD, any number of reasons. So she can ask for the assessment to be completed with your/another family member involvement if she feels that would be of benefit. 

Brilliant, thanks very much. 

[Deleted User]

I just wanted to come back and update. I helped my mum complete the online form the local authority asks for, and she received an email today to advise the next steps would be a telephone call to discuss her needs and then they can help organise the assessment. 

[Deleted User]

Just wanted to seek clarification. 

My mum had an assessment on the telephone.
 

Two things were suggested, she could get telecare installed and approach care agencies to get support with needs with certain tasks, she would need to fund this. 

Secondly an OT rang her and suggested a bath lift. They would pay. My mum is still concerned, she had an accident in the bath and does think the lift would be the best and wants a shower. 

Can she refuse the recommendation and ask for a shower or would it be easier for her to save and pay herself? 

Although these all took place on the telephone, is she still entitled to a written needs assessment? 

poppy12345

MarkN88 said:

Just wanted to seek clarification. 

My mum had an assessment on the telephone.
 

Two things were suggested, she could get telecare installed and approach care agencies to get support with needs with certain tasks, she would need to fund this. 

Secondly an OT rang her and suggested a bath lift. They would pay. My mum is still concerned, she had an accident in the bath and does think the lift would be the best and wants a shower. 

Can she refuse the recommendation and ask for a shower or would it be easier for her to save and pay herself? 

Although these all took place on the telephone, is she still entitled to a written needs assessment? 

The electric bath seats are very good because i used to have one. She can refuse but this doesn't mean they'll agree to install a shower.

She can ask for the assessment report to be put in writing but it's usually just basic, for example, it will state what has been recommended but not much more than that.

[Deleted User]

I think the whole incident of her accident due to the visual impairment has knocked her confidence and she’s worried about her safety. She explained to me she scared to get onto the lift in case she misses it and ends up on the floor or in the bath without been able to see where the lift seat is. 

She says she would prefer a walk in shower because that eliminates the getting in and out, going up and down, and falling whilst doing so. She says she would find it easier to walk into a shower, wash and walk out again. 

I can’t force her to accept the recommendation but I’m not sure what else I can do to help. 

poppy12345

All she can do is contact social services and tell them her thoughts and fears. The worst that can happen is they refuse her request for the walk in shower.

[Deleted User]

Yeah I’ll get her to do that tomorrow. I’d rather her contact them sooner to explain her thoughts. 

elsien

She can go back to them, explain her reasons for not accepting and see if there are any alternative suggestions.
She can ask for the assessment in writing and I would advise her to do so, because she can then see if there are any areas which she feels were missed, including the impact of her visual impairment, and she can go back to them to dispute its accuracy if she wishes to do so. 
With regards to the support from people coming in - whether she needed to pay for it or not would depend on the outcome of a financial assessment, if she is willing to share that information. Finances shouldn't impact on the contents of the needs assessment although they will affect what can be put in place to meet those needs.

A need is still a need, regardless of who pays for it, which is why the financial assessment should comes later.  They shouldn't be telling her she will need to pay for it herself before then, unless she happened to mention she had large amounts of savings. 
Local authority funding for care costs – do you qualify? - Money Advice Service