Hello, is there any service provided by social services or a private company who will provide a carer for one whole day? We are in the process of moving home into wheelchair accessible sheltered housing. The problem is I need to provide care pretty much 24/7 as my wife cannot get out of bed, into and out of her chair, to use the loo alone etc without my assistance. Normally thats what i do day and night but with an upcoming move to new housing, I can’t be in 2 places at once. I have been going between our old house and the new one arranging decorating to be done, new carpets fitted, gas safety checks, window blinds and draw curtains fitted and other jobs but I cant spend more than half an hour at the new place because I keep getting called back to provide care. Thats OK I am managing alright doing that but on the moving day it will be a lot more hectic. I need to move simple basic furniture between premises and located in the right place in our new home so I can get the essentials in place before i move my wife to the new home. Simple things like a bed for each of us to sleep on a chair each to sit on, a TV for the wife to watch etc. The problem is, we are currently in an upstairs flat with a stairlift and furniture removal companies say they cant move any furniture until we get the stairlift removed, but if I do that, then I will never get the wife out of our old home & into the new one! So I need to move all the simple stuff as described all by myself so the new place is at least live able and then get the stairlift out so the removal company can do their job to move the big stuff like wall units, wardrobes, computer desk, settee.tables & chairs etc. All very well, but I can’t do that and care for my wife at the same time. So unless there is any way of just getting a carer for one day so I can make the new place live able if basic, I am stuck! Any ideas?
Hi @Redridge
Gosh that’s a lot for you to do. I was wondering if an overnight or even 2 nights of a live-in carer could be useful to organise…I did a quick google search: agency live in care - Google Search
some people have used Country cousins
Perhaps if there’s overnight support it would mean you could have more time to get everything done AND the carer could look after your wife in the new place whilst you finalise the exit of the old place, and you could have help doing that?!?
2 times now I’ve contacted hospices in the local area where my friends/relatives were based, as I trust their recommendations and local knowledge more than trying to assess each agency myself which takes ages and is hard work! So here’s the hospice finder, for you to call your local one to ask for their recommendations for in-home support: Hospice Care Finder | Hospice UK
Is there anyone - friends, who can check in on your wife too? Perhaps that would give you peace of mind…Take care of yourself, you’ve obviously got a lot to organise…hope some of the above helps!
@Redbridge,
This all sounds impossibly hard. Moving stuff downstairs on you own with the stair lift in place, rushing back every half hour to check on your wife, moving your wife to the new house with carers to support her whilst you pack and mastermind the removal of the rest.
Would overnight respite be an option; then your wife would only need a weekend case and once the stair lift was removed, the removal company could help you with all the stuff.
Alternatively, could your wife and a carer stay in a Travel Lodge or similar, ( @Chris_22081 has posted before about which have properly accessible rooms,) with a carer whilst you master mind the move and have the removal company doing all the heavy stuff.
Hi @Redridge you certain have a job on your hands just looking after you wife, let alone arranging and co-ordinating the move.
Have you thought of contacting your local Carers Support Centre? They may be able to put you in touch with a local Care Agency which could provide short term help. There is an Agency close to us which has boasted that they can provide temporary ‘emergency’ care support - for instance if someone’s Carer has to go into hospital urgently. There may be something like that nearby. Alternatively try contacting Social Services and explain the short-term problem and see if they can suggest some help.
@Melly1’s idea of hotel could be a good one. As she said I have sung the praises of some Travelodges which have PROPERLY Accessible Rooms, with wet-rooms which are large enough to get a wheelchair into without a problem. The provide double or twin rooms so an overnight Carer could stay in the room with your wife. If you check their website it will warn you if it is one of those (not many) which does NOT have a wet room, but you can also call them to check and I have found the staff understand very well the needs of someone with serious mobility issues. Other local hotels may be able to provide similar facilities, it’s just I know Travelodge!
Please remember not to overtax yourself in the run up to the move or on the day. You’ll need your energy helping your wife settle into the new home. It’s awkward to do sometimes, but are there any friends who could help out a bit as well as the removal company?
Best of luck with it all.
I once met someone whose husband died on moving day.
You need a week to move things in an orderly fashion, and your wife needs continuous care. Why not ask her to go into a nursing home for a week, at least, so you can do all this in an orderly fashion?
Hi Redbridge, the others are giving you sound advice, get your GP or any other carers unit to help you. See if family and friends can help you but also so firms will help you if you explain what is needed. Good luck