It is no use. It just feels like no one wants to do anything. I am stuck with what to do. I received another letter this morning from the Extra care team who say that they cannot do anything to speed up the process to get mum into supported accommodation, she remains on the waiting list.
Fine, however I think services really need to pull their finger out and put something in place. In the previous letter, they identified that she was on the waiting list to be assigned a new social worker who will then carry out more assessments including the financial capacity assessment. Really these things should be done now considering she is paying for the care now.
In the meantime, I can see mums mental state getting worse and worse.
As for what is going on with my aunt, mums care package starts on Monday. I hope they will see something. I suppose in this situation the carers will have more power. I know my aunt does not want my mum to have carers. If they witness it, they will be able to relay it to social services. Apparently, to social services evidence of significant abuse to two extremely disabled people and multiple animals is not enough because the cases are ‘unrelated.’
I wrote a letter to my MP, about the ridiculous amount of effort it takes to get through to the mental health crisis team in the area. I feel like situations could be avoided with my mum if they were easier to contact. Basically the whole procedure just drags out to long. Basically the whole of the mental health services in the area go through one main helpline number. When you ring you are told to enter a queue of no specified length, nor do they tell you your place in the queue.
Instead, you just have to wait for the call back. It comes back eventually, but it can take hours especially on a weekend. Even then they have to ring through to the department which then creates another queue of unspecified length. It is a nightmare. I just think it is an inappropriate response to a mental health crisis.
Mum has had to be sectioned multiple times in her life, and I swear contacting the crisis team used to be easier, they used to allow you to go direct to them. They wont allow anyone to ring them directly either, it has to go through the main helpline number.
I once contacted someone from the MIND advice line asking for advice and they gave me an alternative number, I called it and they told me off.
I am not NHS bashing really, but in a crisis situation I don’t think this system words.
This is why I hate being a carer, I have said before that I don’t feel like this should be the role of a carer. I remember when dad had cancer; though hard, it was easier. But this is the reality, caring for someone who had stage 4 cancer, not much power of movement, and no speech whatsoever was easier.