A question I should have asked back in 2004 !!!
My worst nightmare during my ten year stretch.
Assume a lone carer is hospitalised … say for three weeks.
No family other than caree … probable first port of call their LA … assuming , of course , they are able to and not perhaps , in a coma … leaving a vulnerable caree incapable of fending for themselves … who would probably die after being left alone for a few days.
( Yep , ALWAYS carry some form of a Carers Emergency Card ! )
Costs of a replacement " Carer " ?
For millions , financial Armageddon … just about enough resources to make end meet to survive as it is.
Insurance available to cover this eventually ?
( Sod’s Law ? Find cover … in hospital for 20 days … small print says " Only after 21 days … " )
Through existing " Personal injury " cover or would one need to seek specialist cover ?
Given the potential numbers involved , perhaps one for CUK to handle … given the " Block " nature of hundreds of thousands lone carers who could sleep a little easier at night … or day … whichever is the case.
Internet search … round and round in ever decreasing circles … know the feeling ?
If need be , I’ll try to bounce this one off an insurance company.
Back in my banking days , had clients in this field and well as in Lloyds itself.
Any reader in / or previously in the insurance field with any thoughts ?
Life cover with built in " Personal health / injury " cover seems to be a standard product out there in 2019.
I see three problems :
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Expensive … probably rules out 3.5 million of the carer army by default … others may elect not to buy cover.
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Not retrospective … existing conditions would mean premiums could be a lot higher.
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Family / kinship carers … would such a policy cover the traditional caring roles … last thing anyone would need was to a rely on a policy wherein , possibly the small print , " Caring " is not mentioned and so excluded ?
My view … a dead end … tempting but , to sound out a specific type policy for carers with the Insurance industry ?
There are tasks , and there ARE tasks ?
One for the younger generation of carers out there … time they step up to the plate !!!
It is they who will benefit from the endeavours of us " Senior citizens " , time for them to earn their crust.
Even then , how does one announce such a policy to the 7.8 million carer army … my Russian is poor and I will never fit into a standard meerkat suit … tempting if I could wear my beloved Leyton Orient scarf ?
Perhaps , even , a New Orleans Saints cheerleader as my " Grand-niece " … oh well , just a thought ?
Still , not all gloom … at least the " Problem " behind this thread is now out there … and , as I type , 78 now know of the potential atom bomb for any carer needing hospital treatment ( Excluding some who may have read a real life thread recently posted ? )
https://www.carersuk.org/forum/support-and-advice/carers-health-issues/carer-but-need-an-operation-can-i-get-support-36094
Strongly recommend to ALL to read that thread … a rare ticking atomic bomb if ever there was one !