In view of the current crisis, please would it be possible for us to have a daily question and answer session with Carers UK?
There are so many aspects of this crisis that are causing concern amongst members.
I agree.
Given the new ball game no thanks to the Coronavirus Bill , an outside specialist in social care would not amiss.
What to do with all CHC / Needs / Carer assessments now postponed indefinitely ?
That in itself could be life threatening for almost anyone relying on outside care support.
I would consider most readers will think of the same individual as me for that task ?
Easily done with modern technology to save him traveling down from Leeds.
as they are for whole swathes of the population !!!
I will pass your comments onto Michael - BUT I’m not sure that this will even be possible as I suspect that the majority of CUK staff will be working from home at the moment
There are very serious issues specifically for CARERS that we need to get across, especially this issue of carers being turned away from supermarkets.
Whilst Michael reads things here, it would be great to have some feedback about what is planned as a result.
Thanks for this helpful suggestion bowlingbun. As I’m sure you can imagine, Carers UK’s helpline and policy staff are incredibly busy at the moment but I have forwarded your request for a Q&A to them and will let you know their response early next week.
We do understand that the current Coronavirus outbreak is a really worrying time for carers, and we are doing our best to support carers with information and guidance (see links below) and in our policy work . Our helpline is here to help, and I would encourage members to email us at advice@carersuk.org with their specific concerns and our helpline team will help as best as we can.
https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/health/looking-after-your-health/coronavirus-covid-19
https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/health/looking-after-your-health/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-further-support
https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/health/looking-after-your-health/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-mental-wellbeing
Wishing you all well over the weekend
Michael
Susieq
We realise the whole population is worried about the virus…
However, as carers we have to consider vulnerable persons needs ahead of our own.
We are already depleted, emotionally, physically and financially.
As well as dealing with the crisis we now have our young people at home also. (, here I am talking specifically about parent carers if course)
We still have the huge amount of paperwork that we had before …we still have to do it.
However, we now have zero support.
Carers allowance is still the same
We have to spend more money trying to source food
We have signed up with the milkman who charges more etc.
We are having to spend lots of money on buying rubber gloves etc.
Nothing extra for carers.
Prime ministers speech does not even mention unpaid carers.
We feel forgotten, and un important again.
It is totally possible to work from home.
It would be very helpful to get an educated interpretation of what the new law means in practise. What human rights do we have? What are LAs obliged to do, if anything?
I expect Carers UK will be seeking a lawyer’s opinion and it would be nice for Carers UK to share it in this forum.
Best " Take " so far is from … guess who … as if regular readers will need one ?
http://www.lukeclements.co.uk/the-coronavirus-bill-update/
The Coronavirus Act 2020
March 24, 2020 admin
This briefing considers:
The main provisions of the Act – this section briefly describes these as they apply to social care in England and Wales;
Considers the key values and principles [and a short ‘rant] – values and principles that will guide the way that social services department’s must act in the coming months; and
Practical action where problems arise – ie the steps that elderly, ill and disabled people, and families may be able to take if their eligible care and support needs are not being met appropriately.
Worth a few minutes of ANY readers time.
Thanks Bill!
Forum members are doing our best to answer questions being posted on the fallout from coronavirus.
The absence of an acceptable carers card nationwide is now coming back to really haunt our supporting organisations as the SHOPPING thread implies.
Coronavirus Act … suspension of supporting services … many will now experience this first hand … what are they to do ???
Care homes now refusing to take in elderly patients from the NHS hospital … discharges … dumping … again !
Our own health … the spectre of malnutrition and related maladies now spreading.
Finances … need anyone say anymore on those … even tripling CA would not help 1 in 10 / 11 !
Then , the remaining 7 million + ?
Time for Carers UK and the Carers Trust to step in by lending a hand … what they know or not know will , at least , be greatly appreciated.
On the forum to take some of the pressure of us who have having our work / caring duties increased WITHOUT any say in the matter.
Plenty of volunteers said to have been recruited … as far as the forum is concerned , where are they on here ?
There are a lot of worried , even frightened , people out there !
The week does not end for carers.
Clap for the NHS ?
Pray for the family carers and our kinship cousins ?
The questions are increasing , where are the answers … if any ?
Emergency schemes … what safeguards are now in place if a lone carer has to self isolate WITHOUT his / her caree in tow.
Cost if we are talking of weeks ?
Probable loss of CA ?
Practically , what option does a lone carer have other than to self isolate his / her caree with them to avoid financial Armageddon ?
UC ?
With many Internet outlets in public places now closed , how do the thousands without internet access update their online journals ?
For many on irregular earnings , this is a major problem … especially if those earnings have fallen through the floor !
Hospital discharges ?
With the NHS trying to evict more elderly citizens , and the care homes refusing to admit them , what do we do if they are " Dumped " back on us ?
Insist on a " Clear of coronavirus certificate " first … or seek to source ppe and then hope for the best ?
What if we are already in self isolation with suspected symptoms ?
Coronavirus ?
Does not discriminate … answers needed are not just confined to carers … it’s affecting our carees / neighbours as well.
Time for a joint supporting charity task force … at the very least ???
Hello Bill
Thanks for taking the time to ask these questions. This afternoon Carers UK will be sending out a mini-questionnaire to our 29,000 members to find out how the coronavirus is having an impact on carers’ lives across the UK.
I expect that the scenarios you descibe will be reflected in the responses we receive and the evidence we gather will help in our discussions with Government, our messages to the media, and the guidance we provide on our website.
With good wishes
Michael
Thanks Michael.
Hospital discharges / care home refusals ?
Reports coming in that I will not post.
( One from Liverpool in particular. )
CUK will surely be aware of them.
More than frightening ?
In Dorset, hotels are going to be used as temporary care homes to get elderly patients out of hospital faster.
Does CUK have a view on this?
I was told by the care agency employed by Hampshire Social Services to go and collect my son with LD as quickly as possible at the outbreak of the emergency, but had to refuse. No question as to whether I was able to care for him at all!
What is Carers UK’s view on this. Two other people have had their adult child with LD return home suddenly because agencies couldn’t guarantee support. Parents were pensioners.
Not really able to fit this into the questionnaire properly.
Thanks to all of you!
Questions being raised in recent forum postings are increasing.
Both general and specific to that individual.
CUK and forum members are doing our best to answer them.
In these times , we should be acting as one … one as an extension of the other.
Carers UK / Government guidance does not cover them … recent questionnaire does not cover them.
21 Hour Rule has raised it’s ugly head again among others.
Not forgetting emergency care … if the carer has to self isolate , who pays to replace him / her … especially if a qualified nurse / psychiatrist is needed … 24/7 in some cases ?
Needless to add an old favourite almost daily … hospital discharges … with the new added dimension of care home refusals.
Getting vital information out to the increasing numbers without direct Internet access ?
A gap.
How to close … avoiding more work for the Advice Team ?
Some may be almost impossible to answer with any certainty but … will still remain a valid question ?
What grates on me Bill, is the lack of contact being made by the ‘services’ and all professionals (in my son’s case)to ensure he’s ok. He’s on 117 aftercare. It pretty horrendous no-one has been in touch but then again…they were barely in touch before this crisis. 
No real change there then ?
Let’s all hope that coronavirus is not used as an excuse for essential services to be withheld from the carer army.
Having said that … read between the lines of the recent Coronavirus Act ?
Anyone spot any emergency funding for the LAs to carry on a skeleton social care service ?
If nothing else , the number of those in arrears in paying their local Council Tax are accelerating … rapidly.
Hiya Bill, I believe, The coronavirus Act will be used as an additional tool to withhold support especially and most probably and more often than not, for complex needs. The Care Act and it’s multiple-meaning wording…was also misused to block support or delay, by giving services the option of ‘interpretation’. Oh look, even I’m using the term ‘The Care Act’ as a past tense…but was it ever a present one, in anything other than the name? 
Far too many will agree with you there , Charm … regrettably.
That Should / Would / Could Act again … may that rest in peace … until amended to ensure what it purported to solve is solved.
Excuse me while I blow the layers of dust off this one :
Back to thread.