I am a carer for my partner who has dementia and I am investigating the possibility of getting her into a care facility occasionally so that I can get a break. I feel that I need to do this as a contingency plan in case anything happens to me, and also to make sure that I can stay healthy.
It seems that care homes are reluctant to do respite care unless they can find a continuous supply of residents to keep a room filled. This is quite understandable from a financial point of view. They are also aware that respite care is a gentle feeder route to bring people into full time care.
I am thinking that if we as carers could team up, it might be beneficial to all concerned. However, this may not necessarily be a straightforward thing to do. I would like to see if I could find some other carers in my area and do something for example like a 2 weeks on, 4 weeks off rotation.
Hi P&L
I have managed to get my husband to agree to getting a local private carer to visit tomorrow to discuss some potential help as he says I need some rest - yet keeps adding to the work I do…
On top of that I too feel I urgently need to create an Emergency Plan and as I am being nagged to take a break, I want to contact a couple of local Care Homes to find out what availability for Respite they may have. There is one where a friend’s husand goes one day a week for a “day respite” for her and she books him in when she goes away for a week twice a year. They only have two rooms they use for Respite Care. Another local home is much larger and they have at least two rooms, so I will be following up with both of them. OK it’ll cost between 1100-1350 a week, but if I get break it’ll stop me “going BANG” all of a sudden.
The local carer advertises that she can provide emergency cover or overnight cover as well, so if anything terrible happened to me I want to get a rapport going so we all know each other. Her husband is also a carer so there’s plenty of scope for us.
It’s so difficult trying to make such a plan as it is not something any of us want to think about.
Chris, your local authority might have energency care planning arrangements. In Hampshire it’s subcontracted to the Princess Royal Trust for Carers.
Regrettably they are “not very helpful” and their main comment appears to be “we recommend all carers make an emergency plan”…Hang on I asked what help YOU can give me to do that…
Whereabouts at you located? The places that I am looking at cost more like ÂŁ1950/week
I thought Emergency Plans were mandatory, not optional, for an L A.
Charles will be along presently.
I am near Bristol - thats prices I have been told by some who have used them as well as whats quoted on websites.
Our LA has spent millions developing a website which staff and Councillors describe as a pile of 
! Searching on it is a nightmare and I have found pages which SHOULD link to local services and take me to local Birmingham based organisations and the like. There’s lots to do with Safeguarding of children and MH but I have only found one page to do with Adults in general and it’s fine because it sys what should be done but gives no info on whether or HOW it is done. Only states its possible to contact an Emergency Response Team - but only 8am to 10pm! and then is bold letters says after 72 hrs this service is chargeable. Does give any info on WHAT they Team will do etc. NO guidance on making an Emergency Plan or anything actually useful.
Ah well - I didnt expect to find something helpful.
I’m usually scathing about Hampshire, but when I had an emergency plan drawn up it was very thorough. Details of my situation and M’s, who to contact, what would be needed etc. The first 48 hours would be covered, free. I was given an emergency card saying I was a carer, and in emergency, who to contact. I met a mum who had to use her plan, a medical emergency requiring immediate admission to hospital, she said it worked brilliantly. This was a few years ago, never updated as our situation had changed, so I can’t give really up to date information.
Carers Assessments are supposed to include an emergency plan that social services can act on when things go pear-shaped. It’s mostly ignored and I haven’t checked the guidance to see if that was dropped, but it was a key feature of the Care Act when it was introduced.
Sorry @Charlesh47 I thought that was a joke - then realised you are serious!!!
My CA has never included ANYTHING about any form of Emergency Plan…
I do have a Carers Emergency Card issued by the local Carers Support Centre but my understanding of that is they will call two people I have registered with them and if unable to get one of them to check on G they then call Emergency Services…
@Chris_22081 It is one of the most frustrating parts of my old job. Social workers actively avoided that duty from the get go. And I kept beating the drum to inform carers about it right up until I retired, to force their hand.
Shame we can’t do an annual competency review for them!
Wouldn’t that be “interesting” !!!
I came across M’s last care plan today, it makes me so cross. Despite an Ombudsman’s report about 5 years ago, which set out the need for clear hours of care, regular meetings etc. all the same issues remain, and I’m now constantly ill with something, getting over something or sickening for something else.Why can’t they even get such basic issues right? They hours were agreed in 2009, in conjunction with the ILF Fraud Officer!