Very complicated and confusing situation.
My caree can wash and dress themselves, make meals themselves etc so that immediately means they would not qualify for paid carers.
They do have chronic long term health problems diabetes 2 and other conditions.
They had a nervous breakdown, was in hospital, released with little help and support, no referral to NHS Therapy or the community Mental Health Team.
Just left to find their own help and support, which is what they do around here.
They have PTSD and flashbacks so again what can paid carers do, they would have to be there at the right time to calm them down but i don’t think the paid carers have training in mental health.
Social services insist that it is mental health and nothing to do with Social Services, it is the GP who should be providing support etc with mental health conditions.
MY GP who is a grumpy old so and so insists that caring and all that is nothing to do with him, that i should get some more exercise and fresh air.
Difficult if you are an unpaid carer to get a break etc.
But i have seen other doctors who are equally unhelpful, there is supposed to be joint working between health and social services, but unpaid caring nothing to do with the NHS.
It is Social Services that deal with all that but you go to Social Services, they do a Needs Assessment/carers assessment refuse you all help and that’s it.
My caree clearly needs the right help and support with chronic long term physical illness and the resultant mental illness, depression, anxiety and the agoraphobia from PTSD, scared to go out the house.
Needs help accompanying to go out the house which no one seems to provide, social services don’t won’t provide this service , neither do mental health services.
I am doing this, going with her to the supermarket etc and doctors/hospital appointments.
Again my other carees, some get home care, but needing or wanting help to go out the house, they won’t provide, you have to pay for it yourselves, alright if you are well off, my carees aren’t.
Needs appropriate treatment help and support for PTSD which is clearly the GP’s responsibility but won’t refer to Mental health services, doesn’t believe in all this mental illness.
Have approached other GP’s, its a multi GP practise but there just seems to be a general attitude not to refer, costing the GP practise money i don’t know.
I have talked to Rethink who say that my caree should be on the Care Programme Approach but needs a referral to Mental health services which the GP won’t provide.
But again it seems to be find the help and support yourselves don’t bother us attitude.
It has been suggested that my caree should change GP’s , that i should change my GP to get better service, but it just seems to be the system, be independent, manage your own conditions, eat healthily, get more exercise, stop drinking, smoking.
There just seems to be so little help these days, Social Services only deal with critical cases, very disabled and then only give a basic care package, don’t do night care, rest you got to sort out yourselves.
The mental health services, seen a few tv programmes, people with long term mental health conditions BPD are just left with little support lurching from one crisis to another, left with family and friends help and thats it.
Just seems to be fight fight fight to get the help you need.