@BowlingBun - Not had one this year yet, but had one late last year (needs haven't increased significantly) and they were just shy of meeting the criteria for the full assessment. They don't need any medical help with catheters and the like (yet) so I really don't think they're going to qualify for ...

Thanks, Chris! Just been having a Google about the cuts to overnight care in Scotland, under the guise that it's "moving with the times" to replace real carers with technology. Funny how this wasn't the case prior to the tribunal and subsequent increase in overnight care costs. So blatantly just a w...

Hi everyone, Just wondering if anyone has a caree who's getting overnight support funded by the LA, through direct payments or otherwise. If they have managed to maintain overnight funding - how? What's the magic combination of needs that makes the belt-tighteners say "yes, this is an ongoing need" ...

I've found them to be a bit and miss to be honest. Had a lot of experience with them last year when my own mother needed some short term nursing care with changing dressings on a weeping wound. Rarely saw the same nurse twice, lots of newly qualified types came out. Most were very friendly, a few we...

@Chris - All good points, thank you! As for nursing/doctoring/paramedic duties, very valid elements, but this council are hell bent on pushing those kind of duties off as being "health care" and therefore not something they need to pay for, so I feel like I need to tread lightly with anything in th...

Hi everyone, So we've just been told by the ever-loving county council that in order for my family member to have their care budget increased to cover the new minimum wage, we have to provide a document of what care is provided on a daily basis. (Funny how they didn't need this kind of scrutiny the ...

Elaine, thanks so much for you input, all very useful and the GP idea is a good one, although the GP barely has an idea of what's going on, so I'm not sure how much help they'd be but it's worth a shot. As for blank stairs and lack of interaction, I relate. My grandfather went into a care home, a re...

@BowlingBun That's exactly what I thought - "how can they do this when needs haven't decreased AT ALL!" From what I could tell in the rules and regs it says "no changes are to be made unless there's a change in need or circumstance". My family member has had neither, so it's all based on saving the ...

Thank you, Bowlingbun! Nothing in writing yet. but it was all said during a "surprise" review (how I wish I'd thought to record the meeting!) with the social worker (also believe this is forbidden as it says in the legislation there are to be "no surprises" during a review, what could be a bigger su...

Hey everyone... Currently in a battle with the LA over an increase in care costs (due to NMW going up, not due to increased needs) I'm sure I'm not alone and that this is likely to be a battle for many people going forward. I've been advised to write an official complaint about the proposed reductio...