mother has dementia SS are removing her care package

[Carol _1712]

the carer company are pulling out next friday, ss went and did yet another assessment and said she did not qualify for the care, she has dementia very poor short term memory unless someone tells her take you tabets, have a wash, change your clothes she doe not do them. They were brought in by the hospital about 4 years ago. She refuses to let them do anything but the fact they tell her and hand her tablets to her it was working, What can we do? They are trying to give her to the NHS which is all wrong. She hay s been having 2 visits a day for 4 years... how can they justify this. The current company said it is not viable as they have no one else in her area, she lives in supported housing with a life line. no one on site tho

[bowlingbun]

Go to the council website, search for "Adult services complaints" and make a formal complaint, mark it urgent.

Also ask for a copy of the written reassessment of her Needs.
I suspect it hasn't been done properly. As carer, I would expect you to have a copy.
When did you last have a Carers Assessment looking at what you do for mum?

Do you have Power of Attorney?

Insist on a "Safeguarding" Meeting, if they have been providing care for 4 years, without question, then it shows she needs care, and of course dementia never gets better, only worse, I'm afraid.
There is a basic principle, that "Assessed needs must be met" and unless the assessment says she has got better, then even if the care agency cannot provide someone else, they have a duty to make sure someone provides the care, until the Needs Assessment has been properly updated.

[Carol _1712]

yes me and my sister have poa.
They did an assessment last week and i didn't know they were doing it. they have done a few assessments not sure when the one before was done lost track of it. I have emailed the director of ss for adult care. so has my sister. Will look for the complaints on the council website thank you. i have never had an assessment, neither has my sister we do what we can regards shopping and appointments. My husband 3 months ago had 2 brain bleeds i do not have time for all this its terrible.

[bowlingbun]

Carol, I'm sorry to hear about your husband, he has to be your top priority.
You and your sister now have to work out a plan for mum's future which does not involve you providing any hands on care.
Getting a copy of mum's last WRITTEN assessment is vital.
If they have conveniently "lost" it, they'll have to do another one. Quickly.
Start talking about "emergency respite" and they may find it!!

[Charles_2112]

A few questions: has your mother got worse? Does she tend to minimise her problems especially when talking to strangers? Do social services know about your POA - and does it cover health and wellbeing?

If she has got worse, ask social services when they changed the criteria for support. Whatever their response, they had a duty to consult with you as her carers. If only to check that everything is as Mum says. They should listen.

If she does tend to minimise her problems, notify social services that their assessment is flawed because of this.

If you have POA for health and wellbeing, social services MUST involve you. There's no choice at all.

[Carol _1712]

Thank you so much, yes she does somehow manage to hide her problems and is very good at it. If you did not know you would not be able to tell. She does not lie but covers up what she cannot remember, like she insists she only takes 1 or 2 tablets, she has so many i am unsure how many. We started off with a tablet dispenser an automated one as she ended up in hospital 2 times because of non compliance although she did not know she was not complying. She is very private and does not like people going into her home she does not let them do anything but the important bit for us is they remind her to do things. And yes she is much worse now, she came to me for Christmas and in the car asked my husband 5 times when can he drive again and also at our home constantly asking the same questions. Could not remember where the downstairs toilet is. It is very sad she looks the same but is not the same, I always care for her fully when she visits i do everything for her including making her bed, she forgets. She also has COPD, heart failure, kidney failure. She has been so much better since these carers have been coming in not 1 hospital inpatient visit. She will not take her meds that is what started this all off. i have poa for health and wellbeing joint with my sister, i just got a phone call last week telling me they had handed her back to social services as they had no other visits in the area and it was not viable. We have complained everywhere we can. I will remember respite and if they are not helpful ask for it.

[bowlingbun]

Even with a lot of support, it is very likely that she is going to need residential care before too much longer.
Sadly, my lovely mum in law (never an argument between us in 34 years) and my sister in law both developed dementia and spent their last days in residential care.
They were both very much loved, residential wasn't what anyone wanted, but it was what they needed.
Does mum have over £23,000 in savings?
If so, she will be expected to pay for her care until she gets below this point.
Is she claiming Attendance Allowance now?
Decide with your sister whereabouts would be easiest for both of you to visit mum, and then investigate homes in that area. Ideally one with an EMI section (Elderly Mentally Infirm) then it can be mum's last ever move.
I know all this is horrible to think about.
Father in law buried his head in the sand, mum in law ended up being an emergency admission to a home 18 miles away, when if it hadn't been an emergency she could have been just 2 miles away.
Unfortunately, the home was no accessible with public transport so FIL relied on my husband to take him to see MIL, ignoring the fact that we might have been at home, but we were running a business from home.

[Carol _1712]

mum has 17k at the moment in her one and only account. not sure what will happen she is quite capable of living where she is at the moment. She just needs reminders, it is her short term memory. We were told by the place that diagnosed her dementia that she would not last long in a care home and her home was the best place for her. She is very happy there.

[bowlingbun]

That sounds very positive.
When mum was diagnosed with dementia, was she told that she was exempt from Council Tax from that date onwards?
It's easy to claim, just contact the council administering Council Tax for a form to claim exemption on the grounds of "Severe Mental Impairment".
The council will have costed mum's care package. Ask them how much it is.
An alternative to council arranged care, would be "Direct Payments".
This way mum is given a lump sum which she can then use to pay someone else to provide her care.
Mum (or you on her behalf) can have someone else deal with all the admin for this.
Were you aware of this option?

[Carol _1712]

yes she is council tax exempt, she pays quite a lot towards her care, think more than they do. we think the problem is C19 and not enough workers, but that is for them to sort out. was not aware but it would prove to be a nightmare i am sure.