"Ask the expert" - Tuesday 9 June

[Carers UK Admin]

As part of Carers Week, we are delighted to be hosting a Q&A session with Jen (Advice and Information Officer at Carers UK) who works on the Carers UK Adviceline.

Jen will be on the forum from 10am-4pm on Tuesday 9 June to answer your questions about caring - from financial issues to how to get practical help.

To post a question please reply on this thread. Jen will be posting answers throughout the day, quoting the original question. The thread will be locked at the end of the day, but will remain in the forum for future reference.

Remember that this forum is not private, so please do not post personal or sensitive information up. This session is for general advice, and if you do need to talk to someone in detail about your personal circumstances please do contact the Carers UK Adviceline (details below).

Jen will not be responding to any private messages, so please make sure you post your question in the thread to get an answer. If you need advice and information but don't want to take part in the forum Q&A remember you can contact the Carers UK Adviceline at any time – call them on 0808 808 7777 (Mon to Fri, 10am-4pm) or email them at advice@carersuk.org

[Lillian June_1506]

Good morning. Do to my recent health problems I am really struggling to look after my husband and do my housework is there any help with this. Many thanks

[Eun]

Is this help and advice available to all 4 nations or just to English carers. As you know the system is different in Scotland so will there be someone with expertise in the Scottish system as it is after all, Carers UK?

Eun

[Carers UK Admin]

Hi Eun,

The Carers UK Adviceline covers all the nations, and we work closely with our colleagues at Carers Wales, Carers Scotland and Carers Northern Ireland to make sure we're providing advice and information for all nations. Do post your question and we'll all work together to make sure we're getting you advice and information that is relevant to where you live.

[Scruffy]

Hello Jen,
I'd like to know what the options are for treatment for an elderly bedridden lady with dementia who might need a tooth filled ?
Is there any way this kind of treatment could be done at home as other options would be both difficult and extremely distressing for this lady ?

Involving social services is not an option by choice after a previous negative experience.

Many thanks
Scruffy.

[Scruffy]

Hi Jen,
I hope it's ok to ask a second question. My other query is about brief, temporary help for when a second pair of hands are required but won't be required in any ongoing way. Is there anyone who can be called on to come out and help like that ?

I'm thinking of the odd time when I've not seemed to be able to get mum's sling centred and could have done with someone to come and direct me as to how to re-adjust it so that mum is sitting straighter.

Again I'd prefer not to involve social services or occupational health due to a past experience.

I'd happily pay for one-off help as and when it might be required but have no idea what kind of organisation to approach for this kind of help.

Many thanks
Scruffy.

[Carers UK Admin]

Here's a question from a carer which was asked on Facebook today, and we'll answer as part of tomorrow's session:

Will bring changes. .I've got a question if an elderly person with no assets no savings does not own a home and decides/is advised to enter residential care but he/she has debts what happens tl the debts? will the elderly person continue to repay the debts and any monies remaining be used to pay for their residential care

[jenny lucas]

That Facebook question about debts is fascinating (horrible, but fasincating).....would the answer depend on whether the debts are secured or not? But in which case, what would they be secured on? When there are multiple debts on property they tend to be ranked, don't they, with the mortgage company generally being the first in the queue, and then any others falling behind. But if it's say credit card debt, I believe that is unsecured, so how could the credit card company put a charge on non-existent assets anyway? Guess they take it out of income? But then the council would be claiming the income, at least, to pay for/subsidise care costs? But as the question says, who gets first dibs, the council or the creditor?

[jenny lucas]

Scruffy, just to say that if you are willing or able to pay for private care, as you say may be possible in a limited way, then all you have to do is look up the private care agencies in your area - I would think your GP surgery would know who they are.

Then you just phone them up and explain what you want. The cost will be probably around the £15-18 an hour rate, from my own experience (and I'm in quite an expensive area!)

[Jackie_1506]

Hi new to this so hope it's in the right place!
My husband receives direct payments for 15 hours a week for a personal assistant. Due to my husbands health I am the employer. We are in receipt of ESSA and DLA but we have to contribute £42 per month towards the direct payments. This is quite a chunk for us to find each month, does everyone have to pay towards help regardless of their income?