Social care funding
- Thread starter Landyman
- Start date
Old Boar
Member
- Location
- West Wales
Landyman
New Member
Mess with you NEVER jest with you ALWAYS
dstudent
Member
Yes yes. With a longer life expectancy , a doubling in aging population, more resources are needed.
I also agree with the need to stop privatising social care and care in the community which ends up being more costly and very poor service.
Lets get the tax dodgers and corporations pay the billions they are sheltering abroad, lets go after them for a change.
Do we really need trident? I don t think so.
There are thousands of elderly people out there with no one to help, people who worked all their lives I will not begrudge a few more pounds to ensure they get all the care they need now.
A society is judge by the way it treats its most vulnerables
I also agree with the need to stop privatising social care and care in the community which ends up being more costly and very poor service.
Lets get the tax dodgers and corporations pay the billions they are sheltering abroad, lets go after them for a change.
Do we really need trident? I don t think so.
There are thousands of elderly people out there with no one to help, people who worked all their lives I will not begrudge a few more pounds to ensure they get all the care they need now.
A society is judge by the way it treats its most vulnerables
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+1 money always seems to be the answer, but is it? As someone else said, less chiefs, more indians needed.
itsalwaysme
Member
- Location
- Cheshire
This is something I'm involved with at the moment, I didn't see the programme but thought it was about "home care", Home care or social care is funded by the local authority not the NHS, (unless you get into "continuing healthcare")
It's very easy to say (SJH) "families need to take more care of their own" but it's not always possible and we are living longer, some of these illnesses can drag on a long time, (coming up to 4 years with mum) we have done what we can to help care for mum, but it's had a big effect on our own work/social life. We live very different lifestyles than India big mortgages etc, it's not always easy to give up the time, mum is reaching a stage where she almost needs one to one care, we haven't got the time for that.
Yes the whole "care" thing needs a big overhaul, carers deserve better pay but should have proper training, a 4 day "induction course" isn't enough to care for people with complex illness. Management needs looking at, far too many of them taking money out of the system, for doing what !! I've even been thinking recently that "care" shouldn't be a "profit" making business, should just be provided at cost, too many trying to make big profits out of it (new care home opened locally £960 per week)
Something else which I'm sure some won't agree with, is we should all have a "right" to end our lives when we reach a certain point (watching mum deteriorate is like watching a slow torture), as a mate of mine says "why are we wharehousing old folk in care homes" Keeping people alive when there is no quality of life just seems wrong, I for one don't want to spend the last years of my life in a care home (no kids to look after me) "freeing up" some space in the care homes would make some big savings in the system, which could be used to provide better care for those in the earlier stages of illness.
Too answer the OP yes I would pay more tax if it was going too be used "in the right place" not funding more managers etc.
It's very easy to say (SJH) "families need to take more care of their own" but it's not always possible and we are living longer, some of these illnesses can drag on a long time, (coming up to 4 years with mum) we have done what we can to help care for mum, but it's had a big effect on our own work/social life. We live very different lifestyles than India big mortgages etc, it's not always easy to give up the time, mum is reaching a stage where she almost needs one to one care, we haven't got the time for that.
Yes the whole "care" thing needs a big overhaul, carers deserve better pay but should have proper training, a 4 day "induction course" isn't enough to care for people with complex illness. Management needs looking at, far too many of them taking money out of the system, for doing what !! I've even been thinking recently that "care" shouldn't be a "profit" making business, should just be provided at cost, too many trying to make big profits out of it (new care home opened locally £960 per week)
Something else which I'm sure some won't agree with, is we should all have a "right" to end our lives when we reach a certain point (watching mum deteriorate is like watching a slow torture), as a mate of mine says "why are we wharehousing old folk in care homes" Keeping people alive when there is no quality of life just seems wrong, I for one don't want to spend the last years of my life in a care home (no kids to look after me) "freeing up" some space in the care homes would make some big savings in the system, which could be used to provide better care for those in the earlier stages of illness.
Too answer the OP yes I would pay more tax if it was going too be used "in the right place" not funding more managers etc.
Red Fred
Member
- Location
- Hants/Dorset border
This is very much like our situation with mum, she has been bedridden for 3 years and has movement in just one arm, and we have carers in 3 times a day, but do her meals etc and night time care ourselves. The impact on the family is huge as life effectively revolves around mum's care.
The council have always funded one carer for us and we pay for the other, but a couple of weeks ago they sent a letter saying that due to budget cuts, the second carer will be stopped after April 1st. This puts a new pressure on things as it will require an extra £1000 a month to keep the carer. Having spoken to the carers, they are decent down to earth girls but not highly qualified, and they receive a pittance for being, as they say, "bottom wipers" so presumably the management is absorbing most of the fees. It is causing a real headache, and I know many will say "you should have planned better", but no-one knows what lies ahead and you just have to try and get by.
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
I have experience since 1991 in trying to secure adequate care for my Aunt whilst still allowing some quality of independent living. The issue was exacerbated by her age initially (under 55).
It sounds like the local Council lost a central Government grant. That is what finally meant my Aunt could no longer live in a warden assisted apartment for the want of 3 hours cover in the week and two 9 hour shifts at weekends. Several families tried to cover with private cover but it was just not allowed and then my Aunt was taken to several care homes. I have her finally settled close to me with a fab small family run care home with a dementia specialism and a truly wonderful, insightful GP who also sits on his local CCG. To be able to deal and liaise with both of these teams is just such a weight off my shoulders and my Aunty seems so much happier and settled.
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dstudent
Member
@itsalwaysme @Red Fred my heart goes out to you. And everyone who is going through this. This has become a cruel world where health care, social care has become a priviledge not a right.
Are we losing our compassion? Our humanity?
Are we losing our compassion? Our humanity?
itsalwaysme
Member
- Location
- Cheshire
I think unfortunately "profit" has taken over from "compassion" don't get me wrong there are some very good carers, some who really go the "extra mile" but they are under so much pressure from their management, back to back care calls, can't do this can't do that, company policy etc etc
How much would it cost if you just hired the carers youself instead of through a company.
- Location
- 200 miles N,NW of New York
- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
Tarw Coch
Member
- Location
- Bottom of Wats Dyke
Only thing is, a company will find them a round of work to do not just one place. But I believe they are payed at or just above minimum wage, there's an ad for a care company on local radio at the moment offering up to £9 an hour however at lot of visits won't take an hour and own transport will have to be factored in , don't know how they work a final wage out but it won't be a lot.
Red Fred
Member
- Location
- Hants/Dorset border
They were talking about this subject on Radio4 yesterday, and they said that councils have so much clout, they can actually get the care providers to accept a lower price than a private person would be able to find.
- Location
- sw scotland
A few interesting comments.
Those who paid national insurance do not have some government fund which pays for their care, pension, etc. It is simply a giant Ponzi scheme so if the economy goes down, tax take is less and cuts are made.
Looking after a frail relative at home eventually can be impossible so care homes are needed. We are not keeping these people alive by huge interventions, they just take a long time to die.
The debate needs to be what you and they want if they get ill - no antibiotics, no transfer to hospital, just analgesia? Relatives need to be realistic about the situation too. The life expectancy of someone needing a care home is probably 2-3 years at most as they are really frail now and the majority have dementia. Remember that most of your NHS costs will be in the last 6 weeks of your life so you could argue it was wasted.
Lots of posters think taxes are wasted on managers, etc and should not be raised. Be careful what you wish for as there is a very big pot of money given to people who drive big cars, live in 5 bedroom houses yet are able to keep their tax bill down.
CAP support is an easy target which most of our urban friends might just see as the solution. We need to win that argument to keep it.
Those who paid national insurance do not have some government fund which pays for their care, pension, etc. It is simply a giant Ponzi scheme so if the economy goes down, tax take is less and cuts are made.
Looking after a frail relative at home eventually can be impossible so care homes are needed. We are not keeping these people alive by huge interventions, they just take a long time to die.
The debate needs to be what you and they want if they get ill - no antibiotics, no transfer to hospital, just analgesia? Relatives need to be realistic about the situation too. The life expectancy of someone needing a care home is probably 2-3 years at most as they are really frail now and the majority have dementia. Remember that most of your NHS costs will be in the last 6 weeks of your life so you could argue it was wasted.
Lots of posters think taxes are wasted on managers, etc and should not be raised. Be careful what you wish for as there is a very big pot of money given to people who drive big cars, live in 5 bedroom houses yet are able to keep their tax bill down.
CAP support is an easy target which most of our urban friends might just see as the solution. We need to win that argument to keep it.
caveman
Member
- Location
- East Sussex.
We get what the tax payers of the day pay for.
There seems to be an assumption that there's a great big savings account that we pay into and draw down with interest at time of need or reaching a certain age.
Truth is.
Since social care began. The basic health, care and pension needs of individuals has been funded by the tax payers of the day.
Any extras must of course be paid for from the individuals own assets. And rightly so.
But as eluded to above.
The advances in medicine and treatment have produced a cash cow to be milked by the unscrupulous and greedy.