My daughter is coming home in March following 6 years in rehab following a road traffic accident. I want to find her a PA to help support her with social activities and keep her stimulated during the day.
I live in the Essex area. Any ideas anyone how I might get a suitable PA.
Can I ask . Was there insurance being aRTA ? My daughter also sufferd a severe TBI following a car crash . Without the insurance I really do not no how we would have coped /survived .
There is some but not a great deal. Do you have a PA?
Hi 14th,
You raise a good subject, when my wife was getting ready to leave rehab 6months ago the health professional s involved were all saying my wife didn't need full time care but a PA for exactly the same reasons you state. I began using an agency with two "support workers" alternating weekly but within a month or two it became clear this wasn't working. My wife disliked the notion of a support worker and it caused her much distress and I could see all her hard work from rehab undoing before my very eyes. so I quit my job and have been supporting her at home. We have an understanding she has a support worker (self funded) 1day per week so I get a break and some "me" time for 7.5hours. Still even on this 1 day a week she dislikes it but knows it is required to help us as a couple.
What I learned was no one considered the effects of what would happen with a PA / support worker on my wife's return home, no one asked her what she wanted.
She was happy to get home and on with her life after 9months in various hospitals and rehab centres.
I would recommemd being prepared to do it yourself if you can't get what you need either because of cost or availability.
Regards
Thank you for your reply and good luck to you and your wife
Hi 14th
As an ideal you should be able to ask your daughters social worker for a list of council approved support agencies, this way you will stand a better chance of getting care funding assistance if you qualify through the council. If your social worker can't supply the list ask them who can, I have found this out most recently. Also consider calling headway for some advice.
Regards
Thank you
Hello 14th,
Is your daughter under the care of adult services (being that she’s a vulnerable adult)?
I have a PA (although they call them “outreach support workers rather than PA’s) through my local Headway and I see them only 4 hours a week these days. It used to be a lot more and I used to attend the day centre twice a week.
If you have a Headway local to you it might be worth contacting them. You usually need a GP/hospital referral in order to get the ball rolling. I don’t know the extent of support that your daughter requires but I don’t believe they do “personal care”.
As Ric said the council do hold a list of approved carers and agencies. I didn’t have much luck with this.. I interviewed a few people for the role but they didn’t have a clue about brain injury.
I wish you the best of luck!
Thank you I will try Headway
Hi broken doll, that's a good point you mentioned. I have had similar miss fortunes just lately with interviewing council approved agencies, where we live there just isn't anyone on the list who understands the effects of ABI.
Our local headway funding was cut some years ago. Although there is still a local group covering our county, the local NHS group then set up an NHS brain injury support team to provide / enhance the guidance and support, through them I believe I have found the right company now (Prama Care), only time will tell but so far off to a good start.
Regards
When I lived in Wiltshire I used a scheme called Direct Payments to employ my own PA. I think it was via Wiltshire Centre for Independent Living. There was a list of people looking for work.. It was called the PA Register. Maybe there is a similar scheme near you?
I will ask, thank you
I’ve got a p.a and I think she fantastic and if she have time off that I’m lost without her. She takes me places and is relaxed and lets me have my own space.
She does my finances and I trust her and she been on holidays with me.
But I know I’m very lucky because not all pa are as good because they don’t need qualifications or anything. Good luck with getting one, they very good to have.
Where did you get your PA from Fifcakes2
I went to CIL the centre of independent living in town and they put an advert up for me. They do the pay and help with interviews.
Ta
How did you find your PA fificakes2?
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