Allocated sitting hours

[loppylugs5]

Can anyone help? I get 208 allocated sitting hours I do not need to fund.Now the care agency and I agree Des needs 2 sitters present.I have lots of hours still to come by March 30th so imagined I could use 8 hours by having 2 carers sit for 4 hours, apparently I have to wait for a panel to agree this(bet that will be in April!) Has anyone else been in this situation? My OT says book them but the care agency is nervous. what is the worst thing that can happen, they charge me I refuse to pay and go to prison to watch TV? Des is not getting less determined tho' he has lost 4stone in weight he still has upper body strength and will get past anyone when he decides to take himself upstairs. It all sounds so good when you are told of the help available but in practice it is hard work to get this help. DN is trying to get me CHC but I am not holding my breath.Anyone similar experience? Pxx

[cabbagecottage]

Yes . Waiting results for result of assessment for the servo do time . It's been ongoing for two years ..

I already get two , two hour sits with one sitter ..

[Kevin_1]

If you are managing the service yourself, rather than it being a commissioned service it is up to you how you spend the money as long as it is within your agreed care plan.

You will know that you are technically managing the care yourself as you would have set up a bank account for the PHB from which you pay the bills yourself rather than the local authority paying it.

I would suggest that you talk to the local authority about increasing the funding. They have assessed that you need care for that number of hours. That is the "need". If it now requires two carers to meet that need they are obliged to fund that.

Good luck.

(I have professional training in this area, but am a little out of date - retired))

[loppylugs5 in reply to Kevin_1]

Thank you for that reply, I still have at least 60 hrs left of my annual allotment, so I want those hours and would be happy for them to take 10 for a 5 hour double up sit but as the care agency want double ups but can't get their head round what I am asking I fear I will be sitterless til it is all sorted.I feel local authorities are looking to save wherever they can while the government cut their help to them.My husband will be 81 soon and joined the army as a boy soldier he deserves government help! as do so many now. I want to say to people assessing "just do the job for an hour" When you sit with a pen you do not feel the pull on your back like the carer.The other day Des asked "how can you end what you have not started" as he cannot talk this was mainly written None of us knew what he was referring to and were at a loss to answer him but he wanted an answer before they could get on with washing him.How do you factor that into a schedule?Tomorrow he will have a new question Give me inspiration!!

Thankyou retired pro P

[Kevin_1]

Gosh, it sounds tough.

Please do remember if you are paying the bills for the care (albeit with Social Care money) and you call the shots with certain exceptions where they might demand to have two people for health or safety. E.G. lifting and with violent folk.

I had an agency which was just not performing. Despite discussions and agreements they kept failing. I warned them I would change agencies and they tried, but just could not get it right. (They were missing sessions and turning up an hour late regularly). So I telephoned the Soc. Serv. and told them the issue and asked them to change agency. They did and all is well now.

The outgoing agency could not apologise enough as they thought this would affect their standing with Soc. Serv. and future contracts.

I 'interviewed' the manager of the incoming agency,gently and made sure, pleasantly, that she knew what had happened. I now get a first class service.

Sorry this is going on a bit...

The point I am trying to make is that the thrust in Soc. Serv. and NHS Continuing Care is for carers / clients to be empowered and to make decisions based on their wants and wishes. You have that power. Agencies where I live seem to have difficulty grasping that sometimes. Until the issue is forced with a, "I am unhappy with this and need to discuss it with the Social Worker." type of comment.

Well I hope there is something in there which might help.

Meanwhile if his needs haver increased do get re-assessed, you have already passed the qualifying bar and they must meet increasing need.

Good luck.

Kevin

Just another PSP carer.

[KJN99]

If the hours allocated are from CHC , can you not contact CHC yourself as you already been approved for funding? Also your community matron might be able to intervene for you?