CHC Funded Carers Role at home-what does your carer do?

[Millidog]

Hi, My husband has been SO very fortunate to be awarded 50 hours (mainly 9am-6pm) CHC funded care at home. Myself and our Neuro nurse worked hard to prepare for the assessment and I think we succeeded due to much research about the process, a high level of preparation and the provision of diared evidence. Husband was awarded CHC due to high need in the areas of mobility and cognition, with moderate needs in all other areas and evidence of unpredictability/nature/complexity/intensity.

I am now reeling a little and now feeling very nervous about what the care provision will look like in practice and we have a meeting with the care company to implement this on Tuesday.

Currently my husband is somewhat mobile using a walker, forgets or cant do safe practices so is at high risk of falls, understands but is processing is slow and communication is much less than it was, apathy is high so is quite isolated.

The care will provide AM personal care, safety support, drinks & lunch, help with toileting etc but what else? My husband need both mental stimulation and physical activity - I'm thinking outings to keep movement and walking, indoor exercises, playing cards and games such as scrabble but what else??

So my question is .. to those with daily care support provision ...what do your carers do? what do you guide them to do? do they take care of the individuals room cleaning, washing etc? what do they do alone with your partner and what do you do as a 3 some - outing etc? Do they take to appointments or do you have to go aswell? How much would they expect you to be there? How do you make it work with a new person spending so much time in your home - it will give me the opportunity to go out, go swimming, shopping, dog walking but of course I will be in much of the time doing the normal stuff at home?

Any help, advice and guidance from those with experience of CHC daily care provision or similar would be so valuable. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE

[Kelmisty]

50 hours wow, I assume that’s based on the assumption you do all the nightcare? We were awarded four half hour calls with double carers or a nursing home placement. We aren’t fully using either at the moment, but it’s there for when Mum needs more.

I guess they do all the care for your husband during the day and you get to do all the other things & have some time for yourself. But I guess there will be days where you will have to sleep?

[Millidog in reply to Kelmisty]

Hi Kelmisty, thank you for your reply. I appreciate how fortunate we are to be given so much daily care..We were able to get agreement that husband had needs in all domains but I think it swung it because we demonstrated my husband is unsafe on his own primarily due to mobility, so many falls and cognition issues which result in danger along with him being on blood thinners being seen as high risk. The chc coordinator initially said they would cover what we were currently paying for which was 2 x5hrs outreach visits and 1 day at a day centre, I said not enough and she asked what I wanted ... daily am personal care and needed someone with him at all times as he can't follow guidance and she offered full daily care with option of a day off and offered an evening and I would cover all other evenings and nights until greater need arises. I don't know if they took into acct he is a foot taller and twice as heavy as me so both of us at risk. My understanding of chc is that if you are awarded they have to fully meet care needs so whatever is recorded at the assessment and at this stage I threw every bit of information and evidence at them, so if they offer only a few visits it can be challenged

[Kelmisty in reply to Millidog]

It’s great, everyone with these illnesses should get it as it’s not their fault they are ill.

I guess you now need to get used to not doing it all - which will be a struggle to start with.

[knittingannie in reply to Kelmisty]

My thats a great achievement as my relative was in great danger of falls plus many other issues but failed to get ant funding at all -maybe things are improving where in the country are you ?

Good luck with the care package i think you will find with your guidance the carers will follow the routine that you prescribe setting this out from the beginning May be helpful -bear in mind not all carers will be accepted well by your partner as we cant get on with all -so carers can be changed till you find a team that works -

[Millidog in reply to knittingannie]

Hi Knittingannie, thanks for your reply. We are in West Dorset. The assessment was hard but with help of Neuro nurse we put a lot of work into prep for the assessment primarily my evidence as I was main carer. I read everything I could find on CHC, took advice from many on this site and read as previous CHC posts from a few years ago that I could find. I think understanding the process, assessment and taking a mountain of diared evidence helped. I also think providing evidence of changes and deterioration in last 3 months, showing lots of medical professional involvement plus the fact my husband is still able to walk albeit badly and unsafely (is that a word!) coupled with cognitive and eye issues helped too. Xx

[Ciaradaddison]

that is good news . May I ask what condition your husband has ? My mum has a schwanoma tumour in her ear which is inoperable and needs 24 hour care due to lack of mobility and is now struggling to eat is currently in hospital and we are getting no support at all .

[Millidog in reply to Ciaradaddison]

Hi My husband has PSP