Cuts In Care

For the past few years my daughter has been having a careworker take her out for the morning once a week in order for her to do whatever she wants.  Usually it consists of visiting some garden centre or other, feeding ducks and doing a bit of shopping.  Simple pleasures but it gave Stacie some independence as well as a chance to go out without her mother for a change.

However, this week, Monday to be exact, I was informed that the company providing this service are dropping my daughter - with immediate effect.  Today's visit will be the last one.  Whilst I understand that the company has been taken over by a larger one and that as such there have been a lot of changes, mainly in paring down the Supported Living side of the business, I am outraged that they hold us in such contempt we are only worth a few days notice.  My daughter doesn't understand or care that they are in the business of making a profit and that helping people live an independent life is obviously not profitable when compared to sending careworkers on house visits - they can squeeze a lot more house visits into three hours, far better than one person getting a good day out. 

What my daughter will care about is not seeing a lady that she has come to love spending time with ever again.  She will care that her Thursday outings will suddenly stop with no explanation - what does she know about profit margins and staff shortages?  Sometimes what is labelled as the caring profession isn't very caring at all.

I'm hoping that with the help of our very nice social worker we will be able to arrange either another company to provide the same service or another activity on that day.  I just wish we had been given a decent length of time in which to do it.

Carers UK

Carers UK is an organisation devoted to helping and advising carers from all walks of life. They campaign for carers' rights, they provide informative newsletters, they keep us carers up-to-date with the latest developments in government legislation, benefits, etc.

You do not have to pay to join - they ask for an annual subscription but if money is tight (which is generally is!) you can have a free membership and still receive the newsletter.

I would recommend them highly - they also have a telephone helpline manned by very helpful and highly informed people who will provide you with tons of information and if there is something they don't know, they will point you in the right direction.