How bad is the crisis surrounding the care of sick elderly people? Currently we have my MIL staying with us while she receives chemo. She has two more sessions to go and then she will be moving back down to Shropshire where she has lived all her life, so that she can be amongst friends and family for the remainder of her life. When she moved up here to Lancashire she, apparently, renounced any claim to social care in Shropshire because she left what was actually rented accommodation. She is now in the charge of Lancashire Social Servies, wherever she ends up living.

Now we are beginning to panic because we have to go away for two weeks commencing 14 April. We will need a respite place for her during that fortnight and a permanent place from soon after that, preferably down in Shropshire. Lancashire Social Services don’t share our concern and have not taken any action, not even as much as a proper assessment of her needs. Could this be because:

1 – They are so snowed under that everything is dealt with on a last-minute crisis basis, meaning she could end up in a care home in some ghastly seaside resort?

Or:

2 – They don’t want to make any effort at this stage because respite places are extremely rare, most care and nursing homes being full of permanent residents, meaning you can’t book anything in advance?

Or:

3 – They are unprepared, unwilling or unable to deal with the unusual problem of finding her accomodation outside Lancashire?

MrsMC is in children’s services on the child protection side. Basically cases are triaged as they only have resources to deal with the most pressing/urgent cases. Because they don’t get the time to intervene at an early stage, everything becomes urgent eventually.

I fear that adult services will be in the same boat.

Cuts are really beginning to bite in important front line services.

1 – They are so snowed under that everything is dealt with on a last-minute crisis basis, meaning she could end up in a care home in some ghastly seaside resort?

THIS is certainly true

Or:

2 – They don’t want to make any effort at this stage because respite places are extremely rare, most care and nursing homes being full of permanent residents, meaning you can’t book anything in advance?

it wont be full- it might but unlikely but they should be able to book or else the system is flawed.

3 – They are unprepared, unwilling or unable to deal with the unusual problem of finding her accomodation outside Lancashire?

Doubt it as I know a number of folk who are form here who had to get specialist services out of the county because thy were not available here – complex needs of a couple though.

IMHO keep moaning to make your case higher up the list bit not in a shity way just on a I will not go away manner.

Since I posted that they have got in touch at last and are coming next week to assess her needs. Thanks for the advice anyway.