Do you Care ?

Merry Christmas

rosemaryuk — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:59:59 +0000

Wishing everyone and their families a very Merry Christmas.Hope you have a wonderful day

x x x x

Loves greatest gift – Rememberance

rosemaryuk — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:06:02 +0000

For those that have gone before us – we Remember you.

Early Christmas

rosemaryuk — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:34:58 +0000

Looking forward to next week.Confirmed my place with George and going to the Veterans’ Christmas party. To listen to all those stories from the ladies attending it, will be great.

Twists and turns

rosemaryuk — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:19:56 +0000

Some months ago I joined a PRTC hosted chat, which Stephen O’Brien attended.Afterwards several emails were exchanged with him, and just this morning received another reply. At same time I was thinking of questions to submit to him via PRTC.

So, in his email this morning he says….

we would have ruled out the proposal to fund social care reform through taxation on the same grounds as the Government did in their Green Paper. The Government rightly asserted that this option placed too heavy a burden on those of a working age to be feasible.

Our policy on Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance is that we will oppose the Government’s threat to cut and redistribute Attendance Allowance and DLA for over 65s. We believe that these benefits represent an important step towards enhancing personalised and flexible care that is entirely within the control of individuals and their carers.

Taking the above into account I sent the following to be submitted to him via PRTC..

Hi Stephen, I received a reply from you in which you state your party too would have excluded the proposal of using General taxation to fund social care,and also that as a party you would oppose the removal of AA/DLA from the over 65′s.

My questions…

1. Taking the above into account, just how would your party propose to fund care?
Do you have any other options that you would have brought to the table?

2. Considering Welfare Reform of all benefits,how do you see the future of disability benefits in relation to the new ESA that was brought in. Would your party be proposing to streamline the benefits even more? For example does your party see applicants of DLA eventually moving to ESA wherein relevant top ups were added when necessary?

3. Carers are unique in the service they provide for their loved ones.Something I believe means we should ensure that Carers Allowance remains seperate from the main benefit system and most definitely away from Jobseekers Allowance ( in the future ).

Could you advise how your party would bring about change for carers,not only to the benefit they receive but to the services they need.

4.Assuming no changes are implemented prior to an election, and again assuming your party comes to power, would you continue with the information/responses gathered by the present govt or would you commence the proceedings from the start again.

I know most of this is about benefits and usually we get told it will be passed to the relevant dept for an answer. However, as DWP and Dept of Health ( shadow ministers too )are working extremely closely on all these issues, I think my questions are relevant to you too.

Lets see what answers come back.

Christmas has come early

rosemaryuk — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:21:28 +0000

Eldest daughter home from Dublin for the weekend,not coming back until end of Jan 2010, so has requested a Christmas dinner today with all the trimmings. Seems weird to be setting table with the decorations/crackers etc.

Friends made online

rosemaryuk — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:15:42 +0000

I have sat this morning thinking about the many friends I have made online,the people I have come in to contact with.Some have been due to giving/receiving support,others have been due to campaigning together for a better deal for carers/disabled.
There are many others that I am grateful came in to my life too for different reasons.The names themselves are not important as you all know who you are, but the friendship you have given unreservedly has been much appreciated.

Many names have gone now,increased demands on their time meant less time for computers. Many have lost loved ones they cared for.
However, the numbers do not diminish, they are in fact increasing daily.

Personal Care at Home Bill

rosemaryuk — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:36:05 +0000

Not everyone with critical care needs would receive free personal care at home under the government’s Personal Care at Home Bill, published today. Click link below

Free home care plan to exclude some with critical need

The Personal Care at Home Bill will help around 400,000 people with the highest care needs. It guarantees free personal care for 280,000 people – including those with serious dementia or Parkinson’s disease – and, will also help around 130,000 people who need home care for the first time to regain their independence.

Andy Burnham introduces Personal care at home Bill

HoC Health Committee – 26th November

rosemaryuk — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:26:26 +0000

Wilson Room
Meeting started at

Witnesses

Age Concern and Help the Aged, Counsel and Care, and Alzheimer Society Mencap, Mind, Multiple Sclerosis Society, and Carers UK

Parliament TV

No way to run a care service

rosemaryuk — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:25:45 +0000

Read here

The council has a duty of care. It cannot pass this duty over to those who seek to make a profit from caring and feel that its duty has been met.

Why are our councillors being taken in by all the talk of independence and choice? Can they not see the difference between independence and being abandoned? Between choice and bewilderment?

Peter Beresford

rosemaryuk — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:22:56 +0000

Yet again another great article from Peter Beresford on Community Care site.

Adult social care green paper is just another dead parrot

We don’t have details about how the Queen’s Speech proposal on free personal care is to be paid for. What we do know is that it will have significant cost implications and in one way or another funding will have to be found from general taxation.