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“Bloody hopeless!.”
by P-K Gabriel on 30 Apr 12
After an accident that has caused my left arm to be near enough useless, I was unable to pull myself out of the bath and was stuck 6 x hours before managing to get out. I'm a retired widow and live alone. So I phoned my landlord Swindon Borough Council, asking that a shower be fitted. I was told an assessment would have to be made. 2 weeks later someone phoned to ask questions about my mobility. Saying that the waiting list before anything could be done, was circa 18 weeks plus, as there was a backlog of requests waiting to be acted on. Am I expected to
do without means of bathing until then, when all I need is a shower fitted? accident 5th Nov 2011, todays date 30th April 2012.
“Message: Rather gobsmacked to this week receive a letter from council informing that the telecare service for the person I care for is to go up from £5 per week to £10.70 per week. ”
by Mike Rodgers on 16 Apr 12
Have searched to see if can find an alternative, cheaper, provider but to no avail. Guess this is the free market in action?
“cutting of services...”
by anon on 26 Mar 12
the four hour 'sitting service' for people with dementia currently provided by Swindon carers is having a massive impact on people being supported at home. This service is being reduced to two hours still free of charge. Poor amount of communication prior to inform people of this....
Swindon Borough Council have decided to continue funding the service for current users of the service at their current levels until 31st December. In the meantime, all users of the service will be offered a full carers’ assessment, to ensure that respite needs are met thereafter. Their current thinking is that there will not be a specific Alzheimers sitting service commissioned from 1st Jan 2013.
“Footcare service, Clapham Hobbs”
by Mrs D. Clifford on 21 Feb 12
I receive this service at where I live. It is very good and so helpful to those of us who find it difficult to get out and about. It is an excellent service and very much appreciated.
“We have absolutely no idea how we can obtain help with living independently. We intend to live, and die, in our own home without going into hospital or a care home.”
by E.M.I. Harries & R.E.Moxon on 5 Oct 11
As retired nurses we are appalled at the general care of the elderly in hospitals and have no intention of being treated with disdain. We are fully aware that not all nurses are neglecting their patients but, in our opinion, there should not be a single nurse that cannot be trusted to give all their patients the care that they nedd 100% of the time - or at least attempt to do so !!!
“Problems With Care Staff”
by gregor grant on 16 Aug 11
The carer must stick to the time on the rota, and not come earlier or later without phoning first. communication is important with carers, especially when it comes to regular carers going on holiday or changing shift, therefore communication must be improved.
How can they stick to the time on the rota when no travelling time is allowed between visits? Certainly communication must be improved and, in theory, the carer should phone when they are going to be late. My experience, some months ago, is that they didn't do this - probably because they are late so frequently! And even if you are informed about a delay, it can still be very upsetting if the carer turns up an hour late. The carers are exploited both by the care company and the borough, because both bodies know perfectly well that the private care company can't do the job properly for the money that the Borough is willing to pay. I am told that most care companies have a high turnover of staff and quite a high rate of absence due to sickness, which means that rotas often don't reflect what actually happens. Dring my 2 months with care staff from one of the private care companies I had 14 different carers!
“Positive so far...”
by Peter Armstrong on 20 Apr 11
What started out as a unco-ordinated service (possibly due to changeover) has since proved to be a reliable and professional service. 3 different carers to date, but a regular one on weekdays. No complaints so far.
“Support for completing form”
by Harry Dale on 15 Mar 11
I have had a look at the questionnaire and obviously appreciate that it is difficult to put together something like this that does the whole job comprehensively.
So my thoughts are more around the level of support that will be available to people who may well struggle with this document. It seems fairly complex and I suspect that there are many who will skim over some of the answers because they don’t feel they apply to them even tho they do.
Does the decision making take into account the needs of the “non-professional” carers and the need for respite for them. It seems that the aims are to build up an even bigger “marching army” of free labour to me, as with the whole Big Society thing.
What perspective were you putting this out from, are you one of the authors or looking at it from the side of the customers.
Who exactly is this document going out to, is it every person receiving some kind of support in Swindon or have they already been triaged.
It struck me in the HOSC (the first one I went to) when Peter Malinson was being grilled that no one as I recall focused on asking for visibility of the measures that would be employed to ensure care standards were maintained or improved and the methods that would be put in place to ensure they were. More important I would have thought than delving into the cost base of the contract in this instance.
“Since coming back into Swindon management the wheelchair service is really good.”
by vanessa on 21 Dec 10
The team have worked very hard to bring down waiting list times - I hope they get some praise and recognition.
Brilliant update to date <a href="http://www.coach-hirelondon.com">http://www.coach-hirelondon.com</a>
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I wish to express my appreciation for your kind-heartedness supporting people that should have help with your situation. Your real dedication to passing the message all around was really productive and has continuously helped men and women like me to achieve their desired goals. Your entire warm and helpful tutorial means a whole lot a person like me and even more to my office workers. Warm regards; from everyone of us. <a href="http://www.romfordraiders.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=20395">http://www.romfordraiders.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=20395</a>
“Please do you hire wheel chairs? ”
by Ted & Margaret on 7 Sep 10
If so how much notice do you require? I would be interested to have one from August 10th until 25th 2010. Many thanks.
Hi Margaret and Ted
I am afraid we do not lend wheelchairs but we know who does. The best place to start is the British Red Cross: Tel 853723. Unfortunately the service for Swindon is based in Wootton Bassett. Alternatively commercial providers who may hire chairs include Care Plus Mobility at Kembrey Park, Gorse Hill: Tel 615327; or Hearing & Mobility (formerly KeepAble) in Clive Parade, Cricklade Road: Tel 701313
You may find that Shopmobility based under the Wyvern car park in the centre of town can help but I am not sure whether they still lend manual chairs or how much they now charge for a loan of several days: Tel 512621.
All this information can be found in the Wheelchair Services' draft leaflet. I hope that is helpful. Please let us know how you get on.
“Whilst Swindon Adult Services do an excellent job in managing adult services as reported by the CQC, I wonder whether a more local service would ensure that the risks of elderly and vulnerable being missed, or falling through the care net might be reduced.”
by Keith Smith on 6 Sep 10
For example, I live in the rural hinterland, research suggests that there are significant number of elderley ladies living alone, who receive no support. I appreciate that may not require this help, but how do we know? Surely a good starting point would be the local doctor's surgery? Support could then be co-ordinated on a shared voluntary/professional basis. This would strike a chord both with the concept of the 'Big Society' and Swindon's own groundbreaking Connecting People Connecting Places.
Mr Smith is absolutely right, the GP surgery in rural areas in one place where people who require support could have that support co-ordinated from. GPs will always refer people to appropriate services when necessary, and if their patient agrees to the referral. It will be good when connecting people, connecting places really ‘gets off the ground’ and those neighbourhood support mechanisms are available for people who want some support on a friendship basis.
With Best Wishes
Jan Trethewey
Acting Joint Director of Commissioning
“The difference between buying and requesting a bed.”
by Ida Harries on 23 Apr 12
Dear Mrs Trethewey,
Before I write to you regarding my desire to speak with an Occupational Therapist I would like to make it quite clear, on this page, that I did not - as you stated in Link's comment section- make a request for a bed. If you had read my letter to Mr. Osorio properly you would have seen that I asked for help/advice in buying one.
I am sure that you will agree that there is rather a large diffrence in asking the NHS to provide me with an expensive electric adjustable bed and requesting professional advice in the purchase of one. I wanted help in order to avoid buying something totally unsuitable.
Would you please make this quite clear on this site with a retraction of your statement.
I know - from experience - that this type of misinterpretation can rebound - even years later.
Yours sincerely,
Ida Harries
Dear Mrs Harries
Aplogies for misinterpreting your request.
“I want to obtain professional ie nursing/medical knowledge re buying an electrical bed that can be raised and lowered (from near floor level) I do not want to buy via a web site – I would prefer to see what I need first. ”
by Ida Harries on 12 Apr 12
I have been in touch with Social Services and they tell me that SEQOL (they did not know what this stood for! but I looked it up - and guess what - it appears to be a private organization!) Anway the result was that if I need to see an Occupational Therapist - even for simple advice - there is a waiting time of EIGHTEEN WEEKS!
I am horrified - not only for myself but for anyone who needs help. It is disgraceful that we should have to wait all that time for assistance. It is about time that the health service staff pulled themselves together and admit that they cannot look after the health and welfare of the elderly people of their country properly.
It is not shameful to admit that, because we do not have sufficent members of staff, we cannot manage.
When I was a ward sister -many many moons ago - I did not hesitate to ring up 'the office' to say that I could not run my ward efficiently with the number of staff I had. It was my duty to put my patients FIRST no matter what was thought of me. These people in social services need to wake up to THEIR responsibilities and let their superiors know that they are making old - infirm people wait all this long time for help. I dread to think how some of the old people of Swindon are coping with their infirmaties when we have a specialised department that accepts waiting times of 18 weeks as if it was perfectly alright.
I have no alternative but to go for private advice because I cannot wait this long time. I have saved to be able to afford this - many others have not this option.
It is to the shame of the NHS that we have decided to have an extension built to our home in order that we may sleep downstairs and care for ourselves instead of being admitted to a NHS hospital or any Care Home. The nursing of today bears very little resemblance to that of my nursing days and there is no way I would allow any elderly person I love to be 'cared' for in a NHS environment.
As for SEQOL - what on earth do they actually DO ?
Sorry about the rant but at eighty one I feel entitled to express how I feel about a service which was once the envy of the world. I still believe there is time to save it from absolute destruction but someone somewhere has got to get a move on before it is too late.
Dear Ida
I am sorry that you have cause for concern. You contacted the social care duty desk on the 28th March requesting a bed that can be raised and lowered after purchasing a profiling bed without that facility. Following a full telephone assessment you are waiting for a visit from the OTs. We always advise people of the maximum waiting time of 18 weeks which I appreciate seems a long time but it is within the national waiting list standards. I am more than happy to discuss this with you if you feel that would be helpful and my phone number is 01793 463430.
With Best Wishes
Jan Trethewey
Director of Operations – SEQOL
“Toenail cutting service at Clapham Hobbs”
by Linda Law on 23 Feb 12
Excellent service, great staff, best £9.50's worth I've had. Why struggle when this service is at hand?
“That principle has been explicitly stated by policy advisers to the Conservative Party for years. It has been spelled out on the UK Parliament website for months.”
by Geraint Day on 9 Feb 12
It is to convert the National Health Service and adult social care delivery in England into a regulated market. Of the sort that exist in finance, gas, electricity, water and rail, for example. All areas in which the power of largely useless but extremely costly public regulatory bodies can hardly be expected to be described as having defended the public interest in recent years. Much of what the well-paid public administrators in those public regulators actually oversee and pontificate about is how much the year on year price rises to hit consumers is going to be. When they are even larger than usual the same bureaucrats wring their hands. Not much more. And have they affected the inevitable price rises?
Yet the UK Parliament website very clearly compared the Bill's intentions with those markets. Do the people of England really want to see health and social care treated in the same way as those other areas of life?
“The service I have had to date has been excellent”
by Richard Fuller on 25 Sep 11
I was brought a new chair without asking for it as I already have my own because the one originally supplied was too heavy to expect my wife to assist I just had to find the money to buy. It will be useful as the one I purchased does not fit within all doors in the house and there are occasions when it is necessary with my legs not functioning at all. I am able to cope ith a Zimmer on occasions when necssary
“You are joking?”
by Doh! on 8 Jun 11
One of the most arrogant unhelpful "services" I have experienced.
“Support in filling out form?”
by Jenny Bassett on 15 Mar 11
At first glance, I thought the form looked rather daunting! 24 pages of questions could 'frighten' even a fairly sane person like me. Anyway, I looked through it, and realised it could be completed fairly quickly after the initial personal details are given, as most of the questions only require a 'tick box' answer.
However, dependant on the mental ability of some of the people filling in the form, I think many people would need someone to help them even with the tick-box questions.
I tried to put myself in the position of a person of limited mobility, and with no family in close proximity to help them. I think the colour coding of the questions is helpful, I would expect to complete one or two sections at one 'sitting'.
“My experience of care at home”
by A LINk participant on 3 Mar 11
The latest problem I have had is that they changed the times on my rota at the weekend and didn't bother to tell me. Yesterday evening the carer turned up at 8 pm to get me ready for bed and said she had had another client allocated to her and had asked the office to let me know. They didn't, of course - they never do. This morning the carer who turned up - 3/4 of an hour early - was not the one I was expecting, and also said she had asked the office to let me know. In addition, according to my rota, there are three new carers on the list this week - that will make 11 altogether that I have had.
“Responding to possible budget cuts for day care centres. ”
by Brian J. Osbourn on 10 Sep 10
As a father of a 30 year old son who has Down's Syndrome & Learning Disabilities and who uses One Step Ahead, the news could not be worse. A few weeks ago I arranged a visit for Robert Buckland MP, Justin Tomlinson MP, and Councillor Peter Mallinson who all agreed and stated on their visits that the staff and carers at One Step Ahead do a fantastic job in supporting adults with learning disabilities and the service provided by One Step Ahead is vital in their work and support of such adults.
Yet just a few weeks later Councillor Mallinson states (among other things) that “the whole idea of going to non-building based centres is to get away from the old Victorian way of institutions where you get all the people with learning disabilities and put them in the same building every day…Some people have been going to day centres for years and years and possibly don’t want to change, but there is always resistance to change.”
This ignores the widely accepted fact that those with learning disabilities need routine, routine, and more routine in order for them to feel safe; and being inside a building is key to that. In addition to this One Step Ahead not only provide a life-line to many parents and carers, they also save the council a huge amount of money in the longer-term because they allow these parents and carers a degree of respite that they would not otherwise be afforded.
“You asked for some feedback on the draft wheelchair service leaflet, so here goes!”
by Hilary Fairfield on 7 Sep 10
1. It would be really helpful if some service standards could be included, eg. how long it will take for an OT assessment to take place, how long it will take to issue a wheelchair if someone is eligible.
2. It doesn't include anything about high priority referrals (eg. when someone has a rapidly-progressing conditions, lives alone and is falling repeatedly).
3. It would also be helpful to include something about powered wheelchairs - who is eligible, what the process is for obtaining one, etc.
Thanks for collating the info. I do hope that the feedback will result in some changes to the leaflet.
Hi Hilary,
Thanks for your comments which are really useful, answers to your questions/comments are :-
1) How Long - The booklet will be printed to last 1 to 2 years so information which may change monthly cannot be put in as it may be misleading.
2) Rapidly Deteriorating conditions : user in this category will have a health professional or GP involved in their care who will discuss with Wheelchair Service their individual case and feed back accurate information to user - again blanket information may become confusing or inaccurate.
3) Powered Chairs - Thanks for this comment which has shown up a gap in the leaflet - a link address for PCT Website which has a detailed 14 A4 page criteria document which could not be included in a small brochure . - I will try to get this added to Version 01 which is on it's way to printers via PCT HQ - if not it will be in version 2
4) You would be most welcome to attend the focus group meetings - your experience and knowledge would be very useful to the group.
Regards, Terry
“Keep up the good work”
by MH (Young Carer) on 19 Aug 10
It’s a very good service with knowledgeable staff who always keep carers informed what is happening. They delivered my Dad’s wheelchair very quickly too
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In setting the 2011/12 budget Swindon Borough Council faced some tough decisions and decided to remove the subsidy from the Telecare service recognising that at around £10 a week the service would still provide excellent value for money. In doing so Councillors were keen to give existing service users as much notice of the change as possible and decided to protect all existing service users for a year from the increase. This protection has now come to an end. However with the introduction of personalisation, eligible service users can choose to meet the cost of Homeline Plus (the new name for Telecare) from their personal budget if that will meet their identified needs and if they are eligible. All service users with a personal budget will be individually financially assessed to see what contribution, if any, the Council will make to their personal budget
Comment by Swindon Borough Council spokesperson on 16 Apr 2012