"Local Support Communication from Homecare Assessor"

Often enough, we only hear negative information about the care provision provided through local authorities. However, we as Carers, also believe it is good to mention positive experience and service when received.

As mentioned, we are Carers, who support our elderly friend, who has a few disability issues, has no family and lives alone. Our friend now attends a local Day Care Centre that has hugely helped with his mental wellbeing, allowing him a safe environment to meet other people and to undertake activities.

We were invited to attend a meeting at the Adam Centre in Montrose recently. This meeting was being hosted through Angus Council and a few external organisations. This formed part of the process to gather information on the various Care Centre provisions, throughout the Angus Council area. The main thrust of this information however was to look at future allocated funding though the Council and other funding bodies.

During the meeting we were surprised when a few individuals made strong comments, stating, that part of the problem they have in getting individuals to attend Day Care in Angus, is due to the Angus Care Assessors (Care Managers), not knowing what is available in the area or not giving out the information! This is not always the case and it is very easy to tar everyone with the same brush.

The Arbroath based Care Assessor who is allocated to our friend has been excellent. Communications through emails, telephone, letter are very good. Our friend still lives at home very happily but as with many elderly people a home care package is in place that fits with their needs and with their wishes.

As our friend lives alone with hearing and sight issues, the Care Assessor spoke to him very positively about the possibilities of attending Day Care. We were given information on all the Day Care facilities in the area suitable to where our friend lives. We researched each of the facilities, as I believe that is for us to do as Carers, then we discussed each of them with our friend who decided what one they preferred and liked the sound of.

The Care Assessor, contacted the Adam Centre in Montrose to discuss availability and arranged for our friend to meet her and the Manager of the Adam Centre for a ‘meet, greet and get to know you’ session. Such a welcoming thing to do and made our friend feel so special. The Care Assessor also made us fully aware of the daily costs of attending and arranged for a financial assessment to be completed. This was to see if support funding could be made available through the Angus Council. It is also thanks to the Care Assessor that it was possible for a voluntary driver to be put in place to transport our friend to and from the Day Care. Without this it would have been impossible for our friend to attend.

The support and professionalism of the Arbroath based Care Assessor has been excellent. We are aware that the service information may not be the same across the different teams in the Angus Council area, and that there are probably many reasons for this. However, maybe the Council can take this positive story and use it as a template for encouraging their teams to positively promote the facilities available within their individual communities.