Social Services and Old folks Homes

[NORMANTHEDOG]

Having seen the itv news this evening about the old couple who have been together since the 40s,social services have put the women into a old peoples home,refusing her husband request to be put in the home with her at first,allthough now due to pressure maybe from the media,he can go into the home with her. Why is it that these people at social services seem to get it wrong on a lot of occasions,ie abused kids etc.Do these people have any heart at all,Or as they say,WE ARE ONLY DOING OUR JOB.It seems that they are not doing it very well.

[noxlumos]

The whole idea of splitting that elderly couple up was heartless and moronic.It's beyond me how anyone who enters a so called caring profession can be so incredibly out of touch with human need. Glad they'll be re-united :)

[gary baldy]

I think Social Services is so wrapped up in bureaucracy that sometimes (and only sometimes - it think on the whole they do a good job and we only hear the bad stuff) they lose sight of what they are actually there for.

[Goodsoulette]

Is there anything wrong with the husband, does he need care? If not do you have any idea how much nursing care costs, its at cheapest �500 a week. Lots of people go into care every week can we really afford to give these places to people who dont need it.

My nan couldnt stay with my grandad when he went into care.If he needs nursing care ignore everything I have put.

[NORMANTHEDOG]

yes the husband does need care,and he has been given it,with his wife,and i am well aware of how much it costs,my mother after 5 strokes spent the last 15 of her life either in hospital or care homes.all i was saying is the social should be more caring.

[noxlumos]

Well, Goodsoulette in this case they both need care, however I don't really want to live in a society that splits it's old people up no matter how much it costs, plus I would imagine that they paid into the system via their NI contributions for a great many years, scarecely expecting to be split up workhouse style from each other by the system they helped to fund.I don't find it acceptable and there should be facilities that allow one person that needs nursing care and their partner to live together with some dignity.

[Englishbird]

Yes this case is ridiculous. And yes, sometimes care homes and Social Services get wrapped up in red tape and bureaucracy. And yes sometimes people in positions of power are morons. But I am also sure that many times they side step red tape and and are very accommodating, it's just that these situations don't make the news.

Partly because they'd probably get in trouble for using their initiative rather than following the red tape.

*Newsflash* Englishbird phoned her local council offices the other day over a problem she didn't know how to solve. The lady she spoke to said that they couldn't help initially, but then had another idea, made a couple of calls on englishbird's behalf and problem solved...... no-one's interested when it goes right.

[undercovers]

i agree that it is horrible that they have been split up - but this is more than just one decision making the news this represents the serious problem we have in caring for the elderly in the UK, a problem that will only get worse as our population ages... we don't want higher tax but we do want great care for the elderly, perfect hospitals and the maintenance of the welfare state / pensions etc - any party that runs with the idea of putting up taxes will lose but unless we accept that these things cost money we are going to have more and more situations where purely financial decsions have to be made regarding care ... a situation that we will also presumably complain about bitterly whilst tightening our purse strings

[Hgrove]

This is what happens when budgets and accountability replace caring/ethical treatment of people/human rights in society.