Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
An 89-year-old woman named Alison has revealed that due to staffing shortages, her full home care package is not being delivered as scheduled, leading to her being routinely assisted to bed in the early afternoon. Alison explained that carers now visit her around 3 pm to provide her with an evening meal, administer sleeping medication, and help her into bed for the night. Living alone with epilepsy and a history of frequent falls, she often remains in bed for up to 19 hours until the next morning when carers return.
Alison emphasized that while she is not forced into bed, she feels compelled to do so out of fear of falling and injuring herself if she stays up alone. Since the passing of her husband 14 years ago, she has depended entirely on care arranged through the Northern Health and Social Care Trust. The current arrangement includes three daily visits for meals—breakfast, lunch, and an evening meal—but the final call frequently occurs much earlier than expected, around mid-afternoon. Alison believes that taking her prescribed night-time medication several hours earlier than intended has contributed to several falls, including three significant ones and numerous smaller slips. On one occasion, she was left on the floor for approximately two hours before receiving assistance.
Despite her frustrations about the timing of visits, Alison praised the carers themselves, describing them as “very, very nice,” but pointed out that the scheduling is problematic and beyond their control. She also mentioned the unpredictability of visit times, which makes it difficult to plan her daily activities.
The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has acknowledged the challenges with Alison’s care package and apologized, attributing the situation to staffing pressures and increased demand for home care services, which have risen by over 12% since 2022. The trust stated that it cannot currently provide a bedtime visit but has discussed Alison’s medication regime with her and continues to support her needs. They have proposed alternative care options, which Alison declined because she is satisfied with her current carers. A trust spokesperson described the situation as regrettable and emphasized ongoing efforts to restore Alison’s full care package as promptly as possible.
The Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland, Siobhan Casey, condemned the situation as “deeply concerning and totally unacceptable.” She argued that no elderly person should have to effectively end their day in the early afternoon due to incomplete care arrangements. Casey highlighted an increase in calls concerning difficulties in accessing domiciliary care, issues with hospital discharges due to unavailable care packages, long waits for support, and problems in rural service access. She called for urgent collaborative action from the Department of Health, the Executive, and Health and Social Care Trusts to address staffing shortages and ensure older people receive adequate, safe care to live independently.
Alison reflected on her circumstances and expressed concern for others who may not be as fortunate. While thankful for her supportive neighbors and friends in her “small and cosy” home, she believes many others lack such support. “I’m one of the lucky ones,” she said. “I don’t want to live like a queen. I just want to live without worrying.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.