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1 to 1 care

Mduk
  • 1 reply
  • 13 subscribers
  • 111 views

Hi there,


My dad (93) has skin, lung and more recently, brain cancer. The brain cancer has caused a loss of vision and has left him very confused and physically weak.

He is currently in a nursing home and the home have told us that he needs specialised 1 to 1 care as they can't cope with him getting out of bed, moving around and injuring himself. 

The fees for this service are extortionate and have increased his current fees four fold. This is not sustainable and stressful for all concerned.

I am reaching out for some advice on this topic as we feel we have no choice but to pay these crippling fees.

Many thanks in advance

Mark

  • Dear @Mduk,

    Thank you for your getting in touch. I'm so sorry to hear about your dad’s diagnoses and how this has affected his vision and left him confused and physically weak. I can hear from your message the worry you have for him so I hope I can make some suggestions which may help.

    Some people with long-term complex health needs qualify for free health and social care arranged and funded solely by the NHS, this is known as NHS – Continuing Healthcare. Given your concern about the fees involved in your dad’s care I do wonder if he may be eligible for this given the change in his circumstances? And even although your dad is in a care home his GP still has a duty of care for him so please do reach out to them too if needed to discuss your concerns. The GP can also make a referral to the palliative care team for ongoing support if this isn’t already in place. This team specialise in pain and symptom management as well as offering emotional support and helping to co-ordinate any additional care, support or equipment that is needed. These teams sometimes include Macmillan nurses - we fund these nurses’ training and posts which is why they bear our name, however they are actually employed by the NHS and work on a referral basis.

    You don’t mention in your message how you are at the moment Mark so please know that we are here at Macmillan Cancer Support to support you too in many different ways, including offering emotional support. We also have a money and work service who specialise in many areas including financial queries like benefit entitlements, wills, insurances and rights at work. In addition, we have a team of cancer information nurse specialists who are able to help with any medical queries you may have. And as well as being here on the online community, we  also have our live web chat service, our freephone  number 0808 808 0000 which is available  7 days a week,  8am-8pm as well as local information and support centres which you can find via our In your Area search.

    I really hope this information helps.

    Take care,

    Marie S - Macmillan

    Cancer Information and Support Adviser

    Remember you can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or by email.

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