For once, a blog with actual figures and a graph!

No one denies there is not enough money for social demand, meaning less people getting the care they need.

The above graphs are self explanatory. However, there is the discrepancy between working age getting more care not less compared to the over 65’s. If I remember right, Local Authorities are under a legal duty to provide care for those under 65 with Learning Disabilities such as autism. The gap will include those of with dementia.

The other graph is horrendous. Obviously, the same old excuse will be used; people living longer etc. BUT, that might be part of the reason, but no excuse.

In my failed attempt to get on the local Partnership Board as a service user representative (another blog on that later after freedom of information request granted and looked at), I read all the documents from previous Board meetings and saw the huge financial cuts being made. In no way, do I blame the executive officers as they have to do the orders of councillors. I used to work for an LA, in middle management, and know the pressure there is.

The Board has Councillors on it who just accepted the cuts. What these councillors should be doing is publicising the cuts in a personal way. Such as; we are having to cut this day centre, Johnny is full time carer for his mum, and works because she goes to the centre. Now he will have to give up work and go on Benefits so as to cover for the closure of the centre. Council executives are forbidden, by law, to campaign against cuts.

The public, as taxpayers pay for social care, but they cannot understand the crisis within it until they are in the system, by which time they are firefighting and have no time or energy to campaign.

Society needs to be told the realities, and the only people,that can do that are the Councillors who see the figures. Other organisations, such as Alzheimer’s should be doing the same, maybe even getting permission to use actual stories; the gory truth needs to be said; daylight is the best disinfectant.

I will give my views on how good they are at that in my next blog, but I think the answer is glaringly obvious.

I know professionals require time off, but unpaid carers and the cared for don’t stop requiring socialising etc during the long Xmas break. It is not beyond the ken of authority to have people stagger their holidays through this season. For instance, those with out young families, those not Christian (we don’t stop the world for other religions holy days).

Obviously, the staff should get time off in lieu. If you think about it the NHS lose about 4% of their yearly routine ops time due to Xmas closures. As for bed blocking over this time, the mind boggles.

PS; told I wasn’t writing enough blogs, so expect a lot more, mainly about local issues…