When a family first contacts me, the person who phones me up often starts with, “I don’t know how you can help?”.
And my reply is nearly always, “Well, tell me your story”.
Most people who get in touch with me have been recommended to do so by a friend, colleague, another family member or a professional, e.g. Financial Adviser, Solicitor, Will Writer etc.
These people have either already used my services or heard me talking about my services and the types of families I support.
You might ask, “Why such an open question? Don’t you have a list of things you need to know?” Well, yes, I do. But who wants to be faced by the “Spanish Inquisition”, especially at a difficult and emotional time?
Every family is different and needs to be listened to so I can offer the best support and advice for them and their elderly loved ones.
My Aim Is
- To ensure families who have self-funding elderly relatives get the same support as those who Adult Social Services and the NHS fund.
- For the family’s elderly loved ones to continue to have a good quality of life.
- For them all to continue to spend time together that is enjoyable, memorable, and free of stress.
What do I mostly hear?
Usually, one or a combination of the following:
- I am finding the adult health and social care systems challenging to navigate.
- I don’t understand how Adult Social care is funded.
- I am not sure where to start when looking at care options.
- I am struggling to find the time to complete forms for funding.
- I feel I cannot get my voice heard, respected, and acted upon.
- I want to challenge a decision I think is wrong.
None of these is a surprise. Adult Health and Social Care in England are not easy to understand. It is not joined up, and people easily fall through the gaps. We often contact it during a crisis and substantial emotional distress. Even people working with the elderly and frail in the NHS and the care sector often don’t fully understand the whole picture.
My mum, sister and I were that family once, so I have been there and can fully empathize with their situation.
What information am I looking for?
Here is a list of a few basics:
- Age of the person and where they are currently, e.g. at home, in hospital…..
- Who am I talking to, and what is your relationship with them?
- Do you or anyone else hold Lasting Powers of Attorney for the person?
- What does the person receiving the care want?
- Do they have the capacity to decide?
- Have you discussed this with them?
- Do you (broadly) know their financial position?
- Do they have an End-of-Life Plan?
Can I help?
By the end of a gently guided 30-minute, free, no-obligation conversation that you can book here, I can usually provide a brief “Plan of Action for the Next Steps” and will send this as an email.
Here is a link to my Support Packages Page, where I am transparent with all my pricing https://sunrisecareadvisers.co.uk/care-support-packages/
