Finding the right support and care for elderly relatives can be a challenging and overwhelming experience. This was the experience of Gloucestershire County Council leader, Stephen Davies, who was inspired by his personal struggle to care for his father-in-law, Brian Lee, to create an information leaflet aimed at helping residents facing similar challenges.
Davies explained, “We always felt there was help out there that we didn’t have access to. That help comes from the County Council’s adult social care and the NHS. It is also dependent on the interaction between the two. And when you hand over to one or back to the other. Despite being a councillor, and I like to think of myself as a fairly intelligent person, I felt we were always about two weeks behind and we didn’t know who to ask."
The guide, available in both digital and paper formats, offers crucial contact information and details about accessing adult social care services. Davies acknowledges that the guide may not be perfect and will require updating, but it serves as a vital starting point in addressing the complexities of finding care for elderly relatives.
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Davies emphasized the emotional difficulties of navigating this process, especially as loved ones deteriorate and individuals grapple with unfamiliar bureaucratic systems. He noted, “You are dealing with organisations that deal with this every day and don’t think it is difficult. But I think they sometimes forget that to the individual who is trying to sort something out, this is the only time they are going to do this.”
The guide provides essential information to help families and caregivers understand the available resources, thereby making what can be an incredibly challenging experience a little more manageable.