Brown promises a decent wage for family carers

[mainecoon lover]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=508022&in_page_id=1770

About time to is all i say.

[loadsapixiedust]

Great news for some families, but I could see that sort of scheme being open to abuse.

I wonder how the government propose to find the £100k per year that someone looking after a relative needing full time care would earn?

If I was paid for the care I provide I could give up work ;)

[Rebelrebel]

Shalln't hold my breath.

[charliesangel]

i'm trying to think positively about this one, i'm thinking from a working with the elderly perspective. i do worry that it would leave a lot of more people vulnerable to abuse of any kind. I would want to see regular reviews and proper training provided for these carers so we don't fail our most vulnerable.

[mainecoon lover]

I think this is not right for some but for other's i think its great news.

Don't get me wrong i do everything out of love and total devotion for my dd but i think as a carer its about time we were paid a decent wage and not pittance.
My dd is 16 now and if she were able body she would be doing everything for herself and looking forward to her future (of course we would rather this) but sadly her future is carers and people doing everything for her.
I am not able to go out to work, even part time. I mean what employer would take someone on that has to drop everything quickly to rush to the hospital or have regular hospital appointments out of county.
I have carers in to help and yes they are good but i do not think they give all a parent does. Yes there are some parents who do not do what they should for their children. This is up to ss to sort out and make sure this is only for those that they know will give it their all.
I do not phone in sick, i do not turn up late and i do not do the care half heartedly. I get on with it without moaning so why should carers like a lot of us on here not get paid for it.

[charliesangel]

please dont get me wrong, i appreciate all that informal carers contribute to this country I just have reservations for all cases that;s all. :grin:

[Mishka]

I am a carer for my Dad and I get nothing, I have never asked for nothing thats why really. But when I really have to be there all the time I will. I don't ask because I feel it may offend my dad who is from the old school and I think I am not the only one who just does things out of love. It not easy been a carer for a loved one as it is physical and emotional draining and I really take my hat off to them as I know what its like. To be truthful it says £48 for over 38 hours, I think thats just a insult.

[ryhillrose]

It is very very hard for most full time carers, My husband is a quadraplegic, and my son has cerebral palsy, the latter is a full time job, even though he is at school and I 'get a break' I use that time to do all the housework, shopping, etc, so never get any 'free time' at all.
Its a 24/7 52 weeks of the year full time job, I do it out of love not out of duty, but the fact that I cannot go out to work,does put a severe financial strain on the family, so I think its only fair that full-time carers do get some form of decent 'wage'. We save the state millions and millions of pounds every year, and although nothing short of death will stop me from caring for my family, as I am a mother first and foremost, knowing that I had a few extra pounds coming in each month would considerable lift the finacial 'burden', and just give me one less thing to worry about.
I realise that this system could be thrown open to abuse, but it would also hugely benefit the vast majority of genuine loving carers.
I really hope that 'Mr Brown' keeps his promises and actually follows this through and we're not waiting years for the outcome.

Sally

[mainecoon lover]

please dont get me wrong, i appreciate all that informal carers contribute to this country I just have reservations for all cases that;s all. :grin:

Sorry hun was not having a dig at you, honest :blush:

[mainecoon lover]

It is very very hard for most full time carers, My husband is a quadraplegic, and my son has cerebral palsy, the latter is a full time job, even though he is at school and I 'get a break' I use that time to do all the housework, shopping, etc, so never get any 'free time' at all.
Its a 24/7 52 weeks of the year full time job, I do it out of love not out of duty, but the fact that I cannot go out to work,does put a severe financial strain on the family, so I think its only fair that full-time carers do get some form of decent 'wage'. We save the state millions and millions of pounds every year, and although nothing short of death will stop me from caring for my family, as I am a mother first and foremost, knowing that I had a few extra pounds coming in each month would considerable lift the finacial 'burden', and just give me one less thing to worry about.
I realise that this system could be thrown open to abuse, but it would also hugely benefit the vast majority of genuine loving carers.
I really hope that 'Mr Brown' keeps his promises and actually follows this through and we're not waiting years for the outcome.

Sally

Well said. Even with a decent paid wage we would still save the state millions.

[charliesangel]

Sorry hun was not having a dig at you, honest :blush:

don't worry, i didn't think you were! :grin:

[spenners]

I won't hold my breath. :nonono:

[LlMEY]

I am sceptical about this being more than a sound bite that is buried in committees and specially formed groups discussing who gets what and how much for years to come. No doubt those experts will be paid handsomely and have their pensions inflated during the process.

We have a spina bifida DD who has never and never will walk, and all the attendant problems that go with that condition.

She is bright as pin and cute as a button and always has been, but requires round the clock care for one thing or another.

Until her teenage years my wife was the main carer, and then following my chance of a nice optional redundancy package a few years ago I could step away from my carer and the wife could try one. She has done REALLY well and though we are still a little worse off she likes what she does and does it well so its my turn to take care of most 'home' things.

What Sally says in her post reflects what I feel and experience. There is a financial drain being restricted effectively to 1 WAGE earner - the option to have 2 of us working isn't workable. Has never been something we have or would consider.

There are other 'hidden' expenses too - those that have a lot of hospital visits know only too well the costs of parking for example, unless you can find a disabled bay... good luck :).

Not bitter, or grumbly about it or even care too much to be honest, I pretty much dismiss the idea that anything will actually happen - talk is cheap as they say and anyone that visits hospitals regularly only has to get to know a few nurses or doctors to know the true state of their morale and what the real situation is behind the 'sound bites' and smoke and mirrors of how well the NHS is doing. Thank God for the dedication - severly tested - of the vast majority of the medical staff.... even the vast number of Agency staff for the most part....

Heh just reread this and am not bitter HONESTLY! Maybe more sceptical than I thought I was! DD is 20 now [though looks 11]

Regards Dave

ps daughter is in the little pic in signature if you can see her in the centre of that tiny pic... she went into a coma few months later and lost the memory of that Disney trip - she was speechless after the charachter mobbing when we came out [for a change heh].

[janeprice]

Looking after our son is a full time job and he will always need 24 hours a day care and support. We do what we do because we love him. However if we were not here, it would cost around 80,000 a year for the state to look after him at today's prices.

I just hope for those that are less fortunate than us, financially, that the government does address this issue but I am not holding my breath!

[Nordicpollan]

Our DS2 has many needs and the cost for him to attend school Monday to Friday costs £90,000. He needs a nurse to be near at all times unless he is at home with us!

In school holidays we do get a nurse to give us respite for 5 hours twice a week. however when he is ill during school time and at home ( as he should be ) we get no help at all. School broke up for Christmas on 14th Dec.07 and since then he has only done 5 days at school as he has had a nasty chest infection. also the unit he stays in had the tummy bug so for 5 days although he was well the house was out of bounds!!!.

You know when you are tired when you spend 10 minutes tring to call the cat in , only to discover the cat is actually DS1 rugby ball!!

You know when you are tired when you are in M&S getting some shopping and realise you still have your slippers on :omg:
That what happened to me this week :erm: .

No amount of money would make me less tired but I might feel as though all our hard work is worth it.

As others have said there is no way I could hold down an employed position as Stu condition goes up and down on a daily basis.

As a family if I was bringing in an income then Hubby would not have to work so many hours and family life would be easier.
Hubby works long hours so we can afford to give both our sons extras like holidays, trips out extra.

DS2 get what ever he wants/needs but some times it is hard finanially and we could definaltly do with some just parent time!!!
Karen