Compass Carers Support Group, Ilchester

Key findings

1. Three people said that there are long delays getting carers assessments. The group co-ordinator also added that she has chased a number of assessment referrals stating they are urgent, but has not heard back. We were informed that sometimes people die due to the long waits which are often 10 weeks and on occasions longer. Carers at the group said that many people won’t ask for an assessment until they are at crisis point and often carers don’t realise they have reached this point until it is too late. Having to wait another 2 to 3 months just for an assessment is unacceptable.
2. The group co-ordinator noted that safeguarding referrals are also not working well. There are often long waits before anyone gets back to them, and sometimes the staff don’t seem to know what to do with the referrals. The co-ordinator commented that she referred a case where it was suspected the daughter of elderly residents was physically abusing her parents. Despite having followed up several times requesting the referral be treated as urgent, the matter is still ongoing and was first reported in October 2016 (7 Months ago). The commentator believed this was in part due to new staff.
3. Three carers reported problems going through the Continuing Health Care Assessments (CHC). One commentator said that her mother ticked all of the boxes but was told that they wouldn’t qualify and the assessment would be a waste of time. More guidance on assessments eligibility and how to access them is needed.
4. Feedback about Summervale GP Surgery in Ilminster was generally good, and two carers praised the nursing and dispensary. All at the group said getting an appointment was generally easy. One carer commented that they had had poor advice from a GP about mental Health.
5. Bracken House Mental Health Unit also received good feedback from one carer while another carer had experienced delays in being referred to a dietitian of two months, and thought that the care workers were overloaded with caseloads.
6. Carers were concerned that paying for care would bankrupt them. One carer noted it was £67 for a sitter per half day, and that they could no longer participate with meetings where they gave feedback and input to Carers Voice UK.
7. One carer commented that the ‘This is me’ form from the Alzheimer’s Association designed to give important information about patients who have dementia when they go into hospital is great. However, her husband who has Dementia went to Musgrove Hospital last year, and although the form was noted in the nurses records it was not displayed by the bed which resulted in serving staff and porters not treating her husband in the best way, for example, food was placed on the wrong side and her husband struggled to eat it due to a disability. When she raised this with PALS she was told that it is data protection that prevents the form from be displayed. Commentator noted this led to poor care.
8. One carer noted that she had a 12 week wait for referral to the Somerset Partnership’s continence service. She had to use her attendance allowance and pension to buy incontinence pads. When they were eventually prescribed her husband had an allergic reaction to them, and she was told these were the only ones available from the service and she would have to buy others herself. Other carers echoed that finding time to find information out (such as which continence pads to buy) takes time and effort that people who are caring often don’t have.

This report was produced by the previous Healthwatch Somerset service provider, The Care Forum.