I am reaching the end of what will be my longest stay in the UK since the 1970’s. While the circumstances of my visit were not the best, many aspects of the trip were surprisingly quite enjoyable. I have rediscovered so many things that I appreciate about the "old country".
Before I leave I am learning the ins and outs of the UK Social Services and what they can do for my mother. So far I have been quite impressed. There is a concerted effort to maintain an older people’s ability to live in their own homes rather than place them in nursing homes. After my mother was released from the hospital, the Hospital Social Services group takes over and they move in with a “rehabilitation team” to get my mother back to as high a level of independence as possible. Initially they are going to visit her 4 times a day, once to get her up in the morning, once to prepare lunch, once again for an evening meal, and again at the end of the day to get her ready for bed. As she becomes more capable, and hopefully she will, they will drop off visits until she is stabilized and at that time the local Social Services department in Staveley, my mother’s home town, will take over with the routine visits. So that is up to 4 visits a day to provide assistance with dressing, bathing, feeding to allow an individual to remain independent in their own home. And all at no cost! The benefits of socialized medicine and care!
So that is the plan for my mum – so far there have been a few hiccups and miscommunications, but I am hopeful that all will work as intended. I don’t know a lot about how things work in the U.S.A. but I am doubtful that it would work quite as well, and I am certain it wouldn’t be entirely free. I will have to check up on that.
2 comments:
Hi Steve:
Problem is the service isn't free. It's based on money taken by force from her friends and neighbors in taxes. Furthermore, providing the service through the tax system typically triples the cost of a service because of the waste involved in the tax and spend system (including the overhead costs of taxation, and the inevitable waste in a bureaucracy that exists to serve itself first). So if your mom is getting, say, a $1000/week service, her friends and neighbors are being forced to pay $3,000 a week for it.
Jim Payne jlpayne@netw.com
The economics of the service aside, it is so wonderful to know that your Mum, whom you love so much, will be cared for by lovely people whom your taxes pay. Overall, the provided jobs give people money to pay taxes. Give, and get. It depends where the society's places its emphasis. Thank you for keeping us up on your travails. We care. Susi VirginiaCountryLife.blogspot.com
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