Together We Can Ensure Your Elderly Loved Ones Receive The Government And Other Support To Which They Are Entitled
Who I Am
I am a UK care worker currently working in elderly/dementia/palliative care in South East/East London for an eminent private UK healthcare organisation.
The Problem
Despite having a passion for this work, as I really love helping the elderly (having been the primary carer for my own elderly mum), I have noticed an issue in this industry that I am now raising money on Crowdfunder to proactively solve for the betterment of the community and society.
Despite UK allowances for the elderly being sufficient when combined as part of a tailored care package, including extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, as well as certain health costs, Cold Weather Payment, etc, the "apparent" demand for my (and my colleagues) services is decreasing – potentially leaving the elderly vulnerable.
The Solution
Having talked to my clients (who can no longer "afford" our services, despite badly needing them), I realised that in an overwhelming number of cases the reason is that they (and their families) are unaware of, or unable to, access the benefits and support they are entitled to.
By way of comparison, in children’s social care, a vulnerable child is assigned a social worker to assist with applications, the same as with an adult substance abuser, for example. However, the elderly often "slip through the cracks" of this level of support, and have to rely on family or go private – often neither of these provides enough support, being the problem.
And this is despite the support being there in terms of government benefits, grants, etc.
Key Highlights
To solve this problem, I am:
- Starting my own service to not only organise/deliver the care my elderly clients need but also assist with advocating for benefits, grants support, applications, etc. This will:
- Enable my vulnerable clients to pay for the tailored, user-centric support they need.
- As I have vast experience and connections in the industry (with a BA in Social Work), and a great deal of advocacy experience, I champion my client's needs in a way that, in many cases, they and their families cannot, and the broader social care industry is not set up to do. (OPAAL UK noted as recently as May this year that local authorities in England and Wales are under fire for failing to promote independent advocacy for older people.)
- I am looking to raise £8,500 that will give me 6-month runway on ancillary expenses (office, living etc) as well as cover petrol/transport costs, and also the necessary PPE equipment etc.
- Community funding makes sense, rather than fund this idea using credit, etc, which will only work against my goals to deliver the best care possible as it would require fees my clients do not necessarily have (being the whole point of this fundraiser).
Thank you for your time, consideration and support.