[Magdalen] Prayer Request - Roland a\nd Shirley Orr

[Roger Stokes]

On 02/07/2016 15:18, Ginga Wilder wrote:
> How sad. Lord, have mercy.   I am praying for Roland and for Shirley.
>
> Roger, is an assisted care facility available through national health
> system?

There's a range of support services for those who temporarily or 
permanently need them.  These range from self-contained apartments or 
small houses where a warden keeps an eye on residents and checks on 
their welfare through ones where catering is provided to residential 
homes with a nunber of bedrooms, including some with a full-time nursing 
presence. In England aby nursing care required is paid for through the 
NHS but social care is charged for.  (I believe in Scotland this is paid 
for centrally.)  They will all have a monthly charge, the level 
depending on various factors.  A few are run by the local authority but 
the majority are run by other organizations who have to cover their 
costs through fees.

If someone is assessed as needing residential care then the local 
council may meet some or all of the costs subject to a means test. One 
problem here is that the council may not be willing to pay the going 
rate for homes' fees, which means the home has to find the difference 
through top-up fees paid by relatives or cross-subsidising from other 
residents' fees.  Another issue is a shortage of places in these homes. 
It used to be profitable to convert big old houses (such as vicarages) 
to this use but that is no longer the case.  They need to be much bigger 
to be financially viable.  As a result bed-blocking is happening in 
hospitals with patients no longer needing hospital care but it taking a 
long time to find a place that can offer the care they need.

> I may be jumping to conclusions, but their situation does not sound good at all.  Even if Shirley makes a full recovery.

I agree, and there must be the thought that being Roland's full-time 
carer for an extended period has contributed to her condition.

Roger