A Flawed System: Continuing Healthcare Funding

Continuing Healthcare Funding, what a mind field this is, even the Governments own legislation is unclear to read with no clarity.  Is it any wonder so many professionals get it wrong leaving vulnerable people and their families struggling to pay for mounting bills?

This article doesn’t set out or intend to belittle the Continuing Healthcare Funding, but we will aim to offer some understanding and identify where professionals often make mistakes.

To understand Continuing Healthcare Funding, firstly we need to clarify what this means.  The NHS, states NHS continuing healthcare is the name given to a package of care that is arranged and funded solely by the NHS for individuals who are not in hospital and have been assessed as having a "primary health need".

If you are eligible, you can receive NHS continuing healthcare in a variety of settings, for example:

·         in your own home – the NHS will pay for healthcare, such as services from a community nurse or specialist therapist, and personal care, such as help with bathing, dressing and laundry

·         in a care home – as well as healthcare and personal care, the NHS will pay for your care home fees, including board and accommodation

NHS continuing healthcare is free, unlike social and community care services provided by local authorities. You may be charged for these depending on your income and savings.

The concept is to find out how a care plan helps patients take control of their condition by setting out goals that cater to their individual needs.

However, it isn’t as simple as that.  To be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare you must be over 18 and have substantial and ongoing care needs. You must have been assessed as having a "primary health need", which means that your main or primary need for care must relate to your health. 

Eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare does not depend on:

·         a specific health condition, illness or diagnosis

·         who provides the care, or

·         where the care is provided

If you have a disability or if you've been diagnosed with a long-term illness or condition, this doesn't necessarily mean that you'll be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare.  To find out whether you are eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, your care needs will be assessed.  NHS continuing healthcare will be reviewed regularly.  If your care needs change, the funding arrangements may also change.

To be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, you must be assessed by a team of healthcare professionals (a "multi-disciplinary team") as having a "primary health need".  Whether someone has a primary health need is assessed by looking at all their care needs and relating them to:

·         what help is needed

·         how complex these needs are

·         how intense or severe these needs can be

·         how unpredictable they are, including any risks to the person's health if the right care isn't provided at the right time

Your eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare depends on your assessed needs, and not on any diagnosis or condition.  If your needs change then your eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare may change.

The whole process really sets up those involved and leaves them open to the worst possible kind of financial abuse of those who are vulnerable.  This isn’t just a care worker stealing thousands from your bank account or money from your purse, these are professionals who are carrying out assessments incorrectly and people being wrongly charged for their care.  It means many people have their entire personal assets illegally taken away from them to pay for care that the NHS should be funding in full.  The whole system is so flawed.

Ways to Take Care of Older People or Ones with Diseases

Ways to Take Care of Older People or Ones with Diseases

Although not common, some individuals are met with a disease that may place them on a bed with no ability to do anything for themselves without another person to help them. Most times, a caretaker will be placed beside them that will do tasks that are usually done for older people, such as bringing them food, cleaning their covers and mattress, and sometimes even having to feed them. Some diseases disable people which makes it hard for them to feed themselves, which is why you should know how to properly take care of older people or ones with diseases before you are put in this situation.

Prescription Waste

It is estimated that as much as £300million is wasted every year on unused or partially used medication.

This could pay for ...

11,778 MORE community nurses or

80,906 MORE hip replacements or

19,799 MORE drug treatment courses for breast cancer or

300,000 MORE drug treatment courses for Alzheimer's or

312,175 MORE cataract operations

Approximately £4.67m of unused medicines are wasted every year in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Of this, we estimate that:

£1.7m is returned to pharmacies because it is not needed

£1.4m is kept in the home and is out of date

However, £0.78m is disposed if in Care Homes

Once an unwanted medicine has left the Pharmacy, it cannot be reissued even if it hasn’t been opened.

By reducing the amount of wasted medicines, we could reinvest the funding in other vital health services.

When you take medicine away from a pharmacy it must be paid for by the NHS out of your taxes.  If the medicine is not used, this is money wasted.

To prevent Waste:

O      Please open the bag – if you don’t need all the medicine please hand it back at the counter or to the delivery driver

O      If you can’t take a medicine tell your GP, pharmacist or nurse

O      Once a medicine has left the pharmacy, it must be destroyed, even if it has not been opened

O      If you need over the counter medicines, like paracetamol, aspirin or ibuprofen you can buy them from your pharmacy or supermarket for as little as 25p a box.  Please, don’t ask for them on prescription

O      If you work in a Care Home, please take the time to check that your patients need all the medicines prescribed to them

Stroke has a new indicator!

They say if you forward this to ten people, you stand a chance of saving one life. Will you send this along?

Blood Clots/Stroke - They Now Have a Fourth Indicator, the Tongue:

During a BBQ, a woman stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) ...she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared, a bit shaken up, Jane went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Jane's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 PM Jane passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Jane would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this.

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

Help debate suffering in agony at the end of life

Joanne Fowler, promised her dad when he died that his suffering would not have been in vain.  Joanne made a commitment to raise awareness and change suffering in pain at the end of life for the protection of others.

No one should beg & plead for pain relief at the end of a precious life

Joanne, was told it was just unfortunate what happened to her dad, who was 93 blind and deaf with brain cancer but shockingly daily Joanne receives messages from all over UK of the same suffering.

People have and are suffering as her dad did right now.

The investigation into Joanne’s dads suffering found no evidence of neglect and he was given correct medication for his pain!

One thing this avoidable suffering can never be is acceptable

The man from the PHSO who upheld the report into Joanne’s dads care said "Off the record I admire what you are doing"

Those words speak volumes.

Joanne, slept at the hospital with her dad until he died in her arms.....

The hospital threatened to have her removed by security... Because she dared to beg and plead for pain relief for her father

Joanne, rang the hospice from the ward to beg for help while her dad writhed in agony.

Please help get this selfless brave dads suffering debated for the good of others

**Change not Blame**

For the benefit of our NHS and our elderly & vulnerable people of all ages.  

For the thousands of people who have suffered and will suffer today.

Please sign & share this important petition

There are too many who suffer like this dear man did.

End of Life Care in the UK needs changing, Compassion needs to be a basic requirement of all staff.

Joanne Fowler has turned her agony into something positive for what her dad endured. The least we can do is sign and share, please bear in mind this is happening all the time and one day it could be your loved one.

Please share to say 🦋 I signed this Important petition 🦋

Now I am sharing it so friends can join the thousands & thousands who care about the avoidable suffering of our Elderly & vulnerable 🦋

Thank you to all the wonderful people who continue to support in 2017 🦋

Please keep the message intact when you share 🦋

Thank you to all the kindest people who have tagged friends