We have experienced adult senior care

Our introduction to social care came about through a family member being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, devastating news and a devastating condition.

Our loved one was diagnosed in early 2019, a few years after we'd started to notice changes in their behaviour and in their memory.  They were still able to live independently,  but we wanted to understand if it was dementia so we could plan for their future care needs.

We started to look at the care provision in North Yorkshire, and the specific  area of the Yorkshire Dales.  The area is fortunate to have a wide of choice of options from care homes, to sheltered housing, modern independent living apartments.  On the downside, because of the sheer size of the county, it was characterised by care companies despatching staff across the county, and from Lancashire to individual clients homes.  In terms of finding someone who could help out a few hours a week, it was down to who you knew and scanning adverts in the local newsagents Lamberts in Settle.  

We were fortunate that the local Social Services support was so good and there was a lot, going on for both senior citizens  and those with dementia, companies such as Dementia Forward.

However, we could see the inconsistencies, the pressures on the care homes recruiting and retaining staff, the pressures on the individual carers working for companies in the community:   lack of time to spend bonding with the clients, dashing around between far flung appointments, and the general stress that can cause.

And when we supplemented the care from those local care companies with an independent carer, we also wished we could have afforded to pay her more. 

However, we must not forget those who are unable to able to afford to provide beyond what the state will support, often overlooked and certainly unpaid people caring for loved ones themselves.

We want to make it better.  We want to make it more rewarding for those embark upon caring as a career,  and we want the individuals both unpaid and paid to be better recognised for what they do and better rewarded.  We want their caring to become a proper, recognised and essential part of our social structure.

This is why we have created Local Carer.