Re: Don't get older or become infirm so need social care …

Ben, we are starting to see a new type of practice over here in which a group of doctors forms a team that takes turns being available for 24 hour a day home visits. It's about $200 per year out-of-pocket and a good idea. My mother is in such a practice and it works very well.

Re: Don't get older or become infirm so need social care …

Yes, if we have the means we can go private for medical care, we can even pay yearly for a scheme for that to, but you need the money to afford it. Most pensioners can't afford it.
My late OH did go to a specialist for a consultation some years ago, it cost him/us over £2000 for the hour long meeting, with treatment. He then went back to the NHS for the rest of his treatment, because we couldn't afford any more private treatment. Ironically it was the same surgeon.

Re: Don't get older or become infirm so need social care …

I used to have medical insurance but the cost escalated as I became older to £100 a month so it was getting to where I couldn't afford it. I had already had very good emergency treatment at an NHS hospital after a heart attack so chose to stop paying the medical insurance.

Over the years I had only used the medical insurance once, the advantage was that I was operated on at a private hospital within two days. The NHS GP had already seen me in agonising pain but told me it would be six or seven weeks to even see a consultant, unless I had medical insurance, which thank goodness I did have.

Re: Don't get older or become infirm so need social care …

Sadly, having spent 8 years of my life visiting my mother in one of these God forsaken places, I think I agree.

Re: Don't get older or become infirm so need social care …

That is sad she spent 8 years there, Mike. My Mother, then 93, luckily only lived in one for three weeks before she died. Up til then she had been looking after herself, in her own home, with the care of a home help.

Re: Don't get older or become infirm so need social care …

We are being told by both the government and the local authorities that if possible stay in our own homes as long as we can to relieve the pressure and costs of having to live in a nursing home.
I do this. I am 92, I pay, albeit, a small sum to a lady who comes round a couple of times a week a 'does' or me.
But, and it,s a big but, If I am not feeling too good and would like to see my GP I must make my own way to the surgery as they do not do home calls, not even for the elderly. To get my flu jab I had to get a taxi at £12 there and back.
To me this is just a 'one way' system.

Re: Don't get older or become infirm so need social care …

Not good is it big ben, not good at all. They take our money through taxes while we are working and then renege on what it was taken for. All well and good keeping out of nursing homes but a while back now, when there used to be Home Helps my mother used that service. She paid per hour but noticed the hourly rate paid to the Home Help service was more than the people themselves were paid – a profit was being made, yet it was I believe Social Services who organised it all. Then these helpers were so time-strapped my mother's one was doing her shopping in her own time!

Eventually things got so bad that my mother went private and paid herself that way, it was not very much more than she paid before and at least there was an adequate service.

With the 'flu jab, whatever happened to the District Nurses we used to have? Also is there a pharmacy closer than your GPs? Just wondered as I was expected to queue for hours for mine, if I could even get there that was as the roads were jammed with others trying to get to the Health Centre or those doing their shopping, on a Saturday too, at shops immediately opposite the Health Centre. I was then advised by family to go to the pharmacy in another village where I walked in, had the jab and walked out again. No booking an appointment and all done in 15 minutes, including driving to the pharmacy. The biggest annoyance was that the pharmacy is part of the same group the Health Centre belongs to!

At your age you are doing well to do almost everything for yourself, so well done and long may it continue!

Re: Don't get older or become infirm so need social care …

If I were in a nursing home and wanted to see a GP one would visit the home so why will they not visit elderly folk who prefer to stay in their own homes thereby saving the NHS money.

Re: Don't get older or become infirm so need social care …

Exactly big ben! When my mother was in a nursing home (she was terminally ill so no option) there was a GP on call and one visited on a regular basis, every couple of days, to see all was OK with medication etc. The person running the home was also an ex-nurse so another option if a resident was unwell.

What's being experienced by us all now is a way of running everything on less finance than is really needed, trying to do the impossible with so many calling on the NHS for treatment. Finally I believe, now we have the 'political game' being played with politicians using the NHS as a vote-catcher to get in power. The NHS is at breaking point, thanks to previous 'games' and it's us the 'customers' who are or will suffer as a result.

Re: Don't get older or become infirm so need social care …

Baz, I couldn't agree more. I well recollect once being rushed into hospital at the age of 65 (and still working full time).
Of course, it hit home to me straight away that I was classed as old, because I was placed into what I will always refer to as the "Geriatric Ward". You know the one, no laughing, no flowers, no phones and definitely not one television set.

Anyway, because of the rush and HWMO not yet returned with everything I needed, I asked the ward nurse on duty if she would be so kind as to provide me with a small packet of paper tissues that they gave out as I didn't even have anything to blow my nose with!. Her reply? We have run out of them. My remark? Oh dear, that's a shame, her reply as she glared at me? Well, we wouldn't if the NHS didn't have to provide so much for pensioners!

You couldn't make it up honestly. I was speechless. Talk about a bitter woman Definitely being a nurse was not a calling!

Another time I was treated dreadfully, was when I first applied for the concession for my commuter travel when I reached pension age. Now, I usually left home at 7 am every morning and never got home again until 7pm This was five days a week and the council usually closed at 4 pm every weekday and didn't open at weekends
HWMO could not get the form for me either as he too left for work every morning at the same time.

I phoned the relevant department to ask them if they could kindly send the form to me, I would be quite happy to pay for the postage. Reply? "We do not send anything like this by post! What do you think taxpayers would say if we wasted their valuable taxes to send out forms to Pensioners such as yourself willy nilly?"

Have to say, I gave him a pasting over the phone, reminding him that I too was a taxpayer, worked full-time, and he had no right to refer to pensioners in such a manner, as they have worked their whole lives paying tax as well.
He got the message very quickly that I was fuming with his disgraceful attitude towards the elderly. (And he sent it by post).

Quite frankly, I am sick to death at the way we are treated. I'm sure some would prefer it if we were discreetly disposed of once we reach pension age. Pillocks!

Since Ageism is not allowed, it is definitely still prevalent. especially in the NHS and Government departments.