My mum was only offered awful care homes, miles from us
Maureen was in her 90’s when she was admitted into hospital after a serious fall. Her increased confusion and loss of mobility meant it was no longer safe for her to return home and she needed greater support in a care home. Unable to make her own care decisions, her children, Sandra and Michael, advocated for her to move closer to them, so that they could support her better, including adjusting to life in a care home.
However, the local authority initially did not recognise the need for this and offered Maureen placements in homes with poor CQC ratings and at a rate well below the cost of moving closer to her children.
After speaking to the Care Rights UK Helpline, Sandra and Michael successfully argued Maureen’s need to move closer to them in order to provide increased family support. They pointed out that supporting relationships was an eligible need under the Care Act as well as a duty under the Human Rights Act (the right to family life, Article 8).
As a result, her local authority agreed to match the rate for her care in their area, enabling her to move closer to her children.