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benefits available for carer suporting the patient

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cyberfruits
cyberfruits

Hi

I am hoping to get some advice on any help available to me and my wife and hopefully find out what our rights are regarding hospital rules and benefits. Any information or tips where I can get information would appreciated.

I am my wife’s carer and my wife suffers from Anthropophobia ( fear of people),Depression, Anxiety and panic attacks and has no trust and actual fear of any authority people including Dr’s.

She now has developed Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) and needs a stomach operation involving the removal of part of her stomach and possibly chemotherapy.

I  sufferer from Crohne’s disease and Spondyloarthritis and stress makes my condition worse and I am on immune suppressants, so need to be careful who I am around with.

We live 120 miles round trip from the hospital in a remote part of Scotland, got no relatives here or friends and got one Labrador dog, which always has gone everywhere with us.

We are in receipt of benefit and get  hospital fares paid for when the patient or patient with the carer travels there.

Hospital accommodation would be available but they do not take dogs.

So what happens when my wife goes to hospital, would I be able to claim for travel daily as a carer and not a patient, could they be able to give us room so I can stay with her on the ward because of her Anthropophobia to keep her calm and put the dog in a kennel (possible claim for the kennel) or stay in a bed and breakfast near the hospital and claim for that.

Also will she be exempt from the visiting rules, eg can I be there all day as I am her carer and she needs me to keep her calm?

Sorry for this long post but this really getting to me, as there is strong possibility my wife will not have the operation if I cannot be with her after the operation which could be fatal. We cannot afford all the daily travel or b and b and the dog cannot be left on its own

Thank in advance for any info.

 

 

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • denise15811
    denise15811 cyberfruits

    Posted

    Hi,

    As a carer you will be able to claim for traveling expenses to and from the hospital but they will only pay for the cheapest form of travel. If this happens to be a bus and you decide to take the train then unfortunately they will only refund you the cost of the bus and you will have to pay the extra.

    Unfortunately you won't be able to claim for the cost of your dog in the kennels. This will be your responsibility to pay the cost of this. The hospital may let you have a bed next to her but this will most likely be a camp bed. I know this doesn't help your situation with your dog.

    For the visiting exemption then you will need to speak to the hospital regarding this.

    As you're both claiming benefits these are most likely income related. You can have a social fund loan which is called a budgeting loan. How much you can get depends on your circmstances. For EG a single person with children would be able to borrow a maximum of £800. This does have to be repaid and they take it from your benefits weekly. There's no interest charges and the repayments are usually quite low. You have to be claiming an Income Related benefit for at least 6 months to qualify and these can be claimed online. All you have to do is google search budgeting loan and it will come up. Links can't be posted here, sorry. This will then help to pay for any additional costs you have for your dog to stay in kennels or any other expense you have during this time.

    In the meantime i do advice you speak to the hospital about the bed for yourself while your wife is there. Then all you have to think about is your dog.

     

    • cyberfruits
      cyberfruits denise15811

      Posted

      We were told before that one only can get paid for traveling to deliver,pickup the patient, so not for the "visit"of a patient and our budgeting loans are maxed out.

      Staying in a Bed and Breakfast or traveling daily, as long as I can claim for this, would mean I could look after my wife and the dog as long as I would be aloud to be with my wife all day till the evening.

      So if the hospital would stick to there visiting times, i still need to know who can help or who i can talk to about this point or who can overrule the "ward nurse in charge"

      For my peace of mind i just need to know my rights so can quote them if i need to know who to talk to, eg what hospital department etc

      Thanks

    • denise15811
      denise15811 cyberfruits

      Posted

      I have no idea who can overrule the ward sister and i also have no idea of any rights that you can quote, sorry. I'm sure if you spoke to the ward sister and told her the issues with your wife and being unable to stay alone they would be understanding.

      I don't know of anything that you could claim for you to stay in a bed and breakfast. If you did stay in one of these then who would stay with your wife at night? You did state that your wife wouldn't be able to stay alone and then you say you could be with your wife until the evening? After you left in the evening who would stay with your wife?  Sorry but i'm confused now.

      Does your wife have a social worker that you can speak to? This is a benefit advice forum and i have no idea about hosiptal rights, therefore i can't advice on that part. I think you'd be better off talking to the ward sister and take it from there. Good luck.

    • AlexandriaGizmo
      AlexandriaGizmo cyberfruits

      Posted

      Sorry but the ward sister is as good as it gets, that's why there appointed to manage the ward, what you have to remember is that your wife although very important to you is one of many so she will have to look at the bigger picture,, they can't force your wife to stay and to be honest it will be an all female ward so maybe a bed at the side of your wife want be appropriate especially for the other ladies.

      As Denise said you need to get sorted before you arrange the stay. Do as I said, organise the dog first, if you need any help there then just ask.

      U could possibly even get accommodation for you at a minimum cost.

    • cyberfruits
      cyberfruits AlexandriaGizmo

      Posted

      Sadly you do not appear to understand mental health problems as you say to "remember is that your wife although very important to you is one of many" is not the case or right to say as i am her carer and her condition as stated her before,Anthropophobia (Extreme fear of people) makes her suffer physical attacks, like blackouts, panic attacks vomiting among other things and i need to reassure her constantly to keep her calm, due to the Anthropophobia (Extreme fear of people) she does not deal with other people, not even with social workers or counselors, unless she has known them for long time, she even in the past self harmed.So i know she will not go to hospital if i can not be with her or see her and at night she is a sleep

      So i doubt you would suggest anything like this, if you know about mental health or if you would be a caring considered person.

      Thanks for nothing

       

    • cyberfruits
      cyberfruits denise15811

      Posted

      Thanks for trying to give info, i probably confused you, but due to the Anthropophobia (Extreme fear of people) she does not deal with other people, not even with social workers or counselors, unless she has known them for long time, she even in the past self harmed.So i know she will not go to hospital if i can not be with her or see her and at night she is a sleep hence i would leave when she is a sleep and be back in the morning.
    • AlexandriaGizmo
      AlexandriaGizmo cyberfruits

      Posted

      Actually you are totally wrong saying I don't understand mental health issues, trust me I do, I have suffered with numerous MH issues since I was 13 and still do,, if your so certain regarding your wife's condition and what you believe is how things should be dealt with why are you asking on here, you asked a question and I answered it, you asked the same question a day ago on another thread and was given good advice but didn't even go back and thank Steph

    • denise15811
      denise15811 cyberfruits

      Posted

      I'm sorry but i find your reply to a respected member of the forum extremely rude. Both Alexandria and myself have both tried to advice you here.

      firstly you say that she can not be left alone, so you ask questions about staying with her and what you can do about your dog. Then you go onto ask questions about if you could get funding to stay in a hotel and whether you can also get finding for your dog to stay in the kennels. When i told you i was confused about you leaving your wfie at night to stay in the "hotel" you say you would do this while she slept? eekeek

      I know all about mental health. Someone very dear to my heart has suffered with mental health for more than 10 years. I know for a fact that if i left this person overnight while they slept and they woke at night then the consequences wouldn't be worth thinking about. I have no idea how you can say your wife has this huge fear of people, that you have to stay with her because of her extreme fear of people, yet you can LEAVE her alone at night?  That scares me! There's very few things that shock me in life but this is one of them.

      You have been given a lot of advice here. As i stated before you need to speak to the ward sister because she's the person in charge of the ward. You will NOT get funding to stay in a hotel neither will you get finding to put your dog in a kennel.

      If this advice isn't good enough for you then i suggest you visit your local CAB who will advice you the same as i have, i'm sure. Good luck to you and the next time a person tries to advice you please mind your manners instead of being rude. Enjoy the rest of your evening.

  • AlexandriaGizmo
    AlexandriaGizmo cyberfruits

    Posted

    Good advice Denise, you could also advertise in the area of the hospital for a dog friendly person to take care of your dog while your there, this would only mean you paying their expenses and you could do that through a rescue so you know the person would be vetted.
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