Learning disability charity says there should be a legal requirement for emergency plans in case of carer illness
A leading charity is calling for the carers’ bill to be strengthened to include provisions for emergency and future planning.
Enable Scotland backed the bill when it was introduced to parliament on 9 March but believes carers need greater support when it comes to unforeseen emergencies such as hospital visits.
The charity wants emergency planning to become statute – meaning alternative arrangements would be accessible by medical professionals and statutory authorities such as the NHS.
Jan Savage, the charity’s assistant director of campaigns and membership, said without this provision the bill was “missing an opportunity.”
She said: “We are clear that emergency and future planning is a health and wellbeing issue for carers and the people they care for which can – and should – be addressed with robust legislative provisions.
“We believe the inclusion of specific provisions on emergency planning and future planning within the legislation is essential to provide a holistic approach to support for carers.
“Around 17% of the population of Scotland are unpaid carers.
“That’s around 900,000 people who could be looking after someone but have no plans in place should they have an emergency, such as a hospital visit, or get to the stage in life when they feel they can no longer look after their loved one.”
For many carers, the details of their loved ones’ care needs live in their heads, rather than being written in a plan, says the charity.
We are clear that emergency and future planning is a health and wellbeing issue for carers and the people they care for - Jan Savage
In one instance an elderly carer was hospitalised and died in hospital. She cared for her son who had learning disabilities and kept most of the information about his life and care to herself.
Without any plan in place, her son was placed in a care home, losing all contact with his community as a consequence.
Savage added: “An emergency plan could have identified informal interim care arrangements and prevented this crisis placement when his mother was hospitalised.
“Future planning would have highlighted the potential for crisis and provided a platform for the relevant professionals to work with this family to explore future care options, and his legal and financial position should his mother pass away.”
When a plan comes together
Having an emergency plan in place has been invaluable for Jeanette Kelly from East Kilbride.
Jeanette cares for her daughter Vanessa, who has Down’s Syndrome, and was finally convinced to put together a plan when she was told she would need to go into hospital to have a knee replacement.
Her doctor told her she would be off her feet for a long time and that she would have to make arrangements for Vanessa.
Jeanette said: “I had thought about having a plan for a while but always put it off. The knee replacement pushed me into action and I’m glad it did.
“It took months to put the plan together, starting with sheets of paper for every day of the week and talking to Vanessa’s support workers about when they could help by giving a bit more time when it was needed.
“The key thing was to provide continuity and security for Vanessa – keeping the people she knew around her even though I wasn’t going to be there.
“When I had another accident a few weeks ago, where I collapsed at home in the wee small hours, the emergency services were able to look at my plan and contact the right people to make sure Vanessa was looked after when I had to go to hospital.
“Within an hour of phoning the services, I was in Hairmyres Hospital safe in the knowledge there was someone Vanessa knew caring for her when I couldn't.
“I’m on the mend now, but I shudder to think what might have happened if I didn't have the plan in place."
