Bill's Story
My name is Bill – I’m a retired engineer living in Glenrothes. I’ve also been the main carer for my wife who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, having first been diagnosed nearly 25 years ago.
The difference that Self Directed Support has made to our lives has been pretty significant. Some years back, we were made aware of the different options open to us (under what was then called Direct Payments, now SDS). This meant that we could have some control over the care and how it was managed – we no longer had to ‘grin and bear’ whatever and whoever was sent to us. Now, I employ my wife’s care staff (the accounts, salaries and pensions being managed by an independent book-keeping firm) so we have a fairly settled and regular group of care staff that I know and trust. More importantly, my wife is comfortable with them and this makes a tremendous difference in terms of her well-being. Being familiar with, and confident in, the care staff reduces any anxiety she might feel. I’m also a great believer in treating the care staff well – they’re there to help and it can be a difficult job sometimes.
Importantly, this works both ways – the staff know my wife well and understand her care needs. This package also allows for a bit of flexibility when required – say for doctor’s appointments, trips to the chemist’s and such like. We know each other and can negotiate things like this in advance. This was never possible under the old system.
Alongside the group of care staff, we’ve had excellent support over the years from a host of others – neighbours, our G.P., District Nurse, Crossroads and Fife Carers’ Centre. But without the freedom that SDS has given us, I doubt I’d have been able to cope over the years. Having faith in the quality of care and support that the care staff provide for my wife has made no end of difference. It’s also given me space to re-charge my own batteries with the occasional game of golf or meeting up with friends every so often.
But the key thing is that having SDS has allowed me to manage my wife’s care at home which is important to both of us!
The difference that Self Directed Support has made to our lives has been pretty significant. Some years back, we were made aware of the different options open to us (under what was then called Direct Payments, now SDS). This meant that we could have some control over the care and how it was managed – we no longer had to ‘grin and bear’ whatever and whoever was sent to us. Now, I employ my wife’s care staff (the accounts, salaries and pensions being managed by an independent book-keeping firm) so we have a fairly settled and regular group of care staff that I know and trust. More importantly, my wife is comfortable with them and this makes a tremendous difference in terms of her well-being. Being familiar with, and confident in, the care staff reduces any anxiety she might feel. I’m also a great believer in treating the care staff well – they’re there to help and it can be a difficult job sometimes.
Importantly, this works both ways – the staff know my wife well and understand her care needs. This package also allows for a bit of flexibility when required – say for doctor’s appointments, trips to the chemist’s and such like. We know each other and can negotiate things like this in advance. This was never possible under the old system.
Alongside the group of care staff, we’ve had excellent support over the years from a host of others – neighbours, our G.P., District Nurse, Crossroads and Fife Carers’ Centre. But without the freedom that SDS has given us, I doubt I’d have been able to cope over the years. Having faith in the quality of care and support that the care staff provide for my wife has made no end of difference. It’s also given me space to re-charge my own batteries with the occasional game of golf or meeting up with friends every so often.
But the key thing is that having SDS has allowed me to manage my wife’s care at home which is important to both of us!