JUST FIFTEEN MINUTES OF CARE AND ATTENTION

 In light of the recent headlines about the 15 minute time slots for carers going into people's homes, I was hot on the line at the crack of dawn to my local county council, and was heartened by the swift and emphatic reply 'We do not authorise 15 minute visits, and never have.' This however does not really address the key issue, the extent to which we should expect the local authority to provide a service beyond that which is a statutory responsibility.

I heard with interest the articulate account of an elderly lady living by herself who would have liked her daily carer to be able to spend more time with her, to sit down and enjoy a meal with her, and to be allowed to do those intimate tasks, such as cutting her toenails, which are now considered too risky. In an ideal world, as we all get older it would be brilliant if we could all benefit from a caring individual who calls daily for a bit of a gossip and a bite to eat, but is this realistic? To what extent should the state provide anything over and above the requirement to ensure that people as they become older and vulnerable are clean, safe, warm and well? In the past it would have been members of the local community, or even better, family members, who would drop in to perform tasks such a trip to the shops, or running a few errands. Sadly our family units are disparate, and those who live in our communities, if we know them at all, are often older and less able than ourselves, or with lives too busy to think of others. On a personal level, with few family members, and none of them nearby, I am quite fearful of growing older and positively petrified that I may end up being at the mercy of others; that is why, whilst still relatively in my prime, I have made it my business to cultivate and retain those life long friends, and their families, who I may well need to call on at some point. It is however a two way street, and I go out of my way to ensure that while I am still able to, I assist others in their hour of need, storing up the brownie points for when I run out of milk, tea bags and toilet rolls, and am too unwell to get to the village shop. I am much more concerned about those that are paid to provide a certain level of care, and time, and stint on that, thinking no-one will be any the wiser. Yes, we do deserve a decent service, but in a cohesive caring community we should all be looking out for ourselves and those close to us first of all, before we call in the 'professionals', and then ensure we get what we pay for, a different thing altogether to what we might think we deserve. What small service have you carried out for someone else today?