‘Mum’s social care made me panic during cancer treatment’published at 14:50 BST
14:50 BST
A terminal cancer patient from Sussex who requested
emergency care for her mother said she began to lose hope of ever receiving
help.
Becks Vernum Holder cared for her mother, Sandy, who has
dementia, for five years. In September, Becks was given a year to live. The
family contacted the local authority for help.
It would be six weeks before Sandy eventually moved into a
care home.
“I was beginning to panic,” Becks said. “It was
stressful, not knowing if it was ever going to happen.”
West Sussex County Council said it “prioritised”
Sandy’s case and once it was assessed, residential care was found “as the
appropriate outcome”.
The charity Beehive, which runs Cornwell House care home in
Ferring, agreed to care for Sandy for roughly half its usual cost.
Lynsey Tran, head of dementia services at Beehive, said many
people have not taken the first step in asking for care “because they’re so
scared they’re going to be told ‘no’, they don’t see the point”.