‘Moving care homes would kill my mum’

“All of this battling to get a little bit of help is the last layer of hell,” says Deborah Crisp

BBC Deborah Crisp, a woman with short light brown hair wearing a brown patterned top. She sits on a white sofa next to a yellow cushion, in front of a beige wall. — “All of this battling to get a little bit of help is the last layer of hell,” says Deborah Crisp

A woman from south-east London says she fears her 98-year-old mother might die if she is forced to move care homes at the request of her council.

Deborah Crisp from Bromley said her mother Betty, who has dementia, had spent almost £200,000 on care, but since her money began to run out, Bromley Council had refused to pay for her to stay at the nursing home she was familiar with.

“It would kill my mum,” she said of the potential move. “It would be the death of her.”

Bromley Council has been contacted for a response.

Mrs Crisp, 66, told BBC London that Betty, who also has hypertension, heart failure and kidney failure, had lived at her current care home in Sidcup for three years.

When her mother went into care, she had to sign over her own home to the council, Mrs Crisp said, and the authority “loaned her the amount of money that they deemed her property to be worth”, which was £180,000.

“We honestly thought that there would be enough there for the years that we would need,” she continued.

The difference in Betty’s care costs would amount to roughly £80 extra each week, but Mrs Crisp says she cannot afford the increase

Handout Betty, a woman with short grey hair and purple glasses, sitting in a wicker chair with a purple cushion. She is holding a bunch of pink and white flowers in one hand while grabbing a walking frame out of shot with her other hand. There is greenery in the background. — The difference in Betty’s care costs would amount to roughly £80 extra each week, but Mrs Crisp says she cannot afford the increase

However, Mrs Crisp said when this money started to run out, the council told her the cost of her mother’s care home exceeded the amount it would agree to fund.

It advised her she would have to make up the difference in the cost herself or accept moving Betty to a new care home, Mrs Crisp added.

According to correspondence from the council, which BBC London has seen, the difference would amount to roughly £80 extra each week, but Mrs Crisp said she could not afford the increase.

‘Last layer of hell’

“I’m on a pension, and my husband has Alzheimer’s, and he will be self-funding before very long,” she explained, adding they were already spending £2,000 a month on daycare for him.

“I can’t commit to taking that extra on because, quite frankly, we’re going to need it here,” she said.

“It is already stressful… all of this battling to get a little bit of help is the last layer of hell.”

Betty gets distressed when away from her care home, says her daughter

Handout Betty sits in a red chair while holding a cup of tea and smiling as she looks at the camera. She is wearing a grey patterned top and there is a round table behind her. — Betty gets distressed when away from her care home, says her daughter

Mrs Crisp said she had been “bombarded” with calls from Bromley Council about the potential move but added neither of the care home options the authority had suggested were suitable.

She argued one was not secure enough to prevent her mother from wandering off, while the other was rated “inadequate” by the Care Quality Commission.

Mrs Crisp also claimed her mother would experience considerable distress if she had to be moved from her current home.

She said on one occasion, when Betty had needed to attend her doctor’s surgery, she was so upset she had to be given medication.

“It’s not the amount of money that we don’t have; it just matters that she is happy and safe where she is,” she added.

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