Press release: Social care in crisis

09 July 2012

Deafblind people say they are imprisoned in own homes, finds new charity report

One in five of the deafblind people surveyed for a new report do not get any social care support, and many say this leaves them imprisoned in their own home.
 
The report, Fair care for the future, published today by Sense, also highlights that many deafblind people have experienced cuts to what they do get, have been asked to pay more for it out of their own pockets or are increasingly forced to rely on family members - including children - to act as carers.
 
The report also found that almost 50% of deafblind people surveyed have never been assessed properly for social care or struggled to get an assessment, with one deafblind person saying it took five years.
 
Sue Brown, Head of Public Policy at Sense, says:
 
“As this report shows, deafblind people say that without support they are trapped in their homes, without access to employment, and many get depressed and ill. It is unthinkable that human beings can be abandoned in this way.
 
"Deafblind people have difficulties with both their eyes and ears, and many need support to do basic things that most people take for granted – going to the shops, buying food, opening a letter, going to the doctors. Any one of us could find themselves in this situation, particularly as we get older and begin to lose our sight and hearing.
 
"We are calling on this Government to stop stalling and urgently reform the system so it provides fair care for all our futures.”

Sense recommendations for Government

  • Urgently reform social care to provide fair care for all our futures. 
  • Create a clear and fair legal framework that is backed up by necessary funding.
  • The new system must recognise deafblind people’s communication support needs. Without support many deafblind people are unable to communicate, so not giving a deafblind person communication support can be as devastating as not meeting personal care needs. Communication support can range from an interpreter spelling words out onto a deafblind person’s palm to assisting with phone calls, reading the post or a guide to leave the house.
  • The reforms must protect deafblind people’s existing right to a deafblind specific assessment for social care*. Having an assessment carried out by a person who is able to recognise and understand the impact of dual sensory loss is essential to deafblind people getting the right support.

Case studies

50 year old deafblind mum: “I love my house, but I view it as a prison when I don’t have support. I wouldn’t even know if someone was at the front door. My eldest daughter acts as interpreter for me, but she is only 12 and has to help me with things around the house and look after her little sister. Since my hours were cut I feel like I can’t be a proper mum anymore. I don’t know if my girls are happy or sad unless the communicator-guide** is there to tell me.”
 
24 year old deafblind man: “Without support I’m a prisoner stuck at home, depressed all the time and doing nothing. I would like to do more and attend college, but they failed to provide me with the additional support they promised so I couldn’t continue”
 
72 year old man with sight and hearing loss: “My routine doesn’t hardly vary at all. I might occasionally go out on a Saturday morning to do a bit of shopping with my sister. Apart from that it’s all routine, I’m just at home.”
 
Fair care for the future - read the report.