DATA PROTECTION BREACH and CARE FEES

[Alison J Stevens]

My Husband was in a local Care Home because he had a brain injury due to alcohol abuse.

He started drinking heavily after the death of his Mum and Dad.

The  Care Home came to light because I was working all the hours God sent .and due to his aggression  towards me as well as needing 24 hour constant supervision I was no longer able to care for him.

With being in the care home he could not get the drink he once abused.

At this time as well I could not go and get a straight power of attorney because he had lost full mental capacity so the POA had to go down the Court of protection route.

The cost of my Husband care was mounting up and I could not get into his bank account to pay the fees .

In the end the Local bAuthority agreed to pay the fees until I got Power of Attorney via the Court or a Deputyship .via the Court of protection.

In the end I managed to get POA via the normal  route because he regained mental capacity.

Looking at the money in the bank yes there was enough money to pay the Care fees but not enough money to live on .over the weeks .but full bills had to be payed.

I was now on the sick myself due to crohns and severe gastric problems.

£88 a week sick pay would not go very far.

The house was payed for and in joint names.the Local Authority decided that they would put a defered payment on our jointly owned house.

The Local Authority were breaching Guidelines because if a spouse was still living in the house they should not be bothering me about the defered payment .

The issue was that my Husband jointly owned his late Parents house in Cheshire .

But because his Brother would not allow a defered payment  to be made on his late Parents house the onus was on me to sign half my house away to the LA.

I was in dire straights the LA wanted their money the LA debt Department kept ringing me up to get a defered payment on our home.

I would not back down because like I said they should not be touching our jointly owned Property.

I was forced to bring my husband home and look after him myself to avoid paying anymore Care fees.

The nightmare from the LA continued .

My Co Worker at PAIN was advising me about the Property issues and I would CC him into every email I forwarded onto the LA.

The next thing I had a telephone call from my Brother in Law saying that he had an email from the LA but it was in my Co Worker at PAIN  name asking for my Husband bank account details.

I also had a call from the Debt Department  to my mobile asking for Tyrone to supply my husband bank account details.

There had been a data protection breach by the LA email addresses had got mixed up .

Emails were being sent from the LA to my Co Worker at PAIN at my Brother in Law email address.

Tyrone was very annoyed .. I was very ill at the time and had sent enough emails of complaint to the LA they had also deemed me a chronic complainer .

Even though I was in the right because they were not following Guidelines as in coming for my house.

The LA sent Tyrone and myself a massive apology about the data protection breach.

In the end my Brother in Law decided to pay my husband off for half of his late Parents house.

I got a final care home bill of what they said we owed was £30.000

I was so shocked and felt so ill about the final bill.

No it was not £35.000 the LA had made a massive mistake again it was £23.000.

No apology for their mistake.

We had to pay the fees but could only pay small amounts because of the so called money laundering issues.

I got another email from the Lady at the LA again .

The email read like I was to pay the money into her own bank account.

I rang the LA and yes they agreed that the email did look like I was to pay the amount into her own bank account.

Thank God we have managed to get the LA out of our life well and truly .care fees payed and we get Carers in 3 days a week to give me a rest.

The issue is now my husband still has a Social Worker I have just had surgery and stated that because I feel really ill cannot face the SW.

Had a letter from her she stated that if the next appointment was breached she would in so many words strike us off .

So well and good no more involvement .

They have made my life a misery.