Kim was referred to POhWER for Care Act Advocacy to support during a Care review.

Kim is in her late seventies and owns her two-bedroom flat. She has lived alone for 20 years since leaving an abusive relationship. Kim has a history of mental health concerns and substance misuse, as she turned to alcohol to cope with the trauma of abuse she suffered.

She has regular appointments with the local older people’s mental health team. It can be difficult for people to communicate with Kim as she often does not wear her hearing aids.  Kim's alcohol consumption also makes it challenging to find a suitable time to communicate with her as she begins drinking at 11 am.

Kim does not have any family who are able to support her.

Kim has been unhappy in her flat as she is lonely and experiencing low mood. Kim wants to move to a care home and believed the local authority could arrange this because of her age.

George, a POhWER advocate, met Kim at her home. He explained why he was visiting, his role and remit, and our policy on confidentiality.  George explained the care review process that Kim was going through. Kim requested that George attend the review meeting with her to support her.

At the meeting, George helped Kim articulate her needs and preferences to ensure her voice was heard and her concerns could be addressed effectively.

After gathering relevant information from her Social Worker, Kim was informed that she did not meet the eligibility criteria for a funded placement in a care home. This left her with two clear options;

• to sell her flat and use the income to pay for her stay at a care home where she could reside until her funds ran out.
• move to extra care accommodation. Kim was adamant that she did not want this.

George explained to Kim that if she used all of her financial resources on a care home placement, she may have to move out of the care home when her funds ran out if her needs still did not meet the eligibility criteria for a funded placement.

Kim’s Social Worker assessed her financial situation and determined that after selling her flat and paying off her debts, she would only have enough funds to cover care home expenses for up to 2 years. George explained this to Kim who had no prior knowledge of these circumstances.

Kim decided to explore extra care accommodation and George showed her the details of potential flats in her area. Kim went to visit some and found that they were more suitable for her needs than she had expected.

With the help of advocacy support, Kim was able to fully understand her situation and make an informed decision about her future. She decided to move into extra care accommodation where she would have a fully accessible flat, a thriving community, and care and support from an on-site team of professionals when she needs it. This decision reflects her careful consideration of available options and signifies a choice aligned with her needs and preferences.

Kim said "Thank you so much for your help. Having someone on my side makes such a difference."