31/01/2026
Hello 🩷
It’s been a while since I’ve done a long post, but I’m really hoping this either helps people understand what’s actually happening in care right now, or reaches the right people who need to see it.
Please read the whole post before jumping to conclusions.
When I worked for my last care company before going on my own in April, we supported a couple in their 90s. They managed absolutely everything themselves. The only support the wife needed was help with showering once a week.
That support was eventually removed and she passed away a few weeks later.
Fast forward to the last few months, and I’ve personally had clients and families told by care managers that a shower isn’t really necessary, and that a wash at the sink or basin is enough.
I’ve also helped families who have been struggling completely on their own for months, some for over a year.
Left with zero care, zero support, and simply expected to cope.
If you don’t have family or friends who know how to fight the system for what you’re entitled to, you’re left to fall through the cracks. Everything becomes a battle.
How can we expect a 97 year old who has never used a computer or mobile phone in their life to know how to apply for help, or even where to start? Most people don’t even know what a care referral is unless they’ve worked in the care sector.
Care visits are being cut left, right and centre, and some are being cancelled altogether.
If you live in a rural area, it can feel like pot luck depending on who you get on the phone as to whether you’ll get care at all. At my last care company, farms and houses outwith towns weren’t even considered. When winter hits and snow comes, it’s deemed too difficult to meet timings, so people are simply ruled out.
Last week, I dealt with a situation where someone had been left in the lurch for a year. Thankfully, someone recommended me to them. When they contacted their care manager again, they were originally told, “good luck finding someone to come where you are.”
Then, when they actually did find someone, they were immediately shot down and almost punished for managing to find care when they had been told it wasn’t possible.
Thank goodness they had my knowledge, because without it they would have been paying out of their own pocket unnecessarily.
So not only is care being removed or cancelled, people are being penalised for finding solutions themselves.
What many families don’t realise is that you do not need a care referral to start support with me. If you’re struggling, you can reach out directly and get help in place while the system catches up, instead of being left with nothing in the meantime.
And then people wonder why there is so much anger and frustration. Many wouldn’t have an issue with wider decisions if we were actually looking after our own vulnerable and elderly first. If we are saying we can’t afford to care for the people who have worked their whole lives and paid their taxes, something is seriously wrong.
My genuine question is this: where do these people go?
MPs have been contacted. Complaints have been made. No one listens. No one takes accountability. Everything is blamed on the budget.
I also want to add that this is only one small part of the reason I chose to go out on my own. I did it because I could see the gaps, the pressure families were under, and how many people were being quietly let down.
But I’ll be honest. I can’t make this difference on my own.
Even in just the last few days, the number of new enquiries I’ve received shows just how desperate families are for support and how stretched the system already is. That should never be the case.
One thing I can promise my own clients and their families is this:
They can contact me anytime, day or night, and they always know I’ll be there on the other end of the phone. That reassurance matters more than people realise when you’re caring for someone you love.
This isn’t about numbers.
It’s about dignity, consistency, and people feeling safe and supported, exactly as they deserve.
Thank you for reading. Please feel free to share 🩷
Lauren x
📞 07503 086966
📧 lauren@ltcaringservices.com
📍 Aberdeenshire - Private Carer
