“I went to a teatime call – I’d been allotted 30 minutes – for an elderly, frail service user with dementia. It was a bank holiday and she was terribly upset and unable to stop crying, because she was aware that, in her words, her ‘brain was going’.
“The purpose of the call was to prepare her evening meal, which effectively took most of the 30 allotted minutes.
“I felt a terrible dilemma, between wanting to take the time to sit with her and try to comfort her, and the knowledge that I also needed to ensure I provided her with a meal.
“I felt a bit helpless and inadequate that I could not do both. And I know from talking to colleagues that they very often face the same dilemma.
“It’s horrible having to make tough choices between delivering practical care and offering time and compassion.”
Tell us about a local service that has been cut in your community and how it has affected you in ‘Tell us your story’.
