65 year old Pauline Hardinges won a £30,000 refund from the NHS for the money she spent on caring for her mother who has Alzheimer’s. Pauline successfully appealed to get her costs reimbursed, and her Primary Care Trust paid out, on the condition that she signed a secrecy agreement. After signing this, Pauline decided to break her silence. She joins Jenni to explain why. So what are a family’s financial entitlements when caring for a relative with dementia? What’s the difference between social and medical care and how does this impact on funding? Phil Spiers, Chief Executive of FirstStop, a free and independent service that provides advice and information for older people, and Sarah Pickup, Honorary Secretary of The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services join Jenni to discuss the issues.
