Being let down by a discriminatory care system

I feel care needs is a very important topic at the moment as the government is making cuts to a care system that is already in need of more help and more funding.

I am writing about the lack thereof for people under the age of 65 needing nursing care in Scotland. Argyll and Bute has no nursing facilities that will accept someone under 65 unless there is a weekly ‘top up’ of more than £400 from families.

My mum, who is under 65, is now at a stage in her illness that she really should have 24-hour nursing care and because of this we have been trying to find somewhere mum can go that the government is still willing to pay for.

I feel we are being let down by the system. We would have loved mum to be closer to home. I know this isn’t always possible but for anyone under 65 to not even be considered is disgraceful. They are considering sending my mum home and putting a bigger care package in, and I appreciate the work to try to help but this isn’t going to be a long-term solution.

My mum – and I’m sure there are others – will have to go into a nursing home soon but I feel like we don’t have any options.

I think the system for assessing care needs should be based on medical grounds alone. Why should someone under 65 not be entitled to the same level of care as someone over if they are in need of the same care? Tammy McKie, Tobermory, Mull.