Need to change Care Home

[Frankie W]

Hi, my father has been put in a Care Home too far from where I live. He was in hospital and had had a couple of uncharacteristic violent outbursts at night, apparently. The Social Worker told me that no local homes would take him and it was this place or a psychiatric hospital.
He is on a challenging behaviour wing which is very noisy and frightening for him. I`m wondering if after the assessment period at this home, I could get another one to take him, and move him. It would be in my borough though, which is not the same as his. I think the Social Worker may have tricked us into this as I don`t even know if the other homes assessed him. All I know is the hospital said he could go locally, it was all agreed, then this woman rang me saying they wouldnt take him and I believed her.

[FifiMo]

Hiya Frankie,

Theoretically, there should be no reason why you can't shop around and try and find a care home for your dad which is nearer to where you live. In fact, it is often one of the reasons cited for moving a person, particularly when involvement of family might help the person. In fact I would argue that isolation from family and their inability to visit him on a regular basis could be exaccerbating his behavioural problems.

So that was the theory, in practice you will probably have to confront a few potential blockers, mainly the Local Authority, the care home itself etc. Who funds your dad's care? As it would involve a move to another borough they might argue that this is not possible. Don't let them fob you off with that nonsense, as his current primary care trust and local authority retain primary responsibility for him and cannot abdicate that. All that would happen is he would move near you and they would either pay the home directly or they would do a funds transfer to the other Local Authority. If your dad is self funding then you can argue that you should be able to move him to where you think is best as it will be him who is funding whatever choice you make. The only obstacle to this would be the Local Authority claiming that once your dad's funds are depleted that they would not fund the particular care home you have in mind. Then you have a choice - proceed anyway and deal with that when it happens, or face up to them and get it resolved now.

Overall, as your dad is in a challenging behaviour unit, you will probably have to demonstrated that any new home is able to provide the same, if not better, level of care that he is receiving now.

Please let us know how you get on and if you need more specific information then just give us a shout.

Fiona

[ggma]

Hello Frankie and welcome to TP

Sorry to read about your experience. Sadly as Fiona has said above when hospitals want beds people are moved, and it has been known to be in the middle of the night, so it will be to the fastest and easiest bed for them to access.

Now the move out of hospital has occurred, you have every reason to stand your ground and say you are not happy and wish to satisfy yourself that there is not something suitable nearer to yourself. LA's have arrangements for people to be funded out of their own area, and it is not unusual.

My Mum went into one dementia unit for 3 months whilst we found a suitable home near to family, and when we moved her settled well.

[Frankie W]

Thanks for your replies. The day after dad was put in the unit, the social worker got him sectioned and moved to a psychiatric ward in an awful hospital an hour`s drive away. He has been hit in there by a nurse, and numerous other problems and I have been in every day. I have made complaints and this has enraged the hospital staff. He is now terrified and lashes out, and because of this, though the section is lifted now, the hospital says he cant go to a home as nowhere will take him. The social worked complained about his brilliant care manager and got my dad taken away from her , so I am isolated as a carer now. PALS made an appointment with me, then claimed they dont deal with mental health which is rubbish, the Admiral Nurse attached to the ward keeps getting out of doing a carers assessment and the Nurse Consultant and Consultant Psychiatrist have both yelled at me until I was in tears. The whole place is abusive and my father is suffering horribly. I am at a loss. There is nowhere that will take him as things are as the hospital is making him out to be violent for no reason, when in fact it is their "care" that is causing it. Social services have consistently lied and been manipulative. I dont know what to do.

[marsaday]

You are having a rotten time of it indeed Frankie.

I don't have any experience of assessment units but surely somewhere has to take him in the end! He can't stay there indefinitely can he? There must be lots of people in this situation. Anyone else know? Maybe if they get him settled with medication things will be different.

Others will advise soon I'm sure.
M

[Frankie W]

Thanks. They have taken him of Memantine as it wasnt agreeing with him . I have no idea what the next plan is. Am waiting to get an appointment to see the psychiatrist.

[Karjo]

i have sent you a message as I have some experience of assessment units, sectioning etc and hope it may be of assistance.