Hi, my mother has Alzheimer's and is currently in hospital after an accident in her own home. She is medically fine and when I spoke with a nurse yesterday I was told she would be moving to a community hospital as she is a falls risk and does not have capacity. I was told a DoLS was in place. Today a social worker rang me about getting my mother back home. I was shocked to be honest and don't know what to think. I don't feel she is safe in her own home and there's quite a few issues with her hygiene I'm not happy with. I just feel so confused and could do with some advice please.
DoLS and capacity
- Thread starter Ruby's Mum
- Start date
-
- Tags
- alzheimer's disease
Hello @Ruby`s Mum. Welcome.
It sounds as if there are crossed wires between the nurse and social worker. It`s my belief nurses and social workers approach care from different angles. The nurse is thinking foremost of your mother`s health and safety while the social worker`s priority seems to be to try to keep your mother in her own home for as long as possible.
I hope you have an LPA for your mother. It would add weight to your opinion about the best care for her.
If she does not have capacity, is a falls risk and you feel she is not safe in her own home, I would stand my ground for residential care.
If social services insist your mother goes home, if you can, make it clear it is their responsibility to ensure she is safe.
It sounds as if there are crossed wires between the nurse and social worker. It`s my belief nurses and social workers approach care from different angles. The nurse is thinking foremost of your mother`s health and safety while the social worker`s priority seems to be to try to keep your mother in her own home for as long as possible.
I hope you have an LPA for your mother. It would add weight to your opinion about the best care for her.
If she does not have capacity, is a falls risk and you feel she is not safe in her own home, I would stand my ground for residential care.
If social services insist your mother goes home, if you can, make it clear it is their responsibility to ensure she is safe.
Hello @Ruby's Mum
Im guessing that your mums is saying that she wants to go home, which is why the DoLS is in place.
Unfortunately, SWs follow the mantra that everyone is better off in their own home and if your mum is saying that she wants to go home then the SWs priority will be trying to get her back with a care package. Did your mum have carers coming in before she went into hospital? If not, then the SW will probably try and insist that she does before considering a care home.
Talk to the hospital and try getting your mum into a Discharge to Assess (D2A) bed and if you do not have POA, a Best Interest Meeting.
Im guessing that your mums is saying that she wants to go home, which is why the DoLS is in place.
Unfortunately, SWs follow the mantra that everyone is better off in their own home and if your mum is saying that she wants to go home then the SWs priority will be trying to get her back with a care package. Did your mum have carers coming in before she went into hospital? If not, then the SW will probably try and insist that she does before considering a care home.
Talk to the hospital and try getting your mum into a Discharge to Assess (D2A) bed and if you do not have POA, a Best Interest Meeting.
Thank you for replying. She has carers 3 times a day but all they really do is give her medication and prepare her meals. It's just not enough anymore. I have POA and will speak to the hospital tomorrow.
Thank you. The social worker was supposed to ring me today but hasn't. I'll speak with the hospital and voice my concerns again. I have a LPA thank goodness. I just seemed to panic yesterday after the social worker rang but I'm determined to get my concerns across
Hi @Ruby's Mum and welcome from me too. I am sorry to hear about your situation. My experience is that Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding authorisations are sought when it is considered that a person can no longer process relatively complex information or make rational decisions about matters such as where they should live.
My wife was first subject to DOLS when she had a series of short respite stays at a dedicated respite centre. The authorisation allowed the centre to stop her from just walking out. Later, when she was admitted to a care home permanently, a new authorisation was granted to cover that location (authorisations cover a specific location, are time-limited and renewable subject to review).
The key point here is that DOLS authorisations are predicated on a person's lack of capacity to make decisions for themselves and the need, therefore, to keep them safe in the least restrictive way.
Given what you have said about your mother, I can see that DOLS is necessary and that discharge to her own home would not be in her best interests.
My wife was first subject to DOLS when she had a series of short respite stays at a dedicated respite centre. The authorisation allowed the centre to stop her from just walking out. Later, when she was admitted to a care home permanently, a new authorisation was granted to cover that location (authorisations cover a specific location, are time-limited and renewable subject to review).
The key point here is that DOLS authorisations are predicated on a person's lack of capacity to make decisions for themselves and the need, therefore, to keep them safe in the least restrictive way.
Given what you have said about your mother, I can see that DOLS is necessary and that discharge to her own home would not be in her best interests.
Last edited:
Similar threads
