Hello

[Dee48]

I am new here. Mum has FvAD and we are four years in and it is fast progressing. Mum lives alone and has had a fall down her stairs. Mum is in hospital and they are looking to discharge her home in a couple of days which is of huge concern. I genuinely cant see how this is possible or safe. Mum hasn’t seen a social worker yet, just Dr and physio’s. There is no full assess or plan as yet so maybe I am just in a panic for no reason. We have referred to adults ourselves prior to the fall, awaiting allocation. Can we move mum to a care home outside her LA for respite on discharge with a view to this being a possible permanent move. I have been advised Mum will have to self fund and sell her home in any event , but the money wont last long and then which LA will pick up the tab if any- don't want mum having more disruption in the future.

Thank you

 

[Louise7]

Hello @Dee48 and welcome to the forum but sorry to hear about your mum. It's understandable that you're concerned about your mum's safety if she is discharged home, and there should be an assessment carried out prior to her being discharged to ensure that she will be safe at home. Does anyone have Health & Welfare power of attorney for your mum? As your mum is self-funding at the moment the hospital social workers may not want to get too involved but you can still ask to speak to them to discuss the situation, and the hospital should be involving family in any 'best interests' decisions about your mum's discharge. You may find the factsheet below useful as it provides an overview of the hospital discharge process.

If you do look for a care home yourself, ask them if they will accept the local authority rate when your mum's money runs out, as not all of them will, which might mean that your mum would need to move at a later date. The social worker should be able to advise which local homes accept LA funding and also the situation if you decide to move your mum to a care home outside of her current LA area. Hope this helps, and hopefully you will find out more from the hospital with regards to the level of care that your mum needs prior to them discharging her. It's not always easy trying to get information from hospitals so you may need to be persistent! This is a friendly and supportive place so just ask if you need any more information or support, and fingers crossed all goes well wth your mum's discharge.

What happens when a person with dementia is discharged from hospital?

How and when a person with dementia is discharged from hospital will depend on their circumstances. Some people with dementia will not be well enough to leave hospital and will need end of life care.

www.alzheimers.org.uk