Mum is 92 and has just been diagnosed with Alzheimers (we waited four months for this diagnosis from the initial assessment!). She's currently in a care home on short term assessment which as been extended twice because of her fluctuating behaviour. Social Services have been to see her three times to assess whether or not she has mental capacity and each time she has presented herself well and has been quite lucid, so they are talking about sending her home. I am objecting to this as there are more often days when she doesn't know where she is, she is mentally back in her childhood worried about missing school, being late home etc., and there is no pacifying her, she gets very agitated and sometimes aggressive in her illusions. We will be asked to attend a Best Interests meeting shortly and in the meantime the care home have been asked to report on mum's "bad days" which happen more frequently than the good, but there is no way she could go home and live alone as she wanders all night long during her bad periods and there is no consoling her. Does anyone have any advice as to how I can deal with Social Services and try to persuade them that they could be making a mistake based on three one-hour meetings with a lady whose behaviour is erratic at best? I'm very worried because this is the fifth social worker Mum has had since September and they have a serious lack of continuity in passing information on to the predecessor. She has a depravation of liberty order which was taken out by the last social worker but this current one seems hellbent on sending her home.
Do you have a lasting power of attorney for her health/welfare?
If you can get this in place do it straight away as in the long term it will stop some of what the bureaucrats try to do. It does take a few months to arrange but it does need to be done. See office of public guardian website for details of what you need to do.
Before they can send her home the social workers must have a suitable care package in place to keep the person safe at home. They will do everything possible to keep this to a minimum but you have to be persistent!If nothing else use it as a delaying tactic while you sort out the power of attorney stuff.
Even if you agree to this it can take weeks and weeks to put in place as they cannot find suitable staff/agencies quickly.The best interest meeting should include everyone connected with the daily care of your mother, otherwise a complete care package cannot be put in place.
You should contact the council adult safeguarding team straight away and inform them of what is going on. Do this by phone and email so you have something written down. Tell them it is a safeguarding issue, don't let them put you off by referring you back to the social worker.
Call and email the social worker detailing you consider this to be a safeguarding issue. That way it will slow them down as you used the safeguarding 'buzz' word.
Tell the duty social worker (as you never get the same person twice!) to log on the call record it is a safeguarding issue. They might tell you that in their professional opinion it isn't, just ignore that and insist it is logged.
You are right it is totally about the money! I have never met a group of people who are so focused on budgets nothing else counts. ( i run a huge business and can't get my managers to think like that...unfortunately). If you are not self funding you will find they want to send her home as it is the cheaper option, but don't let them put you off just keep at them!
Take deep breaths and fight for what you want to happen and don't be afraid of kicking up a fuss as unfortunately this is the only way to get things happening as you want them to.
Hope that helps a little.