Moving to a psychiatric ward

[Beryls]

Please can anybody help or offer advice?

My Dad has been in a hospital crisis assessment unit for about six months, after being sectioned because of aggression and violence, and for the last couple of months they have been trying to find a nursing home for him to move on to. He sometimes has challenging violent and aggressive behaviour. Two weeks ago they sent him to a home for a two week trial. The home will not allow him to stay as they say that they can't manage Dad and the hospital unit will not take him back. They now want Dad to go to a psychiatric ward.

What does this mean?

Do we as his family have any input into this decision?

Please, if anyone can offer any advice, I would be very grateful.

 

[Lavender45]

Please can anybody help or offer advice?

My Dad has been in a hospital crisis assessment unit for about six months, after being sectioned because of aggression and violence, and for the last couple of months they have been trying to find a nursing home for him to move on to. He sometimes has challenging violent and aggressive behaviour. Two weeks ago they sent him to a home for a two week trial. The home will not allow him to stay as they say that they can't manage Dad and the hospital unit will not take him back. They now want Dad to go to a psychiatric ward.

What does this mean?

Do we as his family have any input into this decision
Please, if anyone can offer any advice, I would be very grateful.

Hi Beryls

I'm sorry you and your dad are going through this. I wish I had some advice, but I'm afraid I don't know the answer to the question. I'm hoping by bumping you up to the top you'll get some really good advice from some much wiser people than me.

Lavender45 xxx

 

[Kevinl]

Hi Beryl
It's a difficult one, the home don't have to take him if he represents a danger to the other patients or the staff, as they've tried it and said no them that's that door closed.
If he was in a unit for 6 months then I assume he would have been under a section 3, if so on discharge the LA have to find somewhere suitable for him to go and fund it under section 117, so it would be free.
The assessment unit don't need to assess him, they've already done that so they don't want him back, assessment beds are usually quite scarce.
Have they said that the psychiatric ward is the long term solution or is this until they can find a home that can handle him?
K

 

[Beryls]

Hi Beryls

I'm sorry you and your dad are going through this. I wish I had some advice, but I'm afraid I don't know the answer to the question. I'm hoping by bumping you up to the top you'll get some really good advice from some much wiser people than me.

Lavender45 xxx

Thanks Lavender.

I'm very worried. I don't understand how this can happen. I don't even know where to start trying to work out the implications of being in a psychiatric ward rather than a specialist nursing home for dementia sufferers.

Hopefully someone will be able to help me.

 

[Beryls]

Hi Beryl
It's a difficult one, the home don't have to take him if he represents a danger to the other patients or the staff, as they've tried it and said no them that's that door closed.
If he was in a unit for 6 months then I assume he would have been under a section 3, if so on discharge the LA have to find somewhere suitable for him to go and fund it under section 117, so it would be free.
The assessment unit don't need to assess him, they've already done that so they don't want him back, assessment beds are usually quite scarce.
Have they said that the psychiatric ward is the long term solution or is this until they can find a home that can handle him?
K

Thanks Kevin.
He was under section 3, which has now been rescinded as he was discharged into the care of the home. They haven't said whether the psych ward would be long term but they have had no luck finding a home that will take him. They are talking about the psych ward being out of area as well. I don't know what the ward would be like; would he have his own room or be in a dorm type ward? He doesn't sleep at night and walks around; presumably they won't accept that, will he be sedated?
I just don't know.

 

[Lavender45]

Thanks Lavender.

I'm very worried. I don't understand how this can happen. I don't even know where to start trying to work out the implications of being in a psychiatric ward rather than a specialist nursing home for dementia sufferers.

Hopefully someone will be able to help me.

I can only imagine how worrying it is. kevinl has given a really wise response. I was sure someone would be along to help. Even though I have no answers I can keep my fingers crossed that things work out the best for your dad and you. That's what I'm doing.

Fingers very tightly crossed

Lavender45 x

 

[Kevinl]

All I can suggest is when they tell you where it is you go and visit.
I guess you have a "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" picture in your head of what it will be like and you may be surprised.
The social workers will know what the situation is and it may be clear to them that based on what happened on the 2 week trial that no home will take him.
There are homes that specialise in the more challenging patients and you could ask if they've looked into that, they're likely to be very expensive but so is an NHS psychiatric ward.
As you say "aggression and violence" in your post I think they may struggle to find care home that will take him.
Hopefully someone on here will have experience of a psychiatric ward and can give some information about what to expect.
K

 

[Beryls]

All I can suggest is when they tell you where it is you go and visit.
I guess you have a "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" picture in your head of what it will be like and you may be surprised.
The social workers will know what the situation is and it may be clear to them that based on what happened on the 2 week trial that no home will take him.
There are homes that specialise in the more challenging patients and you could ask if they've looked into that, they're likely to be very expensive but so is an NHS psychiatric ward.
As you say "aggression and violence" in your post I think they may struggle to find care home that will take him.
Hopefully someone on here will have experience of a psychiatric ward and can give some information about what to expect.
K

You're right Kevin, about the 'one flew' picture. Preconceived ideas are not helpful and I keep telling myself that mental health care has come a long way and to wait and see.

His personality has always been aggressive/violent, although he has never been in trouble with the law or anything like that he's always been that way. The difference is, with Alzheimer's, he no longer has the capacity to control his urges. I'd be surprised if a care home would take him until he has lost all of his strength.

I have no choice but to wait and hope for the best.

Thanks again for your rational and well though out advice.

 

[Olivia15]

Hi Beryls,

A few years ago my mum was put in a psychiatric ward after she'd run away a few times which I didn't feel was justified but there we go!

I went to a lot of meetings with the staff to discuss her stay there and eventually got her moved into a more normal ward in a different hospital.

I can't offer any specific advice unfortunately but sending you all the best wishes x

 

[Animus]

Please can anybody help or offer advice?

My Dad has been in a hospital crisis assessment unit for about six months, after being sectioned because of aggression and violence, and for the last couple of months they have been trying to find a nursing home for him to move on to. He sometimes has challenging violent and aggressive behaviour. Two weeks ago they sent him to a home for a two week trial. The home will not allow him to stay as they say that they can't manage Dad and the hospital unit will not take him back. They now want Dad to go to a psychiatric ward.

What does this mean?

Do we as his family have any input into this decision?

Please, if anyone can offer any advice, I would be very grateful.

Hi Beryls

My dad was also very agitated/aggressive whilst living in the community, and we were asked to take him to be sectioned so that he could be admitted to an adult mental health inpatient ward. There was no choice for us in this, and we were very hesitant about it. We thought that he would be treated harshly and that he would be restrained a lot etc.

We expected that he would be in hospital for 2-4 weeks whilst they found some suitable medication for him, but he ended up being there for 11 months. In dad's case it proved to be challenging to find ways of calming him down, and also there did not seem to be much urgency to move him out of the ward & there was no clear plan for what was happening.

The reality of the ward was not as bad as I expected. The health care assistants were friendly, although the lead nurses often seemed stern and like they didn't want to be there. There wasn't much in the way of stimulation / activity though, as it wasn't a dementia specialist unit.

After 11 months, 2 care homes refused Dad due to his high level of needs, but one has agreed to take him. His care is fully funded as he has been sectioned, and he also has a 1-2-1 staff carer at all times due to him being high risk. His agitation is still present at times, but it has reduced - probably due to medication + progression of the illness.

I hope that the ward experience is helpful for your dad, and that you find the care that he needs.

Animus

 

[ppjm]

Hi Beryls

My dad was also very agitated/aggressive whilst living in the community, and we were asked to take him to be sectioned so that he could be admitted to an adult mental health inpatient ward. There was no choice for us in this, and we were very hesitant about it. We thought that he would be treated harshly and that he would be restrained a lot etc.

We expected that he would be in hospital for 2-4 weeks whilst they found some suitable medication for him, but he ended up being there for 11 months. In dad's case it proved to be challenging to find ways of calming him down, and also there did not seem to be much urgency to move him out of the ward & there was no clear plan for what was happening.

The reality of the ward was not as bad as I expected. The health care assistants were friendly, although the lead nurses often seemed stern and like they didn't want to be there. There wasn't much in the way of stimulation / activity though, as it wasn't a dementia specialist unit.

After 11 months, 2 care homes refused Dad due to his high level of needs, but one has agreed to take him. His care is fully funded as he has been sectioned, and he also has a 1-2-1 staff carer at all times due to him being high risk. His agitation is still present at times, but it has reduced - probably due to medication + progression of the illness.

I hope that the ward experience is helpful for your dad, and that you find the care that he needs.

Animus

Hi Beryls - I have been through this with Mum. It was a long process! Feel free to DM me