legal issues with hoists

[Lucy O]

My mother's carer has just been rung up by our bossy district nurse and told that we have to use a hoist and that we have to have 2 people using it. When the carer quibbled, she said she would call in social services! Can anyone tell me whether a)we have to use a hoist if she tells us to - the carer is worried that it will upset mummy, also b) whether if she calls in social services they can make us do anything. I thought if you were in your own home it is up to you how you cope - so long as no one is in danger?
Advice please! The district nurse has announced that she is coming to see me on Friday to 'talk' to me!
Lucy

 

[jenniferpa]

Hmm - bossy would seem to be a kind epithet

I was going to say: "who is paying the carer?" but I'm not sure that that would be the whole story. I mean, just because you're paying someone to do a job, doesn't mean you can ignore health and safety issues. Having said that, though, I would 1) question whether it was the district nurse's job to enforce these regulations and 2) want to know who had determined that a hoist was necessary (necessary, not just preferred). I must confess: I've not heard of a care plan being written in such a way that it's not possible to reject components of it, which seems to be the issue here.

 

[Charlyparly]

The district nurse appears to have gone about this in a very harsh way!!

OK. Hoists are often required where a person is unable to, or has significant difficulties with moving / standing and taking their own weight.

The district nurses will refuse to provide care without one, if this is deemed necessary. A moving and handling assessment will determine whether this is the case.

If someone is unable to stand on their own say, they will rely on others to take this weight for them. Manually lifting or moving her from one place to another not only puts the carers / nurses at risk of injury, but also your Mum.

In years gone by, people have been dropped on the floor, suffered from dislocations and severe skin tears as a result of poor manual handling. It’s not good for your Mum – honestly.

I appreciate that this may be distressing for your Mum, but if it is needed, it will be needed.

 

[Margarita]

Yes I would say it would come under health and safety law :- Manuel handling

http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/manualhandling.htm.

Its Good that the district nurse's pick up on it , because if they an accident in your home because of lifting your mother , they going to be a massive law suit, also someone going to get the sack for not implementing those rules regulation . So she only coving her back in telling you , I don't blame her .

 

[Nels]

Just spoken with hubby, who knows about hoists. The purpose of the hoist is that if the person is completely non-weight bearing then this would place undue strain and risk injury to the carer if not used. It would be beneficial to obtain an occupational therapist in (this is social services the word used now is usually adult services in most boroughs). If an electric hoist is used this can be operated by one person, a manually operated hoist requires two people. There may be other options available if your mother is able to stand (partially weight-bear) and an occupational therapist would be the best person to advise on this, they work for the benefit of both the patient and carer.

Hope this is helpful. Nels

 

[Nels]

Hi Lucy,

Forgot to say you can pm me if you wish, hubby has said he will try and find out more tomorrow if he gets the chance.

 

[Lucy O]

Thanks

Dear all
Thank you for your advice. We pay most of the carer's wages. The carer herself has been telling me that she doesn't want/need a hoist for mummy - I have been suggesting one for the last couple of months - so maybe it's good that we are being forced to have one. What really concerned me about the district nurse's attitude was that if we didn't do as we were told she was threatening us with Social services-the big bad wolf! What else is she going to insist we do. Do we have to do everything she says? (Also a bit worried about who is going to pay for the extra carer.)
Mummy can still weight bear. The particular district nurse hasn't seen mummy since Christmas, when I had asked for a special 'wavy'(?) mattress to ease pressure on mummy in bed-she has severe arthritis as well as very thin skin and she didn't even get back to me to say yes or no. I left a message on the district nurse's ansaphone last night to say thank you so much for suggesting hoist and please could we have visit from OT to see if there is anything else we would find useful - oh and is there anything that would ease pressure on Mummy in bed and sitting in her chair - so hopefully she may calm down and we might even get a pressure relief mattress!
Sorry for waffling on. Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine.
Lucy

 

[Lynne]

Hi Lucy

Well done for turning the tables on bossy-boots and reiterating your own concerns. Hope it yields results!

 

[Nels]

Hi Lucy

The wavy mattress is called a pressure relieving mattress, district nurses usually prescribe these and, if the system is the same as where my husband works, is supplied by the equipment store on the prescription/request is made. If this particular nurse is not forthcoming then mention again to her or another nurse that this will be preventative in view of her thin skin, it is likely that pressure sores will develop, it may even be worth asking the OT to 'remind' the nurse that it is needed also, everyone seems to like the idea of communication with other agencies these days (ha ha) perhaps it could actually happen. Sorry had a bad day today.