Pointers please, for a CHC checklist assessment?

[looviloo]

This is a follow up to my previous thread, last Aug, when I was totally stressed about moving dad to a new care home and wondering about a CHC assessment: https://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/threads/needs-nursing-care-is-it-worth-applying-for-chc.110103/

Well, dad moved in Oct, to a care home that is separated into various care levels, including nursing care. He's living in the Dementia unit (no nursing) at the moment.

I had a call from the home this week to say they had received a letter regarding an appointment for dad's CHC (checklist) assessment. What a surprise! I haven't had a letter yet, not even sure I will get one. We originally asked for an assessment while dad was in his last care home (Aug/Sep) and came across a lot of brick walls, and I'd almost forgotten about it to be honest. He is in a completely different local authority now, so I have no idea how the appointment has come about.

Anyway, I know this has been asked many times, but I'd be really gratefully for one or two tips regarding the meeting. Most important things to prepare for? The meeting takes place in a couple of weeks. I've done some reading, and will do some more... but what was the single most important factor in a successful outcome, in the experience of those who have been through it?

Many, many thanks.

 

[canary]

TBH, Looviloo, If your dad is OK in the dementia unit with no nursing, then he is unlikely to get CHC, as the care would be considered social care rather than medical.
Please also be aware of a pit-fall. You dad might not get the full CHC, but he might get the Funded Nursing Care component. If this happens, however, in order to be eligible he would have to move to the nursing section, which is usually more expensive (even with the FNC)..............

 

[karaokePete]

This thread may be of interest in relation to this topic
https://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/threads/chc-continuing-healthcare-support-thread.86059/unread

 

[kindred]

This is a follow up to my previous thread, last Aug, when I was totally stressed about moving dad to a new care home and wondering about a CHC assessment: https://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/threads/needs-nursing-care-is-it-worth-applying-for-chc.110103/

Well, dad moved in Oct, to a care home that is separated into various care levels, including nursing care. He's living in the Dementia unit (no nursing) at the moment.

I had a call from the home this week to say they had received a letter regarding an appointment for dad's CHC (checklist) assessment. What a surprise! I haven't had a letter yet, not even sure I will get one. We originally asked for an assessment while dad was in his last care home (Aug/Sep) and came across a lot of brick walls, and I'd almost forgotten about it to be honest. He is in a completely different local authority now, so I have no idea how the appointment has come about.

Anyway, I know this has been asked many times, but I'd be really gratefully for one or two tips regarding the meeting. Most important things to prepare for? The meeting takes place in a couple of weeks. I've done some reading, and will do some more... but what was the single most important factor in a successful outcome, in the experience of those who have been through it?

Many, many thanks.

I have a friend who is an assessor for this. She tells me that there needs to be a strong element of unpredictability in the patient's response, in their behaviour and in the course of the illness. Kindred.

 

[looviloo]

Sorry for the delay... and thanks for the comments and link . I spoke to the care home again and they think dad's new GP has referred him. The GP is the chair of the local authority's Clinical Commissioning Group. And the home thinks the reason for assessing dad is his medication (warfarin & clopidogrel to name just two), though I'm not yet sure about the relevance of this.

It'll be interesting to see how the initial assessment goes. He's had a number of falls and recently a skin tear, which have needed the nurse from the nursing unit to attend to him.

Due to his poor mobility and lack of speech, he's not able to get up to much mischief , so obviously I'm not holding out for full CHC. But there's a possibility he might qualify for the FNC, if not now then the near future. To be honest, I'm just glad he's on their radar.

 

[looviloo]

Dad's CHC checklist assessment took place this morning. It went much better than I anticipated. He scored 1 A and 4 B's, so a full assessment has been triggered. He'll be awarded FNC, back-dated to October (the date he moved to his current care home). I was advised to be cautious about his chances of getting full CHC, but I knew that anyway .

As canary warned me might be the case, dad now has to move to the nursing side of the care home, but it'll be 'regular' nursing (not dementia nursing) because his physical needs outweigh his dementia needs.

I'm just taking things as they come at this point, and letting the care home guide me. I fought for a full assessment last summer and got nowhere, but we were in a different authority at the time. This time it's being driven by the care home. Thank goodness I persevered getting him a room in this particular home, which has a nursing care as well as residential, because I'd be having to move dad again after just 4 months and I'm not sure I could cope with that!