Social Services put Mum in a care home without telling us

[pandaeyes]

Just looking for a bit of advice.

This week the hospital said Mum was fit to leave hospital and so Social Services told us to select a care home for her.

Whilst we were visiting a Care Home for a viewing yesterday afternoon we received a call from another Care home to say our Mum had just arrived with them in an Ambulance.

We had visited this particular Care Home but they knew we were still looking and hadn't made a decision.

Anyway obviously we were straight on to Social Services to find out what on earth was going on. She said she didn't know her boss had made a decision on Thursday when she wasn't at work and now her boss was off work (on Friday)

We have chosen the Care Home we want which isn't where she is and Social Services have agreed to arrange for this Care Home to carry out an assessment.

The advice we want is what position we can take regarding this enforced move. We have no agreement with this Care home and so don't see why we should be liable for any top up fees nor do we feel our 12 week disregard should start until she has been moved to the Care home we agree.

Has any one had any experience of this and what can we expect? Apart from the outrageous situation of dumping a confused dementia person in this way it is blatently obvious that the actions of Social Services are to avoid them paying the £100 bed blocking charge but what chances have we got to avoid them passing on this liability to us.

Many thanks

 

[jenniferpa]

Speechless, really I'm speechless.

I strongly suggest you call the helpline on Monday - this is so totally outside my experience that I can't even make coherent suggestions.

 

[Charlyparly]

Hi,

I must admit I’ve never known Social Services do this before. Hospitals – yes. They quite often send people packing with very little notice or no notice whatsoever actually, but I’m surprised at Social Services.

 

[Marianne]

The advice we want is what position we can take regarding this enforced move. We have no agreement with this Care home.

I would write to the Care Home owners and copy in the Care Home Manager informing them that this move has been arranged by SS without your knowledge or agreement and therefore they are responsible for any fees and you have no intention of signing any contract with them or paying any fees to them.

I would also write to SS CEO and the PCT CEO making them aware that they have acted against your wishes.

Have you seen the assessments which according to the National Framework should be carried out before discharge. SS have no business assessing health needs this is the job of PCT Nursing Assessors but all too often SS step in as you say to save themselves £100 and deny the patient of a true healthneeds assessment and the chance of fully funded CHC.

 

[God's Servent]

Check with care home to see if she has been admitted for assesment before placement as sometimes happens As care home Do put a spanner in works if not needed

 

[pandaeyes]

Mum has been assessed for her need for a care home as residential care through a CPN assessment so we assume this is the correct procedure.

She had also been assessed by this particular care home but we had made it very clear that this one was on our list but we hadn't viewed all possible care homes and so we would require other care homes to assess so we know what their charges would be.

The ward Mum had been in was closed this week due to the winter vomiting bug however amazingly the Care home she is now in managed to gain access when no one else was allowed in. We can now see why.

The Care home we would like is actually a nursing home but they do offer Residential Care rates. Social Services have agreed to arrange an assessment so we assume that it will not be a problem that we have chosen a Nursing home rather than a Residential Home.

Thanks for the advice we will write to the parties concerned.

 

[Suzanna]

not at all suprised

my mum is cared for at home, and when her carer called in ill to say she needed to go home (she was currently looking after mum) the continuing care team moved mum to a home without even informing my sister or i until several hours later! when we would have come to provide cover to avoid the need for her to go to a home!

 

[Margaret W]

This is appalling. Knowing from experience how important it is to have our loved ones dealt with sympathetically and not shunted around, I would be very disturbed by this. What can you do? Probably not a lot, but it doesn't say much for the sensitive care of our elderly.

Hope you all cope.

Love

Margaret