Advice please

[EllieS]

I've yet another continuing care appeal forthcoming. A new Assessor will be visiting Mum to conduct a new assessment.
If they do what they've done before, which is to assess her health based on here & now, ie in a locked dementia unit - the result will be the same as previously.
Mum's health need is why she is where she is and I cannot see why they don't take account of why she's there.
She may well appear to be fine, but she can only find her way to the toilet if she sits opposite the doorway and can clearly see the large TOILET sign; she appears clean and tidy - only because the Carers wash her and encourage her as best they can to clean her teeth; she only eats because it's put in front her her and even then she doesn't eat a lot; she only takes her medication because they give it to her; the only reason the police are not being called out to find her is because the door is locked; the only reason she doesn't hit & kick staff too much is because they are Alzheimers Trained. So, because she is paying for the care that can appear to remove "some" of the major problems, the NHS wash their hands of her.
I will be attending the home for the assessment - any advice would be much welcomed.
Thanks all.

Ellie

 

[parmit]

Hi Ellie
I can't help on most of the things, but one thing did spring to mind. You said she could only find her way to the toilet if she is sitting directly opposite it. Have you thought about sitting her anywhere else when they come to asses her?
Hope things go well for you.

 

[Winnie Kjaer]

There are lots of other issues they will monitor, HER SKIN CONDITION, HER UNDERSTANDING AND COMMUNICATION, IS SHE DISTRESSED THEY CAN TELL BY HER BODY LANGUAGE, HOW MOBILE IS SHE, THE CARERS OBVIOUSLY MAKE A CARE PLAN WHICH STATES ANY ISSUES, ARE THERE ANY FALLS, DOES SHE NEED THE DOCTOR/NURSE REGULARLY, HOW IS HER SWALLOWING WHY DOES SHE ONLY EAT A LITTLE, IS SHE LOSING WEIGHT AND SO ON The more input you yourself have to hand the better go through all the question in the assessment and answer them all yourself and give them a copy that is what I did and it was granted for my mother within a fortnight and backdated. Good luck

 

[Marianne]

Ellie

It is short notice but I would download the National Framework and use the DST (link below) and prepare my own case to compare with the assessors. List the medication and the reason it is being given, give examples of behaviour, cognition, drug therapies, skin, mobility etc.

Did they send you the outcome of their scoring and why they had found her to be unsuccessful following the last assessment.

I have given a link to the Waterlow score chart which is a double-sided chart for scoring skin viability etc.

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/SocialCare/Deliveringadultsocialcare/Continuingcare/DH_073912

http://www.judy-waterlow.co.uk/

 

[EllieS]

There's no mention of Coughlan in

any of these documents.
Amazing really, the Health Secretary has recently advised my MP that this is taken into account during Assessments/Reviews. It is mentioned in Annexe B but none of these!

Thanks again.
Ellie