Advice on moving from hospital to care home.

[Roseleigh]

My husband has been in a psycho geriatric unit since December, longer than they would normaly have kept him but he recently caught covid, and recovered, so is now ready to move on. He will have NHS funding, as he was sectioned. Unfortunately despite there being many care homes locally they seem to be having trouble placing him, and I am not clear why. They have offered me two, one which I'd previiously said I definitely didnt want, as it has a poor reputation and now one today which is about, 15 miles away, a new place and half empty, and 'requires improvement'. Anyone know how many I can refuse? I dont feel either are right and I want him nearer so I can easily make daily visits.

 

[Louise7]

I don't know if there's a limit on how many homes you can refuse but if they're having trouble placing your husband then your choice is going to be limited as they can only offer what's available. Is the placement under section 117 mental health aftercare? It can be more difficult to find a care home that can meet complex mental health care needs so that could explain why they are having trouble finding somewhere suitable. Plus with the covid-19 situation some homes are not taking in new residents at the moment. I appreciate that you want your husband to be nearer so that you can visit daily but there's no sign of care home visits being reinstated anytime soon so could you maybe consider placing him in one of the homes offered, as a short term solution until lockdown has eased? In relation to the second home offered, are you just looking at the CQC inspection ratings? When did the last inspection take place? A 'requires improvement' rating means that the CQC will be monitoring them to ensure that the necessary improvements have been put in place place, so don't go just on what the CQC report says - try to get feedback from elsewhere if you can.