Assessment in a care home

Bradford lass

Registered User
Dec 19, 2021
17
0
Does anyone have experience of a loved one being discharged from hospital into a care home for assessment? Mum had a fall at home and was taken by ambulance to hospital- no broken bones or other injuries thank goodness- stayed there a few days and was discharged to a LA care home for assessment as to her future needs. The care home is adequate, clean and tidy, but a bit tired but the staff are lovely. Mum has no idea where she is or why she is there- lots of love lies being told to her by me which seem to be working. I have visited at various times throughout the day and find that all the residents on her wing appear to be just sitting in the small lounge, the tv is on but no one is watching it and no activities seem to be taking place to stimulate the people there. Obviously I haven’t been there all through the day but I get the impression that the residents are taken to the lounge after breakfast and sit there until lunch etc. etc. I suppose my question is, is this normal so that staff can assess a persons capability without any stimulus ?
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
0
South coast
Hi @Bradford lass
My mum was taken to a hospital with a TIA and was then discharged to a care home for assessment. When I went to the Best Interest meeting at the end of this period the care home manager was mostly talking about how mum presented and what help she needed.

Mum needed prompting to wash/shower and initially refused and needed help dressing. She ate well and didnt need help, although she needed prompting to drink during the day. The biggie in mums case was that she sun-downed badly - was up all night, wanted to go home to her parents and nicked plastic bags out of bins so that she could put some random stuff in the bags and this was her "packing to go home". She would get quite aggressive when the staff wouldnt let her out. On one occasion she hit one of the staff with her walking stick.

The care home did do activities, but Im not sure how much they contributed to the assessment - they was no mention of them at the Best Interest meeting. Have you asked the manager about activities? In mums home they had activities in the mornings (but not at week-ends) and the time-table was pinned to the notice board. Afternoons were quiet and most of the residents were napping in their rooms or snoozing in front of the TV and then late afternoon/evening it became quite lively with most of them sundowning!! (I avoided evenings as mum could be very insistent that I took her "home" then)
 

Sarasa

Volunteer Host
Apr 13, 2018
7,195
0
Nottinghamshire
Hi @Bradford lass , sorry to hear your mum has been having a bit of a rough time. My mother is in a care home with three different floors. Although there are a lot of activities going on they don't really happen much on mum's floor as the residents are pretty much like the ones you describe in your mum's care home. I think there comes a time when most activities just confuse and disturb people with dementia. Chatting to her carers last week, querying why mum seems to spend a lot of time in bed they said she gets distressed out and about whereas she is happy dozing in her room. Maybe your mum is the same.
 

Frank24

Registered User
Feb 13, 2018
420
0
My mums care home and lots of activities. Some of them I though unwise.. a bbq in December! But all the residents who could be engaged were included. They had full time activity co ordinaries who were very engaged with all the residents on a personal level.
 

Bradford lass

Registered User
Dec 19, 2021
17
0
Thanks to all who replied - I appreciate your comments. Visited again today and as usual everyone sitting in the lounge, tv on but it’s fixed quite high on a wall so mum doesn’t even know it’s there! Couple of residents having a meltdown, banging and kicking doors trying to get out- so sad to watch. We took mum outside into the garden for some fresh air and to feel the sun on her face which she has always loved. Just wish there was enough staff to take them all outside instead of being cooped up inside all the time.
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
0
South coast
Visited again today and as usual everyone sitting in the lounge, tv on but it’s fixed quite high on a wall so mum doesn’t even know it’s there
There were never activities at the week-ends in mums care home. Only in the mornings during week-days. Have you visited in the morning on week days? What does the manager say?
 

Jessbow

Registered User
Mar 1, 2013
5,678
0
Midlands
What hobbies did you mum have before she went into the home?

Could she continue now?

I remember my mother home herding ( in the nicest possible way) all those that were able into the activities roo one morning, Mum included. Baking session.

I nearly cried, I had to leave the room.
Although a well intentioned activities co-ordinator enthusiastically encouraged everyone to 'have a stir' it was a bit like a nursery school baking session.

Another session, mostly women, looking at , and supposedly talking about, clothes catalogues.The co-ord was talking about who liked and wore what ( fine) but was then encouraging them to cut them out and stick o a peice of paper. Fine...but innapropriate somehow. Maybe it was my perception, but seemed so patronising somehow.

All well intentioned but what Mum really wanted was to be left alone, watch and wait for her morning coffee with one eye on the TV. Just the same as she had done for the passed 5 years
 

Mrs Humphrey

Registered User
May 14, 2021
71
0
My husband was discharged from hospital 9 weeks ago into a nice care home after a heart problem was treated in hospital but where he unfortunately caught Covid and got delirium and went into a rapid decline. I won't go into details but from living independently with me at home he is now bedbound and his muscles have wasted and is now doubly incontinent. The care home say he can't be rehabilitated with physiotherapy even though he is now much stronger and have condemned him to being bedbound for the rest of his days. I am like you not satisfied with several issues but feel I am being stonewalled and the care home is not proactive towards him. I am self funding his care.
 

imthedaughter

Registered User
Apr 3, 2019
944
0
Dad's home does do activities, but he rarely wanted to join in. During lockdown, with no outside activity co-ordinators available, the staff available did their best and even managed to get dad to make 'half a heart' in a craft session which was sent to me with a photo of him holding the other half. They also did some 'messages to the world' with wisdom or good wishes but Dad was having none of it. Seasonal activities seem to be popular, there was a chap singing along to karaoke at the jubilee party but dad was unaware of the jubilee. They also always put on big sporting events like Enlgand's world cup football and dad did go down to watch that - memorably, he had a little accident while watching and refused to be moved to be cleaned up until the match was over! I agree the afternoons are quiet usually and I visit dad during the afternoon as mornings can be fraught with refusing to wash and getting up late, and evenings early and risk of sundowning. After lunch much better. Dad used to play his piano but although he was 'learning' new pieces when he first went in it dwindled to him playing just the same few waltzes then just the one, and now he won't play at all, not even if you bring him a keyboard. He watches the TV and enjoys music on the radio - classic FM or radio 3, and the staff put on cds as well for him to listen to. Dad went from 'these activities are for children' to not being able to do the rather quickly I suppose, so I didn't worry too much as it was his choice.
 

Bod

Registered User
Aug 30, 2013
1,958
0
Baking, MiL went in for respite once, really didn't like the idea, very huffy!
On collection, we "had" to wait whilst the jam tart production line finished, luckily we didn't have to wait while they cooked.
MiL was never a one for cooking, in any way shape or form.
If we hadn't seen it, we'd never have belived it!

Bod
 

Bradford lass

Registered User
Dec 19, 2021
17
0
I agree that certain “activities “ are inappropriate for some people in this situation and I’m sure mum would refuse to take part in any crafting! She really had no hobbies , just enjoyed going out for walks and shopping. She used to plant up her own hanging baskets but that became too much for her and we used to buy ones ready planted for her to enjoy. She does like a good old sing song though!
 

Bradford lass

Registered User
Dec 19, 2021
17
0
@canary I have visited every day since mum was admitted, and at various times throughout the day. I know they’ve all got dementia but it just looks like they are all so bored they sleep
 

Bradford lass

Registered User
Dec 19, 2021
17
0
mum has finally been assigned a social worker to deal with her assessment. Does anyone know what the initial meeting will involve?
 

Bod

Registered User
Aug 30, 2013
1,958
0
@canary I have visited every day since mum was admitted, and at various times throughout the day. I know they’ve all got dementia but it just looks like they are all so bored they sleep
Dementia suffers often appear a sleep, its thought to be a reaction, to allow the brain to make sense of what has happened, without being overloaded with current information.


Bod
 

Jobie

New member
Nov 1, 2021
7
0
Sorry I am Not of any help, but I’m trying to arrange an assessment for my mum at the moment so would be very interested to see their responses you receive about this