Broken leg - NHS CHC?

[flossielime]

My dad has moderate AD and a basic LA care package. He was a hit by a car a couple of weeks ago (not his fault, speeding driver). His main injury was a badly broken leg. He has had an operation on it to put a rod in the leg. He has been up walking a little bit with the physio in hospital and is doing well.

BUT :

He needs one to one supervision in hospital as he keep forgetting he has broke his leg and trying to get up. I have threatened a complaint if he falls so after quite a bit of fuss,the ward has an extra member of staff on each shift to sit with him or at least be in his bay at all times.

Being in the unfamiliar setting of the hospital ( and possibly the pain killers) are making him much more confused than usual.

I am keen to get him home asap as I worry he will become institutionalized I would imagine if he did not have AD they would be looking at discharging someone with the type of injury soon (the last lot of staples came out today). I dont really want him to transfer to a rehab unit as he is already been in 2 hospitals, which is obviously not helping with his confusion.

Do you think there is any possibility of me getting round the clock monitoring to stop him falling at home? I know as I write it sounds extravagant. But my thinking is the ward is needing to pay an extra member of staff to come in and sit with him now so would it really make any difference to the NHS if they instead paid for a care assistant to sit with him at home?

Any thoughts ??

 

[Bree]

I think SS might be the way to go, carers can be provided for patients own homes, but not sure how to apply for. Does your OH have Assistance Allowance ? if not apply for it on his behalf, maybe this could fund a night carer for a while.

 

[flossielime]

Yes he gets attendance allowance. He has a night sitter anyway as he wanders at night. So the night shift is covered but he would need someone with him all day too. The LA have his care package 4 half hour visits a day. I get direct payments so I use some money to pay towards night care and half 2 one hour visits currently. This all costs far more than the direct payments and his income but we can manage to subsides it. However that only accounts for 12 hours, until his leg heals he will need the full 24 hour care.He cannot be left as he will try to stand and fall. I think he has the most care the LA will fund - it has been a battle just to get what he has.

 

[nitram]

Consider >>>up to 6 weeks free reablement care<<<

The problem is that this is designed to give somebody the confidence to remain at home with minimal ongoing care and not to help with medical problems like recovering from a broken leg. Still worth a punt though.

Insist on a detailed care plan being produced before he is discharged from hospital.

 

[flossielime]

Thanks for that link - definitely something I will mention to the social worker. I have a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the the next 'move' for him.