Can Mam be made to go into residential care?

[Callieflower]

Hi, Mam came home from a 6 week stay in a dementia unit at our local hospital and has now been home for a month. She only really communicates with Dad now and is only happy when she is in his company. The nurse from the hospital who checks care after hospital discharge rang me tonight suggesting it would be better for Mam to go into residential care. Dad finds it difficult to look after Mam as all carers do, but insists that he wants to keep her at home as long as possible and he will know when the time is right to let her go. I support his decision. Now the social worker is coming next week to try and talk Dad into putting her into a nursing home. Can social services insist that she goes into a home or will Dad always have the final say? Dad would be devastated if she was taken away from him and she would hate to be separated from him.
Many thanks, Callie.

 

[TinaT]

Unless your mum is on a section III of the mental health act, or is deemed to be of danger to herself or others, no social worker can force your mum to go into any kind of residential care.

It's going to be increasingly hard for your dad and he will need support from both the family and the social services. Has he had a carer's assessment? If not perhaps the social worker could arrange for this to take place so that he has help in keeping mum in her own home.

xxTinaT

 

[Callieflower]

Thank you so much Tina, I feel so relieved. She had a carers assessment when leaving hospital and Dad gets carers twice daily Mon-Fri for half an hour and half day at a day centre but Mam had to be brought home as she was so distressed to be separated from him. I am there every morning for 4-5 hrs and my sister is there for a couple of hrs per day also. I think Dad will know when the time is right and feel happy now knowing that she can stay at home. Thank you