Hi all,
What is your take on this, I wonder?
Last year a Capacity test to decide Medical Care was done on Mum and she was deemed to have Capacity. That is, that she was able to understand her medical conditions (she isn't), that she understands the ramifications of not being treated (she isn't) and that she is able accept treatment for these conditions (she isn't)
A few examples:
She refused hospital admission a few weeks ago - she had collapsed as a result of her atrial fibrilation. An ambulance paramedic found serious problems with her heart and advised her that she needed to go to hospital immediately. As she had refused, they literally had to drive away.
She refused an IV anti-biotic treatment last year whilst in hospital (by the way, it took all my persuasive skills to get her in there in the first place as again, she had refused). She had cellulitis and was very poorly indeed and the evening anti-biotic refusal meant that it took a long time for her to get better. The nurses had no option but to respect her wishes.
There are many more examples of this but I think my main point is that situations in which she is ill require decisions to be made about treatment. As she has dementia, in extremis is when she doesn't have Capacity which is when she needs treatment!
Why does the mental health team assume that she has Capacity when she clearly doesn't? This is crystal clear to her family, her carers and her neighbours. How can a Doctor who sees her for 15 minutes every three months decide something so important and moreover, get it so wrong?
I'm in the process of "fighting" this dramatic mistake, with examples of Mum's inabiilty to decide medical care being sent to the pyschiatrist who made this decision. I feel strongly about this!!
Anyone else had this problem, I wonder? And how did you deal with it?
What is your take on this, I wonder?
Last year a Capacity test to decide Medical Care was done on Mum and she was deemed to have Capacity. That is, that she was able to understand her medical conditions (she isn't), that she understands the ramifications of not being treated (she isn't) and that she is able accept treatment for these conditions (she isn't)
A few examples:
She refused hospital admission a few weeks ago - she had collapsed as a result of her atrial fibrilation. An ambulance paramedic found serious problems with her heart and advised her that she needed to go to hospital immediately. As she had refused, they literally had to drive away.
She refused an IV anti-biotic treatment last year whilst in hospital (by the way, it took all my persuasive skills to get her in there in the first place as again, she had refused). She had cellulitis and was very poorly indeed and the evening anti-biotic refusal meant that it took a long time for her to get better. The nurses had no option but to respect her wishes.
There are many more examples of this but I think my main point is that situations in which she is ill require decisions to be made about treatment. As she has dementia, in extremis is when she doesn't have Capacity which is when she needs treatment!
Why does the mental health team assume that she has Capacity when she clearly doesn't? This is crystal clear to her family, her carers and her neighbours. How can a Doctor who sees her for 15 minutes every three months decide something so important and moreover, get it so wrong?
I'm in the process of "fighting" this dramatic mistake, with examples of Mum's inabiilty to decide medical care being sent to the pyschiatrist who made this decision. I feel strongly about this!!
Anyone else had this problem, I wonder? And how did you deal with it?
