Care homes with CHC?

[Fattuatara]

Hi there,

My mum is currently in hospital with what we thought originally was vascular dementia, but have just been told is an untreatable brain tumour. The hospital want to discharge her as soon as possible and have told me they will apply for the fast track CHC for her. What I'm not clear about is whether the CHC funding can only be applied to council funded nursing homes, or does it also apply to privately run nursing homes? I know the three council funded homes in the area, and they're awful - had terrible Cqc inspection reports. So my preference would be for one of the better privately run homes. How do the homes that get offered to you get selected? And if you do go for a privately run place do you have to pay a top up? I have to tell them what I want to do tomorrow and am at a bit of a loss...

Thanks for ur help,

Rachel

 

[jenniferpa]

Rachel - I posted to your other thread before I read this one.

It's not necessarily true that only the council run homes would be an option in this situation. It's all about "can the home provide appropriate ongoing care" at least until hospice care is an option.

Personally I would refuse to make a decision tomorrow, assuming you have just been told. For a start any possible home would need to assess her to see if they could meet her needs, and they aren't going to be able to do that by tomorrow.

Have a look at this fact sheet Hospital Discharge http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=173

Also this fact sheet End of Life care might be useful, particularly for the links http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=2709

 

[Fattuatara]

Rachel - I posted to your other thread before I read this one.

It's not necessarily true that only the council run homes would be an option in this situation. It's all about "can the home provide appropriate ongoing care" at least until hospice care is an option.

Personally I would refuse to make a decision tomorrow, assuming you have just been told. For a start any possible home would need to assess her to see if they could meet her needs, and they aren't going to be able to do that by tomorrow.

Have a look at this fact sheet Hospital Discharge http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=173

Also this fact sheet End of Life care might be useful, particularly for the links http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=2709

Thanks Jennifer, I'll read these. Xx

 

[jaymor]

My husband was awarded CHC whilst he was in an assessment unit. As a family we looked at homes and found two we were happy with. One had a vacancy the other would have one when they opened a further 10 beds for challenging behaviour in a months time. We were prepared for my husband to go to a third one as long as it was temporary until the second home had a bed available if that was necessary.

We put forward the three and he was assessed by each home and luckily he was allowed to go to the one we wanted and the one nearest to home. The home has to be right for the level of care needed.

 

[AlsoConfused]

Heartfelt sympathy.

Please don't let yourself be bullied by the hospital into acting faster than is in your Mum's best interests. The hospital's timetable is thoroughly unrealistic, impractical and even CRUEL.

You'll probably want to see your Mum settled into the right nursing home ASAP but too much haste won't help anyone.

I'd doubt whether the hospital could get fast track funding in place within hours ... and it should be in place before you make any firm commitments with whichever nursing home suits. As Jennifer says, the (accessible to the family) nursing home has to be able to meet your Mum's needs and to have a vacancy - so there can be delays in finding any home prepared even to assess a new resident.