care homes with one to one care

[distantinfant]

My father has been in a dementia care home for 3 years. He has recently had several falls. He is unsteady on his feet but still able to walk.
The manager of the home has intimated that he may ask my father to leave because the home cannot offer the level of one to one support that he feels my father needs.
My father is settled in the home and a move will be very upsetting for him. He is privately funded. I have not been able to find a care home that provides one to one 24 hour care. Has anyone any experience of this?

 

[ggma]

I do not think One to one is a standard option. More usual is 1 to 5 or 1 to 4.
There are ways more intensive support can be provided through technology or additional staff short term for a period of time.
Is your father in residential care for dementia or is it designated nursing care for dementia?
My Mum was content in her care home but as her behaviour changed we made the decision to move her to dementia nursing care and the move has gone well and I think because she was used to living in a care environment it helped her settle quickly. In the new home the staff to resident ratio is higher and I also think having more qualified staff on duty with good knowledge of dementia makes a difference.

 

[FifiMo]

Please talk to the care home manager and ask them if they would support you in applying for CHC Funding. As the assessment is needs based, it could be the route to obtaining the level of support that is now needed. Ask them if this was put in place and the funding was there, could they arrange for the additional care to be provided so that your dad wouldn't have to move.

Fiona

 

[Witzend]

My father has been in a dementia care home for 3 years. He has recently had several falls. He is unsteady on his feet but still able to walk.
The manager of the home has intimated that he may ask my father to leave because the home cannot offer the level of one to one support that he feels my father needs.
My father is settled in the home and a move will be very upsetting for him. He is privately funded. I have not been able to find a care home that provides one to one 24 hour care. Has anyone any experience of this?

I don't understand this. My mother is in a specialist dementia home and has had several falls - she is very wobbly but still walking and wandering about, inc. at night.

One fall resulted in a broken hip and two others in cuts that needed stitching and massive bruising. (this is over several years now) However the home have never once suggested that she ought perhaps to move. I should add that we have never blamed the home for the falls - it is very good but we are well aware that nobody can watch them all the time.

I should think that one to one care, even if it's available in a care home (rather than an at-home setting) would be horrifically expensive.

Please forgive me for asking and ignore this if not, but have you perhaps suggested that the CH is somehow at fault for allowing the falls? If so that might explain the attitude. I know some people do become very indignant and think that in a CH falls ought not to happen at all.

 

[distantinfant]

distantinfant

Thank you everyone.
I will enquire about CHC Funding.
We have never complained to or criticised the home other than to ask them to let us know if Dad needs to go to hospital and we are really at a loss to understand their attitude since we fully accept that they can't always be on hand to catch Dad.
I doubt there is anywhere that can really provide one to one 24 hour care and I am worried that Dad will suffer greatly from the upheaval and gain nothing.
The home has refused to recommend or even name an alternative home that might meet Dad's needs. It's all a bit of a nightmare . ..

 

[FifiMo]

Don't be worried about the home. The truth of the matter is that it is a funding issue, hence the reason I have suggested the CHC application. The home have a duty of care for your dad whilst he is there. It is fine when his needs can be managed within existing resources. Once the person starts needing extra care that would involve them having to get ( and pay for) extra help, it becomes uneconomical for them to continue. More importantly, there is an increasing risk of something happening and them being held accountable due to the duty of care that they have. By addressing the issue with you, they are also protecting your dad's interests too, because they are admitting that they can't give him the attention he needs right now.

Please don't take it personally. You have done nothing wrong. This is about business risk and financial management.

Fiona

 

[Crazy daisy]

My mum 72, is in a nursing dementia home and receives 24hour 1:1 care as she is high risk of falls. She is fully funded by NHS continuing care. The home she is in is fantastic and they employ an agency to provide the 1:1 care for my mum. The agency are outstanding and she has the same group of carers that cover the shifts, including the owner of the agency. Mum is very aggitated, shouty and hard work, mobile with no spacial awareness, high risk of malnutrition and dehydration.the carers are really compassionate and protective of her and treat her as if she were their relative. Before we got CHC 1:1 her care was not sufficient, the nursing home she went to could not manage her and she nearly died!