is my first posting, it is a moan...sorry! and indeed I am sure others have written thus - what care in the community?
My husband was finally diagnosed with vascular dementia following a knee replacement operation which left him immediately disorientated and this disorientation recurred for two years - which would seem to be postoperative cognitive dysfunction. I am currently in communication with the hospital to get his report. He worsened with hallucinations, wandering at nighttime - finally the doctor, without visiting him, prescribed medication and yes, an assessment! A psychiatric nurse managed in fifteen minutes to pronounce the verdict.
Throughout the summer John worsened and on one occasion he was ill and unconscious and I could not waken him. An ambulance and paramedic came and took him to our local hospital. He had a cursory examination I asked if they would take him in the 23 hr unit and assess - no. He was returned home with one diazepan tablet. A different hospital to the knee - I am again in complaint correspondence.
The only help I received from any organization was a mass of leaflets telling me what I already knew and much of the nursing home information out-dated. Respite care...you have to be joking! I am, like many others, self-funding...you may think this makes it easier - I have visited nursing homes I would not put a dog into - inspection - I find it hard to believe. A Social Worker called but quite honestly she was very nice, sympathetic, but of no help. After weeks of sheer hell with days spent phoning for help - I am still waiting for a reply to a request for respite care, a request for a place in a day club, a request for a private assessment. I registered with all suitable nursing homes - I was eight on one list fifteen on another and it was just waiting for death. During this time John was in need of more care than I could give and in final desperation my eldest son remained at home and my other son and I went out on a mission to find a suitable nursing home for immediate respite care...impossible, I thought so. The first home had a room, it was so awful...a thought of John at home for another dreadful night or in the room on offer...I suddenly remembered another home I had located on a website in desperation we went and it was ideal...a respite bed was offered, I had given up worrying about the cost.
John is now 20 miles away the respite care became permanent care in a comfortable well run 40 bed private nursing home and I am content he is well cared for. He now knows his nurse better than he knows me!
A few weeks ago John became ill and the matron and I agreed he needed hospitalization...dementia in a general ward - he could have starved to death - a full meal was placed before him and removed. I was in daily feeding him...he developed pressure sores - I had him returned to the nursing home.
My Points are: The total lack of respire care beds in this area
Poor medical knowledge of dementia/AD
Poor training in hospitals for the care of AD patients - no continuity of staff to keep you informed of patients progress.
Many organizations all with the same paper information but no real help.
Self-funders are entitled to nursing care funding on an assessment basis - this takes months to get a social worker round.
I think for my first posting I've bent you ears enough.
Breeeze
My husband was finally diagnosed with vascular dementia following a knee replacement operation which left him immediately disorientated and this disorientation recurred for two years - which would seem to be postoperative cognitive dysfunction. I am currently in communication with the hospital to get his report. He worsened with hallucinations, wandering at nighttime - finally the doctor, without visiting him, prescribed medication and yes, an assessment! A psychiatric nurse managed in fifteen minutes to pronounce the verdict.
Throughout the summer John worsened and on one occasion he was ill and unconscious and I could not waken him. An ambulance and paramedic came and took him to our local hospital. He had a cursory examination I asked if they would take him in the 23 hr unit and assess - no. He was returned home with one diazepan tablet. A different hospital to the knee - I am again in complaint correspondence.
The only help I received from any organization was a mass of leaflets telling me what I already knew and much of the nursing home information out-dated. Respite care...you have to be joking! I am, like many others, self-funding...you may think this makes it easier - I have visited nursing homes I would not put a dog into - inspection - I find it hard to believe. A Social Worker called but quite honestly she was very nice, sympathetic, but of no help. After weeks of sheer hell with days spent phoning for help - I am still waiting for a reply to a request for respite care, a request for a place in a day club, a request for a private assessment. I registered with all suitable nursing homes - I was eight on one list fifteen on another and it was just waiting for death. During this time John was in need of more care than I could give and in final desperation my eldest son remained at home and my other son and I went out on a mission to find a suitable nursing home for immediate respite care...impossible, I thought so. The first home had a room, it was so awful...a thought of John at home for another dreadful night or in the room on offer...I suddenly remembered another home I had located on a website in desperation we went and it was ideal...a respite bed was offered, I had given up worrying about the cost.
John is now 20 miles away the respite care became permanent care in a comfortable well run 40 bed private nursing home and I am content he is well cared for. He now knows his nurse better than he knows me!
A few weeks ago John became ill and the matron and I agreed he needed hospitalization...dementia in a general ward - he could have starved to death - a full meal was placed before him and removed. I was in daily feeding him...he developed pressure sores - I had him returned to the nursing home.
My Points are: The total lack of respire care beds in this area
Poor medical knowledge of dementia/AD
Poor training in hospitals for the care of AD patients - no continuity of staff to keep you informed of patients progress.
Many organizations all with the same paper information but no real help.
Self-funders are entitled to nursing care funding on an assessment basis - this takes months to get a social worker round.
I think for my first posting I've bent you ears enough.
Breeeze
