Assessment for continuing healthcare
Dad has been in a CH assessment bed for about 6 weeks. His first assessment, about 3 weeks ago had to be stopped after the first section (behaviour) in the Decision Support Tool as his social worker had no idea that he'd been hitting staff members.
That first assessment was appalling! My brother (who has paranoid schizophrenia) was with me and they were pushing for dad to come home. When I explained that it would be impossible, because of my brother's condition (and frankly I don't think my health would stand it either) the social worker said "well it's not up to you, it's your dad's house, not yours, and if we think he can go home with a care package in place, that's what we'll do"...nice
Well we've been through the assessment again. He's severe for cognition, at high risk of falls and is still quite aggressive at times and waddya know? He's not eligible for CHC.
Nobody has officially diagnosed him but we strongly believe that he has vascular dementia and since new years day can't hold a conversation, doesn't know me or my brother, is incontinent, gets up 2 or 3 times and night and falls because he can't walk and they're putting him (today) in a residential EMI with one nurse on at night for 11 patients.
I spoke to the nurse in charge of the unit he's been in up to press and she tells me that if the residential EMI unit can't cope with him then they will ask for him to be reassessed and they'll look at CHC again but a lady I spoke to Age UK said it's more difficult once they've been declined unless you appeal straight away?