I have posted before and most recently on another thread about CHC assessment and re-assessment.
My MIL was assessed many weeks ago after 4 failed discharges from hospital to home when she was returned within 24 hours of discharge and on one occasion within hours. The District Nurse considered her too vulnerable and should not have been discharged at all.
My husband attended the CHC meeting and came back pretty convinced that his Mum would get CHC and was in fact told it was merely a formality. The district nurse agreed, SW seemed to agree, ward sister agreed etc etc . Today we heard she had not met the criteria.
It is quite clear that they are choosing and changing where she is at and what she needs as well as her condition and health simply to ensure she does not meet the criteria for CHC. As my husband said to the SW, if the PCT pays for CHC and the PCT does the assessment, then they have a financial vested interest in making sure criteria are NOT met and that does not make for a safe or fair system.
Now in dementia terms my MIL is not that far down the road, but in pure medical terms she would be at end stage! One Doctor told me she had been diagnosed with Vas Dem and he also said the reason she wasn't eating was because of it - attempting to say she didn't meet the criteria because of the "social" aspect of her disease and her medical needs were few.
They are now saying that since the original meeting, MIL has not actually had such a VAS Dem diagnosis so in dementia terms she doesn't meet the criteria and in medical terms she is better........well of course she is bloody better she is getting decent medical/nursing care in hospital for the first time in months, they have managed to get her blood pressure down by making sure she drinks, cleared up the ongoing UTI and so far she hasn't had another and of course she sleeps 20 hours a day!!!
My MIL has (as most people do with this disease) good days and bad days but she is never aggressive or difficult at all - she gets confused, has no short term memory and hallucinates but doesn't seem to worry - but that is the way she has always been, so laid back she would fall over.
In medical/nursing terms she is bed bound (cannot even sit in a chair because she can't hold her head up), is doubly incontinent, needs constant monitoring for blood pressure which changes very quickly, has Cerebral amyloid angiopathy, Stage IV kidney disease (severe), suffers ongoing bedsores and skin infections, a history of TIA's and UTI's.
I have looked at the Funding tool and whilst the PCT says she only meets the mobility criteria, it is absolutely evident to me she has priority in one domain and severe in 2 others. But apparently they think differently.
They also say they will not reassess.
My husband has far more patience than me, but demanded of the SW (who frankly is a chocolate teapot), to see the assessment. She baulked and said it was a very long document, and couldn't see any reason for him to have it. However also she was clearly concerned enough to ask whether he was going to Appeal. He said the length of the document was not his problem and as for an appeal he cannot make that decision without seeing the assessment and reasons for refusal.
SW also said would he like to organise a CH as it should be done within 5 days because PCT had been paying for her whilst in hospital. He said the delay was down entirely to their damn paperwork and how long it has taken them and also how on hell could he or they organise any home without a firm diagnosis of her condition to advise the CH............what a bunch of prats!
He demanded the copy, saying as his Mum's attorney he had the right to see it and trusted she wasn't refusing to provide it. She relented and said a copy will be waiting for him when he visits his Mum in hospital tomorrow.......well, allegedly it will be there!!
This system stinks and really something must be done about it. It is financially driven only with little concern for the care of the elderly and the worry and upset for relatives.
I am writing to my MP and asking for this to be brought up in the House because PCT's are a total law unto themselves and are clearly twisting the truth for their own ends....
I look forward to seeing the assessment - no doubt they will be booking MIL in to run next year's Marathon the way she is allegedly improving!!
My MIL was assessed many weeks ago after 4 failed discharges from hospital to home when she was returned within 24 hours of discharge and on one occasion within hours. The District Nurse considered her too vulnerable and should not have been discharged at all.
My husband attended the CHC meeting and came back pretty convinced that his Mum would get CHC and was in fact told it was merely a formality. The district nurse agreed, SW seemed to agree, ward sister agreed etc etc . Today we heard she had not met the criteria.
It is quite clear that they are choosing and changing where she is at and what she needs as well as her condition and health simply to ensure she does not meet the criteria for CHC. As my husband said to the SW, if the PCT pays for CHC and the PCT does the assessment, then they have a financial vested interest in making sure criteria are NOT met and that does not make for a safe or fair system.
Now in dementia terms my MIL is not that far down the road, but in pure medical terms she would be at end stage! One Doctor told me she had been diagnosed with Vas Dem and he also said the reason she wasn't eating was because of it - attempting to say she didn't meet the criteria because of the "social" aspect of her disease and her medical needs were few.
They are now saying that since the original meeting, MIL has not actually had such a VAS Dem diagnosis so in dementia terms she doesn't meet the criteria and in medical terms she is better........well of course she is bloody better she is getting decent medical/nursing care in hospital for the first time in months, they have managed to get her blood pressure down by making sure she drinks, cleared up the ongoing UTI and so far she hasn't had another and of course she sleeps 20 hours a day!!!
My MIL has (as most people do with this disease) good days and bad days but she is never aggressive or difficult at all - she gets confused, has no short term memory and hallucinates but doesn't seem to worry - but that is the way she has always been, so laid back she would fall over.
In medical/nursing terms she is bed bound (cannot even sit in a chair because she can't hold her head up), is doubly incontinent, needs constant monitoring for blood pressure which changes very quickly, has Cerebral amyloid angiopathy, Stage IV kidney disease (severe), suffers ongoing bedsores and skin infections, a history of TIA's and UTI's.
I have looked at the Funding tool and whilst the PCT says she only meets the mobility criteria, it is absolutely evident to me she has priority in one domain and severe in 2 others. But apparently they think differently.
They also say they will not reassess.
My husband has far more patience than me, but demanded of the SW (who frankly is a chocolate teapot), to see the assessment. She baulked and said it was a very long document, and couldn't see any reason for him to have it. However also she was clearly concerned enough to ask whether he was going to Appeal. He said the length of the document was not his problem and as for an appeal he cannot make that decision without seeing the assessment and reasons for refusal.
SW also said would he like to organise a CH as it should be done within 5 days because PCT had been paying for her whilst in hospital. He said the delay was down entirely to their damn paperwork and how long it has taken them and also how on hell could he or they organise any home without a firm diagnosis of her condition to advise the CH............what a bunch of prats!
He demanded the copy, saying as his Mum's attorney he had the right to see it and trusted she wasn't refusing to provide it. She relented and said a copy will be waiting for him when he visits his Mum in hospital tomorrow.......well, allegedly it will be there!!
This system stinks and really something must be done about it. It is financially driven only with little concern for the care of the elderly and the worry and upset for relatives.
I am writing to my MP and asking for this to be brought up in the House because PCT's are a total law unto themselves and are clearly twisting the truth for their own ends....
I look forward to seeing the assessment - no doubt they will be booking MIL in to run next year's Marathon the way she is allegedly improving!!
