Continuing Care debacle

[Helena]

I am currently struggling through pages and pages of so called criteria that is supposed to be used to determine whether a patient is eligible for Continuing Care

I believe that my Mothers PCT have deliberately structured the criteria to deny Dementia patients continuing care

They also are hell bent on discharging her without even doing the Multi Disciplinary Assesment they are required to do by law

Add on they have tried to force feed her antibiotic tablets by hiding them in food etc which constitutes abuse I am absolutely disgusted

Care homes in my area are £900 a week
clearly that would fast wipe out any savings

There seems little doubt to me that this government is utterly determined that the elderly will be robbed of their home and savings to pay for care despite Tont Blairs keynote speeches stating

" He did not want his children to live in a country where the elderly are forced to sell their homes to pay for care "

 

[cynron]

Care Home Costs

My husband has just gone into a care home and is paying £850 per week. he has always been in work and never claimed any benifits at all in his working years.

They have assessed him for a contribution towards nursing care and the grand sum of £40 pounds per week has been awarded. He has been having mini strokes and so is classed as a vascular dementia case.

As you said they will soon strip him of his lifes savings.

Cynron.

 

[noelphobic]

I am currently struggling through pages and pages of so called criteria that is supposed to be used to determine whether a patient is eligible for Continuing Care

I believe that my Mothers PCT have deliberately structured the criteria to deny Dementia patients continuing care

They also are hell bent on discharging her without even doing the Multi Disciplinary Assesment they are required to do by law

Add on they have tried to force feed her antibiotic tablets by hiding them in food etc which constitutes abuse I am absolutely disgusted

Care homes in my area are £900 a week
clearly that would fast wipe out any savings

There seems little doubt to me that this government is utterly determined that the elderly will be robbed of their home and savings to pay for care despite Tont Blairs keynote speeches stating

" He did not want his children to live in a country where the elderly are forced to sell their homes to pay for care "

Helena

Why are you opposed to your mum having antibiotics? I assume she has some sort of UTI or chest infection and maybe is having difficulty in swallowing? I think terming this abuse is a bit strong (not calling an ambulance for a resident with a broken hip is abuse!)

As far as continuing care is concerned - been there, done that, got the t shirt!

Your mum would need to be assessed to decide whether she needed to go to a care home or a nursing home. If it is decided that she needs to be in a nursing home then some sort of DWP contribution to that will be made - nowhere near enough to cover the fees but it wil be something.

If you feel that she is being discharged without a Multi Disciplinary Assesment then you should demand one (and call PALS in if you have't already done so)

You have said repeatedly that you believe your mother should be in residential care. Have you now changed your mind?

 

[Helena]

I was clearly advised this AM by the head of a Nursing Home that Nursing Homes and hospitals are not allowed to hide tablets in food or anything else ......if the patient refuses to take them thats it .......anything else is abuse

I do think my Mother should be in a Nursing Home and i also think she should be eligble for continuing care as should EVERY Dementia patient

However its clear from the criteria i have copies of that only patients who are basically terminally ill with any disease are the only ones who will get continuing care

The criteria also differs from one area Health Authority to another hence a postcode lottery

As for the so called contribution thats a mere £40 a week !!!!!!!!!!!

I have got PALS involved because my Mother has not received a Multi Disciplinary Assesment and has not even had an MMSE done

In our area the Social Services will only pay £450 a week for all those they fund yet self funders are charged £900

Clearly this is daylight robbery of the prudent

Nothing can possibly justify any home charging £900 a week

 

[Eve G.]

It's just as bad here in the States. My mother got no assessment after her stroke, no rehabilitation. Just, "well, you had a stroke--'bye!" Her assisted-living facility is $6,000/month, and she also needs a private-duty nurse, at $1,000/week. As you note, she will also be flat broke before long (insurance covers none of this).

The lesson to me? Don't get old. I am planning to take after my father, who had the common sense and good fortune to keel over of a heart attack at 70.

 

[daughter]

"I was clearly advised this AM by the head of a Nursing Home that Nursing Homes and hospitals are not allowed to hide tablets in food or anything else ......if the patient refuses to take them thats it .......anything else is abuse"

We went through this with my Dad. Dad went through a beligerent stage when he would not take his medication. Staff in Dad's NH were hiding his tablets but then they were suddenly told they could not do this and, of course, Dad refused to take them again. Then he became aggressive and was sent to hospital. On our first visit to the hosptial the staff happily announced that he'd had his medication because they'd hidden it in his food!

Cutting an even longer story short... we eventually found out that as long as the doctor and relative agreed, it could be written into Dad's "care plan" and then they could do it. I still don't really understand why this wasn't okayed when Dad first starting refusing. Is it Human Rights versus common sense? It's not like they were trying to poison him!

I suppose at least Dad got an assessment - but surely the NH knew just as much about him as the staff in the hospital found out? Ok, so the doctor at the hospital prescribed Dad medication for the aggression - but he also took him off the AD medication without any consultation with us - and did he ask Dad? I doubt it! So where's Dad's Human Rights there?

Dad received Continuing Care when he left the hospital but was "reviewed" fairly recently and, in a letter Mum has been told:

"A need for care or supervision from a registered nurse and/or GP is not in itself sufficent reason to receive NHS Continuing Care."

So it seems that although my Dad worked hard all his life, paid tax, National Insurance and company pension contributions, now he not only has to pay for his care but his wife (Mum - whom he believed he'd 'put by' for) has to have yet another intrusive financial assessment, pay all Dad's pension to the Home and then claim pension credit for herself to live on.

If Mum could have coped with Dad she would still be caring for him at home. It's not her fault that this happened. It's not my Dad's fault. It's not anyone's fault. I don't expect inappropriate handouts, I know the Nanny State is disappearing - and fast - but people of my Mum and Dad's generation were given to believe they would be looked after in their old age.

Instead Mum is in the middle of the NHS and Social Services arguing over who is going to fund.

Right rant over, thanks for that! I'm off to make my porridge now. Hrumph!

 

[Helena]

Go and look at www.************

Very illuminating information on the NHS unlawful behaviour

plus join the MSN group

FreeNursing Care

 

[noelphobic]

I was clearly advised this AM by the head of a Nursing Home that Nursing Homes and hospitals are not allowed to hide tablets in food or anything else ......if the patient refuses to take them thats it .......anything else is abuse

I do think my Mother should be in a Nursing Home and i also think she should be eligble for continuing care as should EVERY Dementia patient

However its clear from the criteria i have copies of that only patients who are basically terminally ill with any disease are the only ones who will get continuing care

The criteria also differs from one area Health Authority to another hence a postcode lottery

As for the so called contribution thats a mere £40 a week !!!!!!!!!!!

I have got PALS involved because my Mother has not received a Multi Disciplinary Assesment and has not even had an MMSE done

In our area the Social Services will only pay £450 a week for all those they fund yet self funders are charged £900

Clearly this is daylight robbery of the prudent

Nothing can possibly justify any home charging £900 a week

Helena

You are preaching to the converted here as far as continuing care funding is concerned. However, the contribution may be more than £40 a week depending on the assessment. There are 3 levels and £40 is the bottom one. My mum is on the middle one which is approximately £80 per week.

I am still not clear as to what your objections to the antibiotics are. Do you not want your mum to have them?

 

[Helena]

If they had not filled my Mother with antibiotics the pneumonia would have carried her into a peaceful place

To see the way she is now is utterly appalling

For her consultant to say to me "we nearly lost her " and in the next breath "i am discharging her on Monday charging the bill to SS "

Really is too much

I did not dare say "pity you did not loose her ".........sorry but she is now just a living totally confused shell

 

[connie]

So, dear Lionel is paying £750 per week. Yes it will soon exhaust his savings:
"What was he saving for?" To make things easy in his old age..Well in his case old age has not come, just 65 years old.

I am delighted that we have some savings to make his life as comfortable as possible.

At least the savings have given us some choice.
(Just my opinion, of course)

 

[carol]

Hi Connie,

My mother in law has used her savings to fund care, day centre 3 days a week and respite, and now is probably almost down to the top level of savings, when all the assessments have been completed and she is obviously well enough to be discharged from the hospital directly into a care home, because my 86 year old father in law lives in their home, I don't know whether a charge will be put on her half of the property. We await to see what happens when we have a financial assessment, prior to her admission into a care home.

None of us like seeing our parents, husbands, wives, relatives having to use their savings to fund their care, but that is the way it is - unfortunately.

Best wishes.


Carol

 

[Helena]

You need to know the truth about the Law

see www.************

The 1946 NHS Act has not been repealed or altered so everyone is still entitled to care from cradle to the grave

Care home funding is the big rip off

 

[daughter]

We had a meeting with a Social worker this morning, where I got to ask all my questions, and now at least I understand it all a little more. It might not be fair but you're right Carol, that's the present system and I guess we have to get on with it.

I'm sorry for moaning, I felt really bad about it last night, there are so many people in a MUCH worse position than my parents are, both financially and the fact that they've lived a long and mostly happy life together. They were very lucky, as am I.

Sorry again for the knee jerk post, I just got a bit carried away, hope you will all forgive me.

 

[carol]

Hi

I forgive you, it's a very emotional time for us all.

Best wishes

Carolx