Council responsibilities

[baillieman2]

I need to explain a little background first:

My father is 90 and was diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia a couple of years ago. He was living at home with his partner until May this year when he had a bad fall that resulted in a broken arm. He spent some time in hospital and was released in July to a nursing home with the bulk of his care fees covered by the local authority. He was very agitated at the beginning and was granted 1 to 1 care by the Council but this was withdrawn after only 2 weeks. We became increasingly unhappy with the standard of care at the nursing home and our fears were proved correct when he had three falls in the space of four days. The last of these resulted in a broken pelvic bone so he was returned to hospital where he has remained since last month. The nursing home did not want to take him back and we did not want him to return there. The problem now is that the Council says it is unable to find a nursing home willing to take him as they say they are unable to meet the needs detailed in his care assessment. Furthermore, any home needs to be as close as possible to his partner, whom he dotes on, and who has limited mobility.

Has anyone has any problems similar to this before? How were they resolved? Are we, as his family, able to refuse any home with which we would rather not place him in.

 

[Amethyst59]

Hello, @baillieman2, welcome to Talking Point. I am sorry to hear about the sad circumstances of your father’s health. I know that many of our members have had family funded by the Local Authority and have been in a similar position to that in which you find yourself. I am sure that you will have some helpful responses before too long.

 

[Kevinl]

It hasn't happened to me but it has happened to 3 families I know of personally. The story is exactly the same as yours a fall in 2 case the other was challenging behaviour, the home reassessed and refused to take them back without one to one so the LA found a different home that would take them without one to one.
The LA have to find at least one place that can meet his needs and if necessary they may have to adjust their budget, at least in theory but they do have to find one place without a top up.
The LA do have to bear in mind his human rights to a family life and relatives and friends ability to visit should be a consideration but in practice it all seems to be about cost with little or no consideration for the family.
If the LA do find somewhere and you decline it then they have fulfilled their legal obligation so the ball would then be in your court to find somewhere else or pay the top up in a place you prefer.
Once he's ready for discharge and becomes a "bed blocker" the LA will want to move him out of the NHS bed ASAP and so you'll be under pressure to find somewhere quickly and not just a home you like but a home that has a place available, many have waiting lists so we sometime get "bed blockers" parked in our home until a place at a preferred home become available if we have a vacancy and the preferred home doesn't. Some times they're there few weeks or months waiting to move to a; different location, faith based home, ex forces home or whatever the preferred home is.
K

 

[baillieman2]

Thanks for the contributions so far. We're already at the bed blocking stage and the nursing team are anxious to move him on. We're hopeful that the Council will get to the stage of agreeing to increase the period of 1 to 1 funding on discharge which they are currently limiting to 2 weeks. Apparently, Wandsworth has stipulated that they will not review this period until 3 months have elapsed. The social work department is now looking for homes outside the borough despite being told repeatedly that his partner is finding it increasingly difficult to travel more than a bus ride away. In the meantime a nursing home just down the road from her has places but, due to issues undisclosed, the Council is not placing anyone with them for the time being.

I'm glad Kevinl mentioned ex forces homes as my father is ex Navy and I have contacted the Royal Naval Benevolent Trust to see if they would assist financially.

 

[marionq]

My husband goes into respite in a veterans hospital/ care home and it is first class. I would pursue that if you can.