Dad with Alzheimer's being refused a Care Home Place

Gwendoline999

New member
Nov 10, 2020
6
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HI My 80 year old Father has Parkinson /, Lewy Body Dementia. He has had a marked decline in his cognitive and physical ability which led to him falling and being admitted to hospital.

The Social Services and Doctors are trying to discharge him to home with an increased care package and hoist ( he now cannot stand )

I have secured a place for him in the care home where my Mother has been since June 2019, she has Frontotemporal Demetia.

I feel I am fighting a battle to get him moved and am not sure I am winning :-(

Does anyone have any advice ?C
 

kindred

Registered User
Apr 8, 2018
2,937
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HI My 80 year old Father has Parkinson /, Lewy Body Dementia. He has had a marked decline in his cognitive and physical ability which led to him falling and being admitted to hospital.

The Social Services and Doctors are trying to discharge him to home with an increased care package and hoist ( he now cannot stand )

I have secured a place for him in the care home where my Mother has been since June 2019, she has Frontotemporal Demetia.

I feel I am fighting a battle to get him moved and am not sure I am winning :-(

Does anyone have any advice ?C
Welcome, this forum is brilliant, Stand your ground, ask for a best interest meeting. Tell them they have a duty of care to your father who cannot manage at home even with the increased package. If this is not working, consider hiring an independent social worker to help you. You will need to make it clear that you cannot oversee your father at home. They will put pressure on you I expect, but stand your ground. It will be well worth it to get him into the home with your mum.
Warmest kindred
 

Gwendoline999

New member
Nov 10, 2020
6
0
Welcome, this forum is brilliant, Stand your ground, ask for a best interest meeting. Tell them they have a duty of care to your father who cannot manage at home even with the increased package. If this is not working, consider hiring an independent social worker to help you. You will need to make it clear that you cannot oversee your father at home. They will put pressure on you I expect, but stand your ground. It will be well worth it to get him into the home with your mum.
Warmest kindred
Thanks for the advice and kind words. It is just so incredibly difficult to get through to these people who, whist purport to be acting in my Fathers' best interests, most definitely are not. I have secured a place with my Mum ( they have been married 61years) and he is happy at thought of being with her so I will do my very best ensure this outcome - Thanks again
 

Weasell

Registered User
Oct 21, 2019
1,778
0
I think @kindred advice is fantastic.
I would hire an independent social worker.
’ Speculate to accumulate’ !
 

Shedrech

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
12,649
0
UK
hello @Gwendoline999
a warm welcome to DTP

I wonder, has your father been deemed to no longer have capacity to decide for himself where he will live ... if not he can choose to move into residential care as long as he has the funds to pay for his care himself
this will help you with working out whether or not he will be self-funding

if he was living in his own home (I assume the marital home) and moves into care, the property will be deemed an asset and may have to be sold to pay for his care and indeed the care of your mother

if you have Power of Attorney, you can make arrangements on his behalf

unfortunately, if the LA believe that he is capable of living at home, should his savings fall below the threshold at some point, they may deem that he deliberately deprived himself of assets by moving into care 'too soon' ... but maybe face that when you come to it

if, though, your father has little savings/assets and a low income, then the LA will fund his care with him paying his pension and leaving only about £26 a week for personal expenses ... in this case, he is reliant on the LA social services agreeing to a move into residential care and their principle is to support people to live in their own homes for as long as possible, so they may insist on a return with a full care package and you wait until that is shown to fail ... this appears to be what is happening

would his GP be able to weigh in on his behalf ... has the manager of the home assessed your dad and agreed he is suitable, as that will help too ... is there an Admiral Nurse attached to the hospital, as they may be able to support you

try letting the social worker know that you believe your father is a vulnerable adult at risk of harm due to potential falls when he is alone and neglect as he is unable, due to the dementia and Parkinson's, to look after himself; that the LA have the duty of care to ensure his care needs are fully met; that you fear a safeguarding issue should he fall again and this not be discovered for hours between carer visits; and that he is likely to be a failed discharge, ending up back in hospital after another fall ... also, and this will go against the grain for you, make it clear that you are no longer able to provide any hands on care so your father will be wholly reliant on the home care visits ... the phrases in this paragraph are meant to get the attention of social services

I hope you are able to get them to hear you properly
 

Gwendoline999

New member
Nov 10, 2020
6
0
Good Afternoon - Just a quick update. My Father was discharged from hospital to the same care home as my Mum..... I know its an amazing result. Thanks to the care home for holding a room, thanks to a discharge co-ordinator at the local hospital who fully supported the move and thanks to everyone who responded to my post Thankyou
 

Gwendoline999

New member
Nov 10, 2020
6
0
Good Afternoon. I was wondering if anyone can offer any advice ? My Dad is about to become a permanent resident in the same care home as my Mum :) . I am in the process of completing a Financial Review for Dad and wondered if anyone could help me the amount of money that they will be left with. They have approx £10k in the and own a property with a mortgage which should realise (nett of mortgage) £120,000. I fully appreciate that this money with go towards the care costs, but will they be left with enough money for funeral costs ? I have seem some info on buying a prepaid funeral plan but not sure if this is necessary ? - any advice gratefully received x
 

Louise7

Volunteer Host
Mar 25, 2016
4,683
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Hello @Gwendoline999 Assuming that your parents are living in England, when their individual savings reach the lower threshold amount of £14,250 the care home fees will be paid out of their income , not their savings, so they would be allowed to keep £14,250 each. However, the benefit of buying a pre-paid funeral plan before their savings drop to £14,250 is that this is considered by the local authority as a 'reasonable expense' and would not be treated as deprivation of assets (deliberately spending money so that it can't be spent on care costs). If you do decide to get a pre-paid funeral plan then it's a good idea to shop around and read the small print so you know what will be included.

You may find this factsheet helpful:

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/legal-financial/care-home-fees#content-start
 

Gwendoline999

New member
Nov 10, 2020
6
0
Thankyou so much for you advice. I will investigate the pre paid funeral plans, paying careful attention the small print :) xx