Devastated and I’m need of advice

[Sarah36]

I’m really hoping posting here might provide some insight I’ve found very hard to find elsewhere!

My mother has Alzheimer’s and I have cared for her in her home for the last 5 years. Unfortunately over Christmas she stopped recognising her home and became increasingly distressed and wanting to leave, this culminated in her being sectioned and she is now in a hospital setting under section 3 for assessment and treatment. Whilst in hospital they were able to alter her medication and settle her considerably and she is quite content at the moment, albeit still wanting to leave at times and not truly understanding why she is there. She is now ready for discharge and has been assessed as needing EMI nursing care. This has caused a huge issue as very few places seems to offer EMI with nursing and I’m struggling to see why EMI residential would not be sufficient in meeting her needs. She has no other health/physical needs and has no challenging behaviour. She takes part in all the activities, eats meals without assistance or complaint, allows a carer to assist her with some self-care and occasionally needs some reassurance and distraction when she becomes agitated in the evenings. When we have spoke to care homes they don’t understand why they are saying EMI nursing and not simply EMI residential care. This is significantly limiting her care options as so few care homes offer it and those that do aren’t as welcoming and homely environments and often also cater for younger adults with substance abuse and other mental health issues which is not an environment I want for my mother. When asked why she required nursing dementia care the response of the hospital is vague, citing that she needs a higher level of qualified carer and that she may decline. Recently I found a home I would be happy for my mam to go to and spoke with their head nurse. They offered emi residential and general nursing. We explained the situation and shared the nursing report. She believed they could care for my mam in EMI residential and contacted the hospital so she could carry out an assessment. I was informed by the care home manager todaythat the hospital dismissed this on the phone saying she needed EMI nursing and wouldn’t let her carry out an assessment. I don’t see why they at least won’t let the care home do an assessment based on her actual needs rather than a category of care which seemed to have been arrived at without reasonable explanation or rationale. Can I challenge this? Are they able to send my mother to a nursing home I don’t want her to go to? I do have LPA. Any advice would be much appreciated, I am exhausted and devastated by the whole thing.

 

[nitram]

I’m struggling to see why EMI residential would not be sufficient in meeting her needs.

She may be on a drug regimen that requires a nurse to be in attendance 24/7

 

[SAP]

In addition to @nitram valid point , under section 3 your mums care will be funded by 117 aftercare and therefore the funders have the casting vote. It may be that they want to ensure that your mum only has to move once and is not in the position of a placement failing. Many EMI homes will not tolerate any behaviour issues that are distressing.
I have been through all of this with my mum and it is very upsetting but over 12 months on she is now settled and content. The home she is in is not fancy at all, quite institutional looking but the care is fantastic and mum is thriving there.

 

[Sarah36]

She may be on a drug regimen that requires a nurse to be in attendance 24/7

Thanks for your response. I did ask this but apparently not. I also showed the list of medications to care homes who say they routinely administer them.

 

[Sarah36]

In addition to @nitram valid point , under section 3 your mums care will be funded by 117 aftercare and therefore the funders have the casting vote. It may be that they want to ensure that your mum only has to move once and is not in the position of a placement failing. Many EMI homes will not tolerate any behaviour issues that are distressing.
I have been through all of this with my mum and it is very upsetting but over 12 months on she is now settled and content. The home she is in is not fancy at all, quite institutional looking but the care is fantastic and mum is thriving there.

Thank you for your response. I’m pleased to hear your mum is settled and content, it’s a horrible process to go through. I understand they may be basing their decision on the fact she may need to be moved later but they really aren’t clear on this. I am struggling to find many care homes at all in my area that offer dementia nursing specifically. We spoke to so many who used to offer it and now don’t and one that did but this was also a home for younger adults with mental health, substance abuse issues and challenging behaviour. The environment was really unpleasant and would mean my mother couldn’t access spaces beyond the nursing unit as she might do in another setting. I feel as though we will either have to settle for a home we don’t really like, or place her somewhere further afield which would limit the opportunities to visit. Maybe I might just have to accept that.