Family disagreeing with continuing care decision

[Renza2002]

My nan, who suffers with dementia, has been in a lovely home for just over a year & In that time has really got to know her careers, particularly as they helped her through the loss of her husband in October who also lived there. My nan is apparently troublesome, according to some of the staff, and because of this it has been deemed necessary by the powers that be, that she needs a 1:1 carer 24 hours a day. This career is being paid for by the local county council. The continuing care team keep saying they can't afford the expense & that she'll have to be moved to a more suitable care home, of which there is only 1 in our town willing to take her , of which we are waiting a space for her. This has been going on since October. Today the continuing care team rang my mum, who is my Nan's representative, & said they had carried out another assessment & will be moving her ASAP to the nearest care home that can cope with her, which is a good 40 minute journey away from where she currently is, meaning we won't be able to visit much at all, compared with the 3-4 times a week we do now. We've looked up the CQC report for the suggested home & it's awful with lots of failures & recommendations. If my nan were moved here, she would still apparently be on the top of the waiting list for the one care home in our town that will take her when they have space, meaning yet another distressing move for her.

Does anyone have any advice for how we can make the continuing care team realise it would be really damaging for my nan to be moved to a terrible care home, miles away from her family. We are so desperate and would love any advice you can give. Thanks in advance.

 

[crazyfish]

Hi,
If you feel your nan is at risk by this move as it may be detrimental to her well being then make your concerns known to the CCG dealing with the move.(many old people die in moving homes).
Put this in writing and mention that if your Nan suffers in any way due to this move you will hold them responsible.
They should put in a transitional plan for the move and make sure you are involved and offered alternative placements.
If you hold PA for health I would consider refusing the move until you are happy with the home offered.
Don't be pushed around stand your ground and remember to get everything they suggest to be put in writing.
Others here may be able to give you more advice but don't be pushed into anything you consider to be detrimental to your Nan's well being.
Mick

 

[Summertime09]

Hi I feel very sorry for your nan and I think it will really upset her to be moved especially if you wont be able to visit her as much. You may be able to get some advice from the citizens commission on human rights
I strongly believe in human rights and feel that old people are sometimes not listened to.Also check out your nans medication. It could be causing side effects , like aggressive behaviour.
I really hope your nan gets to stay near to you as you obviously care a lot about her

 

[Wirralson]

My nan, who suffers with dementia, has been in a lovely home for just over a year & In that time has really got to know her careers, particularly as they helped her through the loss of her husband in October who also lived there. My nan is apparently troublesome, according to some of the staff, and because of this it has been deemed necessary by the powers that be, that she needs a 1:1 carer 24 hours a day. This career is being paid for by the local county council. The continuing care team keep saying they can't afford the expense & that she'll have to be moved to a more suitable care home, of which there is only 1 in our town willing to take her , of which we are waiting a space for her. This has been going on since October. Today the continuing care team rang my mum, who is my Nan's representative, & said they had carried out another assessment & will be moving her ASAP to the nearest care home that can cope with her, which is a good 40 minute journey away from where she currently is, meaning we won't be able to visit much at all, compared with the 3-4 times a week we do now. We've looked up the CQC report for the suggested home & it's awful with lots of failures & recommendations. If my nan were moved here, she would still apparently be on the top of the waiting list for the one care home in our town that will take her when they have space, meaning yet another distressing move for her.

Does anyone have any advice for how we can make the continuing care team realise it would be really damaging for my nan to be moved to a terrible care home, miles away from her family. We are so desperate and would love any advice you can give. Thanks in advance.

Renza,

It isn't clear from your post if your nan is being paid for by the County Council/Local Authority (LA) or the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). If she is on Continuing Health Care (CHC) funding, then the County Council is unlikely to be paying for the carer (mixed funding packages are possible but rare). However, the key issue here is the move. Whoever is paying (LA or CCG) has some input into what location will meet your nan's needs. However, so does she, and, if she is unable to do so, so do you on her behalf. Any administrative decision needs to be reasonable, and what you need to do is contact whoever is making the decision (and do so in writing) stating that you believe the decision to move your nan to the specific care home is unreasonable and saying why. Moving her from the present one may also be unreasonable, but if she is exhibiting challenging behaviour which the home is unable or unwilling to cope with, it may be much harder to sustain. You may need legal advice at some stage, and it might be worth looking at the Mental Health Lawyers' Association website to see if any solicitor accessible to you offers a free initial consultation. Many do, and that may help frame your case in a manner that pushes the right buttons win the LA or CCG.

W