Finding the Right Care Home - can I over-rule the Social Worker?

[welshgem]

I live in Wales and my Uncle lives in London. I am his next of kin and have Power of Attorney over Financial Affairs and Property - but not Health and Welfare.

Following a spell in Charing Cross Hospital he was moved to a Nursing Home. The assessment done at Charing Cross apparently indicated he needed "EMI" care.

I am recently widowed and have so many commitments here in Wales that I can't get to London to see for myself but three of his former carers have visited him and reported back to me that the Nursing Home is awful and he's not being cared for well.

Another home has been suggested and visited. It's nearer where he used to live and if he were there he would get plenty of visitors. This second care home has seen his Charing Cross Assessment and they have also assessed him themselves and are happy to accept him immediately. The home has a good reputation and a friend who has visited it has reported back that it's lovely.

My problem is that my Uncle's Social Worker is against him being moved as although the second home accepts dementia patients it is not apparently registered for "EMI" care. The Social Worker has suggested yet another home, in the same area, but the CQC write up is dire with everything reported as "inadequate". I feel he would be better served in a non EMI home if he had good care and congenial surroundings but I'm now at loggerheads with the Social Worker. Can I over-rule her? Or does she have the final say?

 

[Leswi]

If you are self funding you can just go ahead. Even if Social services are paying, as the home has said they are happy to take your Uncle then there should not be a problem and you can ask the Social Worker to sort the paperwork and be insistent. Only problem might be if second home fees are higher than Social services rates if they are paying, the home would know the answer to that point.

 

[fizzie]

My advice would be not to accept anywhere without a decent CQC report. Can I suggest that you speak to the carers who have visited and make a list of the reasons why they consider his care is not of acceptable quality and hence why you are not willing to keep him in this home. Then a short paragraph about the inadequate or needs improvement home that they want him to go into with a note about why you consider it unacceptable that the 'authorities' wish to place him in a sub standard home. I would then be very firm in the final paragraph that you want him moved to x home who have assessed his needs and can manage him now and in the future and that his well being would be greatly improved because his friends would be able to visit him regularly and this would be his wish and it is also your wish. I would probably drop in that I could not understand how Social Services would ever place any person in a home which had not received a good report from the CQC and I might make a reference to the local press as the one thing the local authority wish to avoid at all cost is press coverage and the one thing the press absolutely thrive on is care home reports! I would add that I wanted this resolved within 5 working days as you are holding a place at the home that will accept him.

I would then phone the SW and ask for an email address, email it to her urgently and ask for the name and email of the head of service for adult care in the authority and email it marked as urgent requesting acknowledgement of receipt from both emails.

This is only what I would do because I think it is a disgrace that local authorities put vulnerable people in unsuitable placements which make people very unhappy . Good luck. I'm sure others will also have advice and will be along soon xxx

 

[welshgem]

If you are self funding you can just go ahead. Even if Social services are paying, as the home has said they are happy to take your Uncle then there should not be a problem and you can ask the Social Worker to sort the paperwork and be insistent. Only problem might be if second home fees are higher than Social services rates if they are paying, the home would know the answer to that point.

Actually the fees at the home I want to move him to are less! That's not why I want to move him, but it is another point in their favour.

 

[welshgem]

Thank you so much for the replies.

I have the SW's email address. I have someone visiting the dire sounding home for me tomorrow and will then take pleasure in letting the SW know exactly what I think of her recommendation that my Uncle goes somewhere judged as "inadequate" just because it has EMI status.

I've never dealt with anything quite like this before and just wanted to check that the SW's word wasn't law. I will settle up with the first home and get my uncle moved to the "lovely" one as soon as possible.

 

[fizzie]

Wonderful, do keep in touch x

 

[Slugsta]

My only note of warning would be to ensure that the 'lovely' home is able to manage uncle now and for the foreseeable future. Having to move him again because they cannot manage his behaviour/meet his needs would be even more distressing for him -especially if he ended up back at the place he is currently in!

 

[welshgem]

My only note of warning would be to ensure that the 'lovely' home is able to manage uncle now and for the foreseeable future. Having to move him again because they cannot manage his behaviour/meet his needs would be even more distressing for him -especially if he ended up back at the place he is currently in!

A very good point. I shall be having another long chat to the home manager about this on Monday.