Funding - any one know anything about Continuing Care Funding?

[BeckyJan]

Good to hear that things are progressing for you.

I do not believe you are abandoning your Mum - after all you are intending to move her way soon so you have made the right decision.

Its good to hear that the NH will observe your Mum and I know their records will help to support any assessment for CC. The NH for my husband are doing the same. They are only recording facts - so any evidence they give to a re assessment for CC is totally genuine.

I do hope you succeed in Cont.Care. More importantly I hope your Mum settles in her new environment. Do not be too disheartened as many love their new surroundings.

Good luck and best wishes Jan

 

[JPG1]

Dear Jane

Wishing you all the best for tomorrow.

You are not 'abandoning' your Mum.

Not are you "putting her into a home", which is how some people see it. Because 'putting' him/her into a home is not how it should be seen.

You are doing the best you can be expected to do to arrive at a safe, secure environment for your Mum.

What more could a Mum ask?

Just make sure you get a copy of the assessment that is carried out ... ask now, don't wait for it to arrive by magic, because it won't. Unless you ask for it, now.

One other small word of caution: make sure you understand the difference between an EMI unit, as it is often called in Scotland, and a Care Home with Nursing suitable for Dementia as it is called in England. It seems the two meanings are a world apart. Even though they should not be. So best to ask questions about what you think an EMI unit may mean, and what it actually means in England.

Good luck, again, for tomorrow.

.

 

[JANE1962]

Update - progress nil!

My mum has now been in a lovely and well-staffed nursing home since Easter - at her own expense.

Today - in relation to a review of her medication - I was told by the professionals that she would be considered as a mild to moderate dementia - despite biting one of the nurses, throwing her food at the window, hurling her zimmer, screaming at another patient for hours on end, wandering the corridors aimlessly in her outdoor coat carrying an assortment of belongings, and generally suffering severe episodes of sundowning. If this is mild to moderate - what on earth has she got to look forward to.

They went on to say that she is quite contented most of the time - well, yes, in the mornings she is amenable and displays her old good social skills but she must be desperately unhappy somewhere in there if she then becomes so agitated. I told them that I wondered if it would be worth reducing the galantamine - which had been put up to 24mg - since its effect seems to have been to increase her insight and consequently her agitation - but no, apparently the fact that her MMSI score has risen dramatically means it must be seen as having a good effect!

Is it just me or is there something about the language the professionals use that fails to acknowledge how appalling all this is?

With regard to CHC Funding my mums finances are also now very sick and close to terminal decline with the sale of her home beginning to look more likely as the weeks drag on. At my insistence the Manager of the home made a request for a CHC assessment on the 15th May - since then nothing has happened. I decided to be patient and assume that someone would ring me but that was a bit too optimistic. In the end I rang them - last Friday - to be told my mum was not a priority as she is safe and that even if she is eventually found to be eligible the funds would only be paid from the date of the assessment being agreed at Panel and not from the date of the referral which was my understanding. Now I accept that she may not yet be eligible - in their terms - but it does seem that the system is set up to avoid the NHS taking on its responsibilities.

To keep her head above water I have contacted social services for a financial assessment so that as and when the well runs dry they will hopefully step in with a contribution.

Sorry for having a rant - I just needed to get this off my chest.

 

[living in hope]

Hi All
I have a multi disciplinary team meeting arranged for 15Th September to look into Fully Funded NHS Care for my husband, they will use a Portrayal of Needs which will then be measured using the Decision Support Tool and having done a bit of homework, using the DST you need one Priority Need or two or more Severe Needs or one severe + needs in a number of other areas. Most needs areas do not have a Priority column but the main one that does for dementia sufferers is Behaviour, I have scored my husband and have given him Priority/Severe for Behaviour, Severe for Cognition, High for Psychological, High for Communication and 3/4 others needs with low. Based on the criteria I think we tick the boxes, but will wait and see!!
Good luck to all who are applying for CHC.
Love
Lorraine

 

[JANE1962]

National Framework Paragraph 84

My last post was written in a state of high anxiety - I'm much calmer tonight as my mum has had a few good days as the new timings for her anti-psychotics seem to have brought the sundowning under better control.

I also feel better because I've fired off a letter to the PCT quoting the National Framework paragraph 84 which states that -‘the time that elapses between the Checklist (or, where no Checklist is used, other notification of potential eligibility) being received by the PCT and the funding decision being made should, in most cases, not exceed 28 days’.It goes on to say 'when there are valid and unavoidable reasons for the process taking longer, timescales should be clearly communicated to the person and (where appropriate) their carers and/or representatives'.

I think most of us are probably finding that neither of these little gems are being adhered to - and its clear from all the threads on this subject that its really important that we know the framework inside out and let the PCT's know that we do.

Good luck to us all - right is on our loved ones side.

 

[lapviglen]

Hi, not sure if this is of any help but I have just had my mother assessed, she scored high risk for most of the criteria as she is in the late stages of alzheimers yet I have been refused.

I am going to appeal, it is so wrong the social services have put a charge on her home, I wish they had never worked, in that case she would have it all paid for her x

 

[jenniferpa]

Welcome to Talking Point lapviglen.

If you are appealing this, you might want to get in touch with the volunteer group from the Alzheimer's Society who help steer people through this minefield.

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?categoryID=200310&documentID=398