Hi my mother in law (MIL), over 15 years ago had a serious stroke which left her paralyzed and brain damaged down her left side and required 24/7 care which my FIL has been doing all this time without assistance, she has also been diagnosed with Dementia.
At the end of November she was admitted to hospital and was in there for a couple of months, mainly because my FIL who is 84 became ill over Christmas. A best interests meeting was held on 5th January with the hospital social worker and basically a decision was made that my FIL can no longer take care of her at home so MIL would be discharged to a care home on a 4 week D2A . It was also thought the Social worker just wanted to free up a bed in the hospital. My MIL's primary need is as a Stroke patient but with a secondary need of Dementia. However, without any further discussion she was discharged on the 15 January to a unit purely for Dementia patients, some of which have behavioural issues. My MIL is bed bound and never leaves the room and requires really one to one care to make sure her needs are being fully met. To complicate matters, within 3 days (18th Jan) of her being admitted, the unit went into lockdown due to a Flu outbreak and no visitors were allowed. 6th February visitors were finally allowed back in again and my FIL has already identified many issues with regards her care and the staff are showing serious signs of lacking knowledge of how to care for a person who has had a stroke. She is in constant pain and should be given regular pain relief, but the staff have been asking her if she wants it and she has been saying no as she really doesn't understand what they are asking. Other Dementia patients are wandering into her room and closing the door and the staff do not seem concerned by this, all the clothes and toiletries my FIL brought in and labelled have all gone missing. The staff only check on her every hour, she's had no drinks cup, food has been presented to her on a plate with a knife and fork, not already cut up (she can't do it herself as she has only one functioning hand and can only see food on one side of the plate, which is a complication of the Stroke) and my FIL has witnessed them moving her by grabbing hold of her disabled side, which shouldn't be done.
What we thought was going to be another best interests meeting on the 15th February, this Thursday, where we thought we could raise our concerns, is actually going to be a CHC Decision meeting. Apparently without our knowledge a CHC Checklist review was held on the 30 Jan and a referral was made. I've been through the CHC process before with my dad and my dad was awarded full CHC funding, however, I had the full support of a Social worker and care home staff and we had been gathering lots of evidence in preparation for the meeting.
Basically with my MIL we are not even aware of a Social worker being appointed yet, the staff in the care home don't seem to be aware of the meeting and I doubt have been gathering evidence to support the claim. We don't even know how she was scored in the Domain's when the checklist was completed for her to be referred.
I feel that it's almost certain that CHC will not be awarded, mainly due to lack of preparation. Has anyone else been in a similar situation and I was wondering if there anything we can do about it?
Secondly regardless of CHC being awarded or not, my FIL preferably would like her moved to a more appropriate care home, one that knows how to look after a stroke patient and understands how this affects the brain as well as the body. He will be LA funded if CHC is not awarded, although that hasn't been talked about yet and no financial assessment as been carried out, mainly because they haven't been able to get Social Services to appoint anyone. I'd have been happy to fight my FIL and MIL's cause and best interests, however I don't have LPA so no one will talk to me, my SIL does, but she's very busy with work and just can't give it the time. They keep coming to me for advice, but I'm finding it very frustrating not being able to help them fully and my FIL is basically putting his head in the sand at the moment. Any advice please would be appreciated how to simplify this all for them and I could get them help?
Thanks.
Elle
At the end of November she was admitted to hospital and was in there for a couple of months, mainly because my FIL who is 84 became ill over Christmas. A best interests meeting was held on 5th January with the hospital social worker and basically a decision was made that my FIL can no longer take care of her at home so MIL would be discharged to a care home on a 4 week D2A . It was also thought the Social worker just wanted to free up a bed in the hospital. My MIL's primary need is as a Stroke patient but with a secondary need of Dementia. However, without any further discussion she was discharged on the 15 January to a unit purely for Dementia patients, some of which have behavioural issues. My MIL is bed bound and never leaves the room and requires really one to one care to make sure her needs are being fully met. To complicate matters, within 3 days (18th Jan) of her being admitted, the unit went into lockdown due to a Flu outbreak and no visitors were allowed. 6th February visitors were finally allowed back in again and my FIL has already identified many issues with regards her care and the staff are showing serious signs of lacking knowledge of how to care for a person who has had a stroke. She is in constant pain and should be given regular pain relief, but the staff have been asking her if she wants it and she has been saying no as she really doesn't understand what they are asking. Other Dementia patients are wandering into her room and closing the door and the staff do not seem concerned by this, all the clothes and toiletries my FIL brought in and labelled have all gone missing. The staff only check on her every hour, she's had no drinks cup, food has been presented to her on a plate with a knife and fork, not already cut up (she can't do it herself as she has only one functioning hand and can only see food on one side of the plate, which is a complication of the Stroke) and my FIL has witnessed them moving her by grabbing hold of her disabled side, which shouldn't be done.
What we thought was going to be another best interests meeting on the 15th February, this Thursday, where we thought we could raise our concerns, is actually going to be a CHC Decision meeting. Apparently without our knowledge a CHC Checklist review was held on the 30 Jan and a referral was made. I've been through the CHC process before with my dad and my dad was awarded full CHC funding, however, I had the full support of a Social worker and care home staff and we had been gathering lots of evidence in preparation for the meeting.
Basically with my MIL we are not even aware of a Social worker being appointed yet, the staff in the care home don't seem to be aware of the meeting and I doubt have been gathering evidence to support the claim. We don't even know how she was scored in the Domain's when the checklist was completed for her to be referred.
I feel that it's almost certain that CHC will not be awarded, mainly due to lack of preparation. Has anyone else been in a similar situation and I was wondering if there anything we can do about it?
Secondly regardless of CHC being awarded or not, my FIL preferably would like her moved to a more appropriate care home, one that knows how to look after a stroke patient and understands how this affects the brain as well as the body. He will be LA funded if CHC is not awarded, although that hasn't been talked about yet and no financial assessment as been carried out, mainly because they haven't been able to get Social Services to appoint anyone. I'd have been happy to fight my FIL and MIL's cause and best interests, however I don't have LPA so no one will talk to me, my SIL does, but she's very busy with work and just can't give it the time. They keep coming to me for advice, but I'm finding it very frustrating not being able to help them fully and my FIL is basically putting his head in the sand at the moment. Any advice please would be appreciated how to simplify this all for them and I could get them help?
Thanks.
Elle
