Hospital refuse to change 117c meeting

jacqui_o

Registered User
Jun 21, 2011
10
0
Hi Everyone,

Not really sure what to do or where to go, at the end of march a letter was sent from the Mental health hospital giving a date for a 117c meeting. as it was Easter we were awy and replied when we came back. 09/04/2015 informing the hospital that we were very sorry but couldn't make that date and could they possibly rearrange it.

I have now received a letter stating that is the only date her consultant is available and no it will not be changed and to supply the names of anyone attending in my place.

her family physically cant attend we are in Turkey, I feel my request was reasonable but clearly the hospital do not.

They want to discharge her into a care home! I actually feel she should be allowed to spend her reaming time int he unit she has spent the past 2 years in.

She apparently has a terminal illness as well, based on bloods, due to the advanced Alzheimer's she would not be treated anyway.

Over and above that she has been seriously dehydrated for a considerable length of time, 3 weeks ago her urea level was 9.3 this week it is 8. for the past 5 months they have been pouring additional fluids in to her to improve this.

To me there is not a huge improvement and am positive that she will not get the same level and quality of care.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated..... cant beleive they are refusing to rearrange the meeting!!!:mad:
 

Jessbow

Registered User
Mar 1, 2013
5,678
0
Midlands
its difficult to rearrange meetings, sorry if that's harsh, but a consultant has prob book the morning/afternnoon out for this meeting, as well as other people who will all have had to fit round her/him.

How much notice would the family need to attend from Turkey? would they attend anyway?

She may well get better care in a nursing home.
( readings between 6 and 20 are all Normal for Urea levels')' Urea levels are about Kidney function normally and indicative of Kidney failure
 
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Saffie

Registered User
Mar 26, 2011
22,513
0
Near Southampton
To me there is not a huge improvement and am positive that she will not get the same level and quality of care.

Places in hospital are in high demand and there is no reason why your - mother? you don't say who - shouldn't get just as good care in a Nursing home.
That is what they are for, the people who go into them are ill and nurses are there permanently.
So I don't understand why you are so positive that she won't get the same level and quality of care there, especially as you say there isn't much improvement where she is.
In fact, my husband received much better care in his nursing home than he did previously in the 6 months he was in the non-acute hospital, with MRSA and a gangrenous foot cleared up in a few weeks and an open amputation wound healed even though the consultant said it would never close.

Regarding the meeting, I know that if you cancel something in a hospital, demand is so high that another date is very difficult to obtain. Could someone not perhaps delay their journey to Turkey or return early, as it sounds as though you think it important that someone from the family attends. As ever with these things, it's a case of weighing up the options I'm afraid.

As you are listed as a new member, I was going to welcome you to TP but I see you joined in 2011! Anyway, I hope you are able to find a compromise regarding the meeting and that you can be reassured about a transfer to a nursing home.

p.s. My husband had Stage 3 kidney disease when he was in hospital and Stage 4 in the nursing home but he lived in the home for 3 years and his death was nothing to do with his kidneys. A certain worsening of kidney function is usual when people age so try not to worry about this overmuch. Nursing homes are used to this too.
 
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Beate

Registered User
May 21, 2014
12,179
0
London
Would they allow you to phone in your attendance and be put on speaker phone? A phone call from Turkey might still be cheaper than some flight tickets.
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,075
0
Bury
If the person concerned has reached the stage where the only treatment is 'keep comfortable and pain free' there is no need for the expensive infrastructure of a hospital.

Life in a good care or nursing home can be far better than the impersonal life in a hospital.
 

jacqui_o

Registered User
Jun 21, 2011
10
0
Thank you all for the replies and suggestions.

Sadly the only way to attend is to cancel the holiday as this is not covered by the insurance.

Fortunately it is a dedicated Alzheimer's unit in the mental hospital and has not been impersonal at all, all 11 residents have their own rooms, just the same as a care home..

Unfortunately our mental health trust has been the first in England to be placed in special measures.

My biggest concern is given how frail she is that the shock of moving her and dramatic change of location and staff and familiarity will have a serious impact on her.
 

Saffie

Registered User
Mar 26, 2011
22,513
0
Near Southampton
The hospital my husband was in after being transferred from the acute hospital was a mental health hospital. It was modern and attractive with individual bedrooms. However they were not good at looking after his medical needs as mentioned earlier. He even developed MRSA 5 months after his amputation.
I was told that they were there to care for his mental health not his physical health. So not better than the nursing home at all.


Sent from my iPod touch using Talking Point
 

LYN T

Registered User
Aug 30, 2012
6,958
0
Brixham Devon
Unfortunately, beds in MHU's are very hard to come by. Your relative is possibly less needy than some other person who has acute MH needs. Dec 2013 my OH was sectioned from his CH to a MHU and discharged back to his CH 21 days later. Pete's Consultant admitted to the CH manager that he really wasn't quite ready for discharge but there wasn't one single bed available in the whole of the county we lived.The CH was given extra help from the care in the community services.

The MHU were used to Pete as he had been sectioned 5 times in 8 1/2 years; however, his CH was lovely and more homely so I couldn't wait for him to go back there.

As for your Holiday I'm so sorry that you will have to cancel but I'm afraid MHU's/Consultants can't make provision for such arrangements. You have a decision to make - non attendance or a holiday- a choice only you can make.

Take care

Lyn T XX