Hi everyone
My Mum's in a community hospital at the moment after cracking a vertebrae in a fall. She was unsteady on her feet and leaning backwards a lot before this fall and has fallen on a number of occasions previously (breaking a pelvic bone on one occasion).
Mum hasn't got a discharge date as yet ... but community hospital beds are in very short supply so I'm sure the medics will want to discharge her ASAP. Dad wants Mum to come home directly from hospital ... but only when she's fit enough to do so safely. I have my doubts whether Mum will ever be fit enough to come home and also wonder whether most homes would accept her as a resident at the time when the hospital wants to discharge her. Will the hospital require us to move Mum into residential care if it's not safe for her to come home and Mum doesn't really need to be in hospital any longer? I'd be happy if they would - but it'd upset my Dad.
Currently Mum is being taught to use a walker but needs to be supported by a carer (or physio) all the time she's using it. Will a residential home accept Mum if she still needs to have the support of a carer every time she moves, please? Mum had her accident 2 weeks ago and can now walk 20 metres on the flat.
I don't know whether Mum has yet progressed to only needing one carer to help her get up out of bed - she used to need two carers. My sister was told that the most accessible care home for Dad wouldn't accept any resident needing two carers' help to get them up. Do most residential care homes take that attitude please?
They have tried her on stairs and I think Mum frightens the physio as much as she does us - Mum doesn't follow instructions (she can't); takes her hands off the bannisters; and reverses direction on the stairs, all without warning. The physio sensibly wants Mum's living accommodation to be on one level - but that can't be managed at home without extensive rebuilding.
If the property isn't rebuilt to provide on the ground floor a large bathroom with easy access (without steps) to Mum's "bedroom" (aka our lounge) then she'll remain at high risk of a fall. If Mum is sent home before the bathroom is built then the kitchen sink / food preparation area will also be the place where she (doubly incontinent) will be cleaned up by her registered blind carer - both of them will probably go down with food poisoning.
I'm hoping the hospital will keep Mum in for long enough to give us a chance of persuading Dad to at least try the residential care option. If they don't then I think Dad won't willingly agree to anything except Mum coming home ... back to a situation that's desperately unsafe for both of them. Can any of you advise me please what's likely to happen? Dad's willing in principle now for us to attend the discharge planning meeting.
My Mum's in a community hospital at the moment after cracking a vertebrae in a fall. She was unsteady on her feet and leaning backwards a lot before this fall and has fallen on a number of occasions previously (breaking a pelvic bone on one occasion).
Mum hasn't got a discharge date as yet ... but community hospital beds are in very short supply so I'm sure the medics will want to discharge her ASAP. Dad wants Mum to come home directly from hospital ... but only when she's fit enough to do so safely. I have my doubts whether Mum will ever be fit enough to come home and also wonder whether most homes would accept her as a resident at the time when the hospital wants to discharge her. Will the hospital require us to move Mum into residential care if it's not safe for her to come home and Mum doesn't really need to be in hospital any longer? I'd be happy if they would - but it'd upset my Dad.
Currently Mum is being taught to use a walker but needs to be supported by a carer (or physio) all the time she's using it. Will a residential home accept Mum if she still needs to have the support of a carer every time she moves, please? Mum had her accident 2 weeks ago and can now walk 20 metres on the flat.
I don't know whether Mum has yet progressed to only needing one carer to help her get up out of bed - she used to need two carers. My sister was told that the most accessible care home for Dad wouldn't accept any resident needing two carers' help to get them up. Do most residential care homes take that attitude please?
They have tried her on stairs and I think Mum frightens the physio as much as she does us - Mum doesn't follow instructions (she can't); takes her hands off the bannisters; and reverses direction on the stairs, all without warning. The physio sensibly wants Mum's living accommodation to be on one level - but that can't be managed at home without extensive rebuilding.
If the property isn't rebuilt to provide on the ground floor a large bathroom with easy access (without steps) to Mum's "bedroom" (aka our lounge) then she'll remain at high risk of a fall. If Mum is sent home before the bathroom is built then the kitchen sink / food preparation area will also be the place where she (doubly incontinent) will be cleaned up by her registered blind carer - both of them will probably go down with food poisoning.
I'm hoping the hospital will keep Mum in for long enough to give us a chance of persuading Dad to at least try the residential care option. If they don't then I think Dad won't willingly agree to anything except Mum coming home ... back to a situation that's desperately unsafe for both of them. Can any of you advise me please what's likely to happen? Dad's willing in principle now for us to attend the discharge planning meeting.