Mental capacity & comprehension test!

[VonVee]

Ok...

Today my mother had a mental comprehension test with her SW and the MHT, this was following the other night escapades of potential wandering off session and asking other residents to call her a cab so she could go home.

The SW asked her many questions, and it ended up with my mum saying that Don (my dad) being her child, and me being her grandchild she supposes.

I had a word with them all, away from my mum, and I told them how it was and is, and then they went to see my mother, who was very agitated and a bit confused, and told everyone to P off as she wanted to be left alone and didn't want all this bother.

It was determined by the SW that my mum has no mental comprehension, but she's coming back next week to do another next and the week after just to make sure.

She still had to put in before she left tho, that the office of the public guardian would be deciding whether to strip me of my power of attorney or not and they'll be in touch.
I now know to be total BS by the SW, it's not an easy process and takes bloody ages, so I'm trying not to panic and worry about it too much.

It's looking very likely that she'll be put into a care home, have I got rights what care home they put her in and where, because I'm looking at local ones in and around Poole because they are local and take on SS elderly, even tho they are private, the SW is trying to push a care home in Swanage onto me, as she seems to think the one I have my eye on in Poole is not prepared to accept or be suitable for my mother, because my mum may cause problems and won't go easily and she said they don't have the restraints to deal with someone like my mum??? I mean what do they think she is ....

She's 4,5, 83, frail, can't see very well and has dementia, like what trouble can she make that warrants restraints exactly.

I just don't want her put into any care home, and miles away, as I don't drive, and it will be difficult me going to see her, the stupid SW has made me worried now that I'm going to lose my POA, so I'm scared, I'll have no rights, and they'll be able to do what they damn well like.

By the way, I am not the sole POA, there are two of us! And that hasn't been bought up, so I'm not sure if there aware or not, but it may go in my favour.

It's all the threats I hate, and the way I'm treated just because this years been a pig and I've got into arrears with the rent and social care, I feel like they've made me the criminal, and I'm not.

 

[canary]

Of course you have imput into which care home your mum goes into.
However there are some restrictions. Firstly, there is the question of whether she is self-funded or not. If she is then price is not an issue, but if she is not then the LA will only pay up to a certain amount and if it is more then the family (not your mum) will be expected to pay the "top up fee" ie the difference. If its an expensive home this can be considerable.
Secondly, not all residential homes offer the same service. If she has other medical problems then a nursing home may be better. Some CHs take both dementia and non dementia people, but once the dementia symptoms become more pronounced they may say that they cant cope and give you notice to find somewhere else. And by things that they cant cope with I mean things like refusing to wash and/or change clothes, walking around during the night, going into other residents rooms and other things which are normal dementia things.

"She's 4,5, 83, frail, can't see very well and has dementia, like what trouble can she make that warrants restraints exactly."

You would be surprised what even the frailest ones can get up to BTW, I dont think that the SW meant physical restraints - they dont use them in CHs! Every CH will interview the person before accepting them and if the home doesnt think they could cope with them they will not accept them.

What I suggest you do is get a list of CH/NH in you area from Mr Google and go and have a look at them. Obviously you want somewhere close to you, but also see what they are like. Find out how much they cost and whether the LA would cover the fees or whether you would have to find top up fees (if shes not self-funding) and also ask them what sort of behaviour they could not cope with. This will give you much more to go on when you come to talk to the SW.