Multi-Disciplinary Team (Meeting).

MackTwelve

Registered User
May 28, 2022
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North Wales.
Hi, now that my mother has been placed on an Elderly Care Ward in the local hospital they are in the process of assessing her properly this time. I believe I'm going to finally get a proper diagnosis of her Dementia. The specialist nurse believes it may be 'Dementia/Parkinson's ~ 'Vascular Dementia', she stated that there are dozens of different possible diagnosis. and that obviously it's the Consultant Psychiatrist who'll make the final one. They are also talking about a Multi-Disciplinary Team (Meeting). Has anybody experience of an MDT? I think it's to evaluate what care is best for mum, might they come to a decision that home is not the best place for her though? TIA.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
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Kent
@MackTwelve

I attended a multi discipline meeting for my husband and it is just what it says it is.

All disciplines involved with my husband`s care, including me, met round a table to discuss his condition and the best care for him. It helped because all discussion was inclusive and everyone present knew what everyone else had been party to.
 

MackTwelve

Registered User
May 28, 2022
80
0
North Wales.
@MackTwelve

I attended a multi discipline meeting for my husband and it is just what it says it is.

All disciplines involved with my husband`s care, including me, met round a table to discuss his condition and the best care for him. It helped because all discussion was inclusive and everyone present knew what everyone else had been party to.
Thank you. Were you able to make the final decision on what you thought was best for your husband? Or was it out of your control?
 

canary

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Feb 25, 2014
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South coast
Hi @MackTwelve

When my mum had been in hospital she was discharged to a care home for assessment/reablement and at the end there was a Best Interest meeting to decide on her future care. It was a multidiscipline meeting, and I think this is what your mum will be having. The care home manager, mums GP, an occupational therapist who had assessed mum, mums SW, mum and I were all invited to this meeting. Everyone could explain what mum was like from their point of view, so that everyone could see the bigger picture. Both mum and I could express our views too, although it all rather went over mums head.

All possible outcomes were on the table. In mums case it was decided that she should stay at that care home, which was a relief to me because mum had not been eating or taking her medication properly at home, had been wandering outside during the night inappropriately dressed and other dangerous things. She was also settled in the care home and much happier. It was not inevitable that this would have been the outcome, though and the SW was quite keen that she went home with carers coming in.

All in all the experience was less intimidating and worrying than I had anticipated.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
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Kent
Thank you. Were you able to make the final decision on what you thought was best for your husband? Or was it out of your control?

This was not necessary because I agreed with everything said. It really was all in my husband`s best interests.

It was a great relief.
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
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South coast
Were you able to make the final decision on what you thought was best for your husband? Or was it out of your control?
I dont think anyone made the "final decision" - it was a round table discussion which included mum and me and we all came to a consensus which Im sure was the best decision for mum.
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
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South coast
Hi @canary I don't think mum has the 'Mental Capacity' to make decisions and if they deem that to be the case then I presume I'll be talking on her behalf of mum?
Mum didnt have capacity either, but they wanted to consider her views and this became part of the discussion. Usually mum would say that she wanted to go home - by which she meant her childhood home which didnt even exist anymore, but I think she must have been in Hostess mode on that day, because when the SW asked her if she wanted to go home mum blinked and said "I thought this was my home?". After that everyone was in agreement (including me) that she should stay in the care home.
 

MackTwelve

Registered User
May 28, 2022
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North Wales.
@canary Thank you. If they decide that residential care is best for mum I'll have to accept that even though I feel an immense amount of guilt at the thought of sending her anywhere but if it's best for her I'll have to accept it.
 

Jessbow

Registered User
Mar 1, 2013
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Midlands
@canary Thank you. If they decide that residential care is best for mum I'll have to accept that even though I feel an immense amount of guilt at the thought of sending her anywhere but if it's best for her I'll have to accept it.
Somehow it is easier if somone else /a group of people makes the decision. It wasnt somethig I ever wanted for my mum, but she did really well, and was cared for better than I could ever have done.

Mourn for what was, and step forward with what could be with a new way of caring for her.
 

MackTwelve

Registered User
May 28, 2022
80
0
North Wales.
Update: Mum was in hospital on the elderly care ward until last Monday. She had a kidney infection which I presume is a UTI and low iron in the blood. These have been resolved a couple of weeks back, she was fairly ok on the ward but was moved into a EMI Residential Home on Monday. She actually ended up in Nursing EMI due to covid being present on the Residential side. Against everyone's advice I brought her home as I couldn't dream of leaving her there as all the other clients had much more advanced Dementia which required nursing. She was also pleading with me not to leave her there. Our emotional attachment according to the nurse in charge is also a problem I must address, I'm sure that's true. I know I should have left her but I couldn't, I'm just praying to God now that she doesn't have a bad episode back home that puts us in another crisis.
 

Louise7

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Mar 25, 2016
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What a difficult situation for you @MackTwelve Was it the decision of the MDT that your mum needed the EMI home? It must have been so hard when she was pleading with you not to leave her there. Is her social worker aware and has sufficient care been put in place at home to support you both and manage your mother's needs as it sounds like she needs quite a lot of care now.
 

MackTwelve

Registered User
May 28, 2022
80
0
North Wales.
Hi @Louise7 The decision was either EMI home or Home Care Package. Home care was not available then and a vacancy came up suddenly in an EMI unit. Family and SW pushed for that option, I personally wanted home care. Since mum has been home I've arranged privately for a carer to come in the morning to help with personal hygiene etc. Formal home care has also been arranged now but at approx 11am, which doesn't really help as mum likes to get up at 8am ish. It wasn't just her pleading to come home, she is partially sighted (Borderline Registered Blind) and her personal space was being invaded by other individuals on the Nursing EMI, not their fault I know but mother was showing signs of becoming frightened there! I sometimes just wish I wasn't here to have to deal with all this, selfish I know.
 

Louise7

Volunteer Host
Mar 25, 2016
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Hi @MackTwelve it's good to hear that there is care in place and it sounds like you're doing a great job of organising things for your mum. It's a lot to deal with on your own though and you mention family, will they be able to offer some help and support too, so that you can maybe take a break now and again, even just some cover for an hour or two?
 

MackTwelve

Registered User
May 28, 2022
80
0
North Wales.
Hi @Louise7 Family are busy living there own lives mostly. Can be called on at a push if things get really bad but I get the feeling they would have prefered mother out of the way. Family aren't always the easiest to get along with unfortunately. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh though.