Hi,
I've seen threads like this before, and I know I will have to wait for the official outcome before knowing anything, but wanted to tell you how mum's NHS CHC assessment went.
The assessor was lovely, with a sympathetic nature and clear understanding of how my sister and I felt. The NH staff were thorough but, as suspected, were a bit over-enthusiastic about mum. When asked about her communication, they said they often get a cheery smile, and facial expressions to tell them how she feels. I won't go into that now, because you'll all nod off before you've finished reading...but generally, I got the feeling they unintentionally wanted to get across what a great relationship they have with her and what a good job they were doing with her. However, on the plus side, I was able to stress the "well managed need is still a need" and the fact that she wasn't like that all the time, and that we can't be sure what she's communicating at all most of the time, has to be considered. They kept speaking of her on her good days, when we should have been concentrating on her bad days...
Anyway, here's the breakdown, (tell me if you suspect the worst, like me...):
Behaviour - NO NEEDS
Cognition - SEVERE
Psych & emotional - MODERATE
Communication - MODERATE (we asked for it to be noted that we felt it should be high, or was certainly on the border of both)
Mobility - HIGH
Continence - MODERATE
Skin - MODERATE
Breathing - NO NEEDS
Drugs - MODERATE
ASC - LOW
No matter how much reading I had done ahead of this, and despite all the advice given by fellow TP'ers, I could not have been prepared for how specific this assessment was, and how much of it was semantics.
For each of the points my sister and I had already marked as high, or even severe, in our minds, were were finding marked as moderate. I know the word "moderate" itself was quite emotive because it almost implied her needs were only a small problem...I realise it was the description within the "moderate" we needed to focus on. But even then...
Oh I won't go on.
So...1 severe, 1 high, 5 moderate (one pending as possibly high), 1 low and 2 no need. How does that look? Can this be down to her opinion, or does this outcome work to a formula? Is there point scoring for each category?
She's going back to write up her findings and discuss the Communication category with a colleague, then she'll email my case worker within the week, hopefully.
Can see it going to Panel...(what will that involve?)
I may just be spouting so don't worry if I'm asking too many questions in one post!
I've seen threads like this before, and I know I will have to wait for the official outcome before knowing anything, but wanted to tell you how mum's NHS CHC assessment went.
The assessor was lovely, with a sympathetic nature and clear understanding of how my sister and I felt. The NH staff were thorough but, as suspected, were a bit over-enthusiastic about mum. When asked about her communication, they said they often get a cheery smile, and facial expressions to tell them how she feels. I won't go into that now, because you'll all nod off before you've finished reading...but generally, I got the feeling they unintentionally wanted to get across what a great relationship they have with her and what a good job they were doing with her. However, on the plus side, I was able to stress the "well managed need is still a need" and the fact that she wasn't like that all the time, and that we can't be sure what she's communicating at all most of the time, has to be considered. They kept speaking of her on her good days, when we should have been concentrating on her bad days...
Anyway, here's the breakdown, (tell me if you suspect the worst, like me...):
Behaviour - NO NEEDS
Cognition - SEVERE
Psych & emotional - MODERATE
Communication - MODERATE (we asked for it to be noted that we felt it should be high, or was certainly on the border of both)
Mobility - HIGH
Continence - MODERATE
Skin - MODERATE
Breathing - NO NEEDS
Drugs - MODERATE
ASC - LOW
No matter how much reading I had done ahead of this, and despite all the advice given by fellow TP'ers, I could not have been prepared for how specific this assessment was, and how much of it was semantics.
For each of the points my sister and I had already marked as high, or even severe, in our minds, were were finding marked as moderate. I know the word "moderate" itself was quite emotive because it almost implied her needs were only a small problem...I realise it was the description within the "moderate" we needed to focus on. But even then...
Oh I won't go on.
So...1 severe, 1 high, 5 moderate (one pending as possibly high), 1 low and 2 no need. How does that look? Can this be down to her opinion, or does this outcome work to a formula? Is there point scoring for each category?
She's going back to write up her findings and discuss the Communication category with a colleague, then she'll email my case worker within the week, hopefully.
Can see it going to Panel...(what will that involve?)
I may just be spouting so don't worry if I'm asking too many questions in one post!