Just received the result of my mothers assessment for NHS CHC funding and probably no surprise to most of you that she has been turned down! Do I appeal?
My mother is 98 has advanced dementia and for the last 5 1/2 years has been a self funded resident in a specialist dementia care home where her condition has progressively worsened. She is chair/bed bound, has strictures, is doubly incontinent, suffers from severe swallowing problems(dysphagia), has recurring bladder infections, is now suffering from recurring pressure sores, suffers distress and spends considerable amounts of time calling out for Help/Help Me - she consequently is spending considerable times in isolation (according to the home to protect her from other residents).
In March she was assessed for the second time for NHS CHC funding and scored on the decision support tool as below:
Behaviour - Moderate
Cognition - Severe
Psychology & Emotional - Moderate
Communication - High
Mobility - High
Nutrition - High
Continence - Moderate
Skin - Moderate
Breathing - No Needs
Drugs - Low
Altered Consciousness - No Needs
Other care need - No Needs
The panel amended her Psych & Emotional score to LOW and turned her down for funding on the grounds that she does not have a primary health need! Stating that her severe cognitive impairment, high falls risk and nutritional status (she has lost a stone & a half over the last year) do not increase the overall complexity, unpredictability or intensity of her needs!
Where do we go next - should I appeal and if so on what grounds? I attended the initial assessment and had input into her scores for the Decision Support Tool which I largely agreed with but this was still not sufficient to gain her funding when assessed by the panel. The attitude seems to be that all her needs are predictable and taken care of in her specialist care home and therefore she does not need CHC funding.
Any help/advice with this would be gratefully received.
My mother is 98 has advanced dementia and for the last 5 1/2 years has been a self funded resident in a specialist dementia care home where her condition has progressively worsened. She is chair/bed bound, has strictures, is doubly incontinent, suffers from severe swallowing problems(dysphagia), has recurring bladder infections, is now suffering from recurring pressure sores, suffers distress and spends considerable amounts of time calling out for Help/Help Me - she consequently is spending considerable times in isolation (according to the home to protect her from other residents).
In March she was assessed for the second time for NHS CHC funding and scored on the decision support tool as below:
Behaviour - Moderate
Cognition - Severe
Psychology & Emotional - Moderate
Communication - High
Mobility - High
Nutrition - High
Continence - Moderate
Skin - Moderate
Breathing - No Needs
Drugs - Low
Altered Consciousness - No Needs
Other care need - No Needs
The panel amended her Psych & Emotional score to LOW and turned her down for funding on the grounds that she does not have a primary health need! Stating that her severe cognitive impairment, high falls risk and nutritional status (she has lost a stone & a half over the last year) do not increase the overall complexity, unpredictability or intensity of her needs!
Where do we go next - should I appeal and if so on what grounds? I attended the initial assessment and had input into her scores for the Decision Support Tool which I largely agreed with but this was still not sufficient to gain her funding when assessed by the panel. The attitude seems to be that all her needs are predictable and taken care of in her specialist care home and therefore she does not need CHC funding.
Any help/advice with this would be gratefully received.