Paying for additional "one to one" support within a nursing home - any suggestions?

[rocketscientist]

My mum suffers severely with Lewy Body Dementia. She is in a specialist dementia nursing home, which is paid for out of her (small) pension, savings, and proceeds of sale of her house. We have been turned down (3 times) from NHS continuing care although she is highly confused, hallucinating, often agitated, doubly incontinent, totally unable to dress or wash herself etc, has difficulty feeding herselF, and often falls.
Now she has had several falls within the nursing home, the most recent leading to a hospital admission. Luckily she was not badly injured - but she could have been.
The hospital Consultant advises she should have 24 hour one to one care, to avoid further incidents. Social serices would arrange and pay for this - if my Mum were not self funding! But as she is a self funder, it seems that we may have to pay any extra costs - which I imagine will be heavy. It does not seem right that she is clearly severely ill and needs care as recommended by a doctor - yet NHS will not provide or pay for this care. Has anyone faced a similar situation? Is there anytHing we can do?

 

[nita]

Has she had another assessment since she's had the latest fall and gone to hospital? It sounds as if her condition is deteriorating and now the consultant says she needs 24 hour care, isn't this a trigger for the assessment to be done again? Can you speak to the hospital social worker to at least go through the checklist to see if an assessment should be done?

There is something else called NHS-funded nursing care. It is only £109.79 per week so doesn't cover anywhere near all fees but it may help towards providing the extra care needed:-

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/what-is-nhs-funded-nursing-care.aspx

 

[Booshka]

Running into similar issues re: mum requiring 1:1 care

My mum suffers severely with Lewy Body Dementia. She is in a specialist dementia nursing home, which is paid for out of her (small) pension, savings, and proceeds of sale of her house. We have been turned down (3 times) from NHS continuing care although she is highly confused, hallucinating, often agitated, doubly incontinent, totally unable to dress or wash herself etc, has difficulty feeding herselF, and often falls.
Now she has had several falls within the nursing home, the most recent leading to a hospital admission. Luckily she was not badly injured - but she could have been.
The hospital Consultant advises she should have 24 hour one to one care, to avoid further incidents. Social serices would arrange and pay for this - if my Mum were not self funding! But as she is a self funder, it seems that we may have to pay any extra costs - which I imagine will be heavy. It does not seem right that she is clearly severely ill and needs care as recommended by a doctor - yet NHS will not provide or pay for this care. Has anyone faced a similar situation? Is there anytHing we can do?

Hi,
I am totally new here & hope that I am posting this correctly!
I have read your post & have a similar difficult situation running with regard my mums care (& future care) needs...
I'm wondering how you got on with finding 1:1 care? How is it going with regard your Mums care?

 

[rocketscientist]

Thanks for responses.
We got the £109.79 nursing care allowance already. But that only goes a very small way to covering nursing home fees.
No real progress since last post - good luck to Booshka with your situation! Things are never easy with dementia.
We are awaiting a review meeting with social services, GP, etc. May be they will come up with something? Meanwhile Mum has had more falls, though fortunately without injury.

 

[Saffie]

To be honest, I doubt if it falls to the SS to fund one to one nursing care. I've certainly never heard of it. Usually, it is the NHS who has to pay for this via CHC funding. I would ask for another assessment.

 

[rocketscientist]

To be honest, I doubt if it falls to the SS to fund one to one nursing care. I've certainly never heard of it. Usually, it is the NHS who has to pay for this via CHC funding. I would ask for another assessment.

Thanks!
In fact it seems Social Worker is going to instigate another CHC assessment, so we will keep our fingers crossed.

 

[Megan76]

Hassle and hassle, and hassle for another CHC assessment. I did, and Mum has finally been awarded it. It doesn't pay for one to one, but it has taken away my panic about how to spread the remaining money thinly enough!