To be honest I've lost a lot of faith in the care home. It is part of a big group, and the management seem to put profit before care. There has been a massive turn over of staff lately, we have not been told why the manager left - just an email on the day he went. They have dementia patients on one and a half floors, and elderly residents who choose to be there on 2 and a half. Things seem to be geared up to the elderly residents with entertainment and parties, but not the one to one that the dementia residents need. We looked round quite a few homes, and whittled it down to two. We chose this one because the room has a big window, and is bright and spacious, and we knew Dad would spend most of his time there, as he is not a socialiser. They also have a mini bus, so he was going out once a fortnight or so before lockdown.
Maybe you could make a special request to the deputy manager to visit Dad. The latest version of the guidelines include the following pronouncements.
In light of their obligations to residents’ rights and wellbeing, it may be appropriate or necessary for providers to apply different rules for different residents
The factors relevant to decisions about particular individuals or groups of residents include the following, in addition to those factors above relating to a care home’s general visiting policy:
the benefits to a person’s wellbeing by having a particular visitor or visitors
the extent of the harm that will be experienced by the resident from a lack of visitation
In making these decisions, the care provider should actively involve the resident, their relatives or friends
www.gov.uk
The guidelines are certainly flexible enough to allow visitors on an individualised basis. I suggest that you emphasise to the deputy manager just how worried you are about Dad's wellbeing and his care, including staff shortages and the resignation of the manager. At a very minmum, their must be some area of the home where they could allow you some sort of visit.
I would also phone every day to speak to the duty nurse or senior carer responsible for Dad for that day for feedback and possibly a few words with Dad. And keep doing this until you form some sort of idea of the standard of care.
Do you have LPA Health & Welfare? If so, you are legally empowered to ask for a copy of Dad's care plan and daily care records. Even if you don't have the LPA, I would ask anyway, on the grounds that you know Dad better than anyone and are deeply concerned about his wellbeing. At the very least, ask for his monthly weigh-ins to get an indicator of what is happening.
It is important to get a feel for whether Dad's care is acceptable or if the concerns are related to his health conditions, before considering other options.
I really feel for you because the visitor lockdown has handicapped relatives enormously when the one thing that still motivates us above all else is to do the absolute very best we can for that loved one who we had to succomb to a care home against all instincts, wishes and promises.
This evening I had reason to phone an Admiral Nurse, who I found to be very understanding, reassuring and helpful. Here are the details.
Looking for information or advice about dementia or Alzheimer’s? Call our Dementia Helpline for free on
0800 888 6678 for support from our dementia specialist Admiral Nurses. The Helpline is open from 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm on Saturday to Sunday.