Re-ablement service

jstmcm

Registered User
Apr 19, 2012
48
0
Has anyone had cause to use their local re-ablement service, and were they any use? After my Mum's fall last week, they came round quite quickly to assess if she was safe to continue living on her own, and it was agreed that all she needed was a grab rail at some steps. My brother was there for the assessment, and he said that the lady doing it seemed quite impatient and didn't have much of a "bedside manner" with Mum, which seemed surprising since 90% of her work must surely be with elderly and possibly confused people.

There was some concern (which we share) about whether Mum was still capable of cooking a meal, and my brother was told that the re-ablement team could send someone to call in and check Mum was OK for a couple of weeks, and it could be done at lunchtime so that they could check she was eating/cooking OK. That seemed like a very good idea. However, they were only prepared to do that within 2 weeks of her accident. But Mum is still recovering from her injuries and at the moment I or my brother are staying with her and looking after her, including cooking. Once she doesn't need round-the-clock care, which hopefully will be in a week or so, we aim to go back to her having carers calling in every morning to check she is OK, and that is when we would want the re-ablement team to assess her cooking abilities - but apparently they won't do it then because it would be longer than 2 weeks from the accident. How daft is that?

Since the conversations with the Re-ablement team, Mum has talked about going into a care home in September, so I thought it would be the decent thing to do to tell the council that she might be moving, in which case it probably would not be worthwhile putting in the grab rail. However, there is no guarantee that she will agree to move, so I asked whether the grab rail work could be put on hold until we knew definitely whether she was going to move or wanted to stay at home. I was told that the work had to be done now or not at all - and that since there was a possibility that she might not be staying in her home for long then they would cancel the work as it would be a waste of money, and they would not be prepared to put the grab rail in later if she decided to stay (at least, they wouldn't pay for it later, although we could pay for their team to do it later if she decided to stay at home).

I don't understand a system which offers help when a person doesn't need it, but won't provide it when they do need it.
 
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nita

Registered User
Dec 30, 2011
2,651
0
Essex
Personally, I would get them to put in the grab rail now, as soon as possible as she needs it now. It's a shame you told them she might be moving but you were honest. It can't cost much to put one in so I think you should let them do it.

I understood, in our area, part of Essex but not under ECC, that the re-ablement team could come for up to 4 weeks if the need was there and that the service was free. They really perform the same role as carers, so after the 4 weeks it goes back to the care agency.

Has your Mum had a proper risk assessment by an occupational therapist? Does she have a community social worker as you need to get on to her about your Mum's safety when she is left on her own. Then a proper care plan should be drawn up, possibly stating that the carers assist her with meals, etc. I think they only heat up microwaveable meals in terms of cooking! It sounds as if she needs other types of assistance and adaptations too which the OT should suggest.


I hope you can get this sorted out.
Best wishes,
Nita

PS As she is recovering from her injuries, she will need ongoing assessments to see how she is progressing and what she is able to do once she is recovered, so the OT and SW need to be continuously involved in her case.
 
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woowoo

Registered User
Jul 20, 2013
51
0
We had problems with our local team. They didn't fill the care record out correctly. Wrote 'George got out of bed. George got dressed' etc when in reality he needed assistance with everything. They didn't document that they helped him so much. When it came to his care package, we were refused any help what so ever as it seemed he was doing everything himself. 8 weeks of fighting and a washing/dressing assessment and they admitted they were wrong. X
 

jstmcm

Registered User
Apr 19, 2012
48
0
Thanks, both, for your comments. As luck would have it, news of the cancellation of putting in the grab rail didn't get to the guy who was down to do the work soon enough. He rang me to say he was coming round, and I explained that the Re-ablement lady had cancelled the work because there was a possibility that Mum might be moving. He gave a sardonic laugh (as if he was used to this lady doing this sort of thing) and said "but your Mum might have another fall tomorrow - I'm going to do it anyway" and round he came. The job took 5 minutes, if not less, and he said it only cost the council a few pounds. What a great guy!

Nita, Mum had a full assessment by an OT. She is actually incredibly fit normally (physically) and active for her age (86), has no onoing mobility problems, all the things like blood pressure are extraordinarily good for her age and she is on no medication except for the Alzheimers. (She fell because she was trying to climb into the house through the kitchen window!) After the assessment the OT said that Mum didn't need anything apart from the grab rail, so she has been signed off now. Obviously she felt a bit weak and wobbly after the accident, but she is more or less back to normal physically now, although the wounds have got a way to go before they are healed and the district nurse is coming in every other day. Mum has lost confidence, but to be honest I am not sorry about that if it convinces her that she needs to be in a CH, which it seems to have done. She doesn't have a social worker because she is self-funding her carers.

J
 

Jessbow

Registered User
Mar 1, 2013
5,678
0
Midlands
When Mum was discharged from Hospital, we had re-enablement team. They were ( In my opinion) quite rude, saying that I underestimated Mums capabilities and with their expertise ( Oh yes!) she could be doing all sorts for herself by the end of their 4 week period.

One proposed that Mum would be able to cook her own dinner! She'd not done that for about 5 years . I simply relied ''Ok if you think so'' .

To be totally honest, I think the 4 week assessment period simply sorts those that are entitled to free care. If you are self funding, its next to useless. At the end of the 4 weeks you are on your own. If you then have SS funded care, they have a detailed record of what your needs/capabilities are.


Should Mum ever be hospitalised, I would certainly refuse to have them next time