Found out today that mum has had a right occipital stroke. It's a shock. The hospital OT rang my sister this afternoon to talk about mum and mentioned mums stroke. We knew nothing about this, but apparently she had a scan on the 14th that showed she'd had one, that would have been friday. We did wonder why she had moved wards when i arrived on saturday, but nobody told us about anything, including that she had swapped wards until I turned up.
Mum went in to hospital wednesday night and was admitted to AMU in the early hours of thursday morning. I called the hospital thursday morning to see how mum was, she'd been put on antibiotics as had raised infection markers and they were waiting for another urine sample and DR to see her and check if any infection. DR rang me late morning and said bloods etc all fine, she was ok but they wanted to see about support at home before discharge so I told him what mum had been like and I couldn't keep her safe, he said he would go away and look into it. I rang hospital later in afternoon and nurse said mum was being admitted to care for the elderly ward later that day for assessment of what she'd need before discharge and to ring next morning about visiting.
Friday I rang to arrange visit on that ward and the ward sister asked me a bit bout mum and asked me to bring SWs number with me, which I did when I visitied. Saturday sis went to visit that ward and nurse said mum would be in over weekend as medically no need to be seen by DR over weekend so the DR would see her monday and probaby say medically fit for discharge and then they'd start assessment for her discharge.
I went to visit her sunday and when I buzzed care for the elderly ward the nurse said mum was across on other ward opposite. That was the stroke ward, I asked both nurses who answered buzzers if mum was ok cos she'd moved and both said yes, neither said why she'd moved. We thought maybe as not using all parts of hospital in same way at moment due to covid and also building work going on they used that ward as overflow ward cos opposite other.
Today sis went to see mum she said mum was ok but maybe a bit more subdued today, she didn't ask sis if she was takign her home but told sis she was leaving before friday cos she'd been there a month on friday. Sis also spoke to nurse as she left who said mum had been quite confused and upset last night and wanted to go home as his shift was finishing. He also said they'd put mum on omneprazole as she'd said felt like upset tummy (prob all the tablets together) Sis had sneaked a look at mums chart when she was there and it said she was on folic acid and also another tablet which sis thought was a steroid. It said on chart mum had been unsettled last night and sat in dining room with someone for quite a while a couple of times so looks like she'd had a bad time sundowning.
Sis also spoke to discharge planner and told her bit bout mum and she said mum hadn't seen DR yet but assessment would be starting today, she took some numbers again off sis. The Ot rang this afternoon and thats when she mentioned the occipital stroke, the ct scan on friday and said they were going to give mum an mri too. Sis and I were quite surprised, OT said it affects the vision, the eye sees an object but then the brain can't say what it is, so her eye might see a cup but her brain may process it only as a blob and she won't know what it is. She said she needed to see if this would affect mums ability to do things. She'd spoke to mum a bit earlier, though mum was more concerned with lady in next bed looking uncomfy and OT said she was going to go back to speak to her again later but wanted to speak to us a bit first.
We talked a bit about how mum says she's fine and can do everything but doesn't and a few of the things she struggles with and about her wanting to leave and then leaving on wednesday and mixing up and thinking in a different time frame with old memories. She said they were thinking mum would be unable to cope at home and would need full time care, we told her mums SW said the same and we also thought same. She said they would also be looking at mums capacity as wasn't sure still had capacity. She said that since covid they want to get patients out of hospital as quickly as possible so they would do short assessment to say mum not fit enough to go home yet as she is and needs further assessment, then they'd get nhs funding for a residential bed in a home, but it would be any home and they didn't wait for beds, then they would assess if mum needed carers or full time care from there. She didn't think carers was enough or would work. We told OT she already had 4 weeks respite and we knew of emi home with bed free so she said she'd make a note for case team who looked. She said we didn't usually get to pick unless it was a private one and family paid the difference. She thought it may be in next few days. She said she was going to ring mums SW and then go back to chat some more with mum. We'd told her mum can get upset and defensive and angry if thinks saying can't or should do something and OT said she'd go softly and slip things into general chat and say looking at her maybe just going somewhere to recuperate for little bit rather than looking at permanent care.
She rang back after little while to say spoke to SW and also SW rang back to say spoke to OT. SW said she had told OT she didn't want mum going into a home and having to move, she wanted her to go in and stay put so they should try to get her into home we chose. She said she had already said she wanted mum in permanent care so once in mum would be staying in, she wouldn't be coming out. She said if we needed to talk to her just ring. OT said mum might have to wait few days for MRI as not urgent, it was more a diagnostic scan so she may stay there till had it or go to assessment bed first she didn't know yet but would let us know when did and was going to go talk to DR and mum.
Then she rang back to say as she went back to talk to DR, mum was trying to leave ward and getting upset and she said they were going to put a DOLs in place to keep her there as even when they told her she needed to stay till had MRI mum said she was going home. I don't think she was going to go back to speak to mum then as she was upset and there'd be no point so think she'd leave it till tomorrow.
So it looks like mum is not happy and is still wanting to leave and they are struggling to keep her on the ward and settled now. Also mum seems to be on more tablets now but we've not been told what and we didn't know anything about the scan and occipital stroke till this afternoon talking to OT. It seems odd that nurse and other DR we spoke to on other days/calls seemed to think DR would say mum's physically fit for discharge today and didn't mention scan or anything. Sis and I wondered if they'd got wrong person at first as when I was visiting mum yesterday there was another woman in her room who said she'd had ct scan when she came in on friday and thought she might be leaving monday after MRI scan and we wondered if it was her they were thinking of as OT didn't have all mums notes when she rang cos the DR had them. Mum did say I think I've to have a scan as well when the woman said it on saturday but I thought that was mum just getting mixed up as she also thought one of other beds was hers and the other womans wash bag which she'd left on a chair was hers too, but she was on the stroke ward.
As mums waiting for a scan and other bits have to happen so mum might be there for few days now sis decided after lots of to-ing and fro-ing to go home this evening. She's supposed to be working tomorrow and her work is manic at moment, its my nieces birthday on thursday and she's some things to sort at home too with house and kids. She'll still be able to talk to people and me on phone, just won't be here in person but at moment it's a bit of a waiting game anyway. She said she'd come back at weekend with boyfriend if things need sorting but I said wait and see what happens.
Don't know when mums going to be moved or where to yet. Tonight hubby and I drove by the home we'd sort of decided on and it looked rather tired and grubby on outside. The woodwork looked really tired and there were weeds growing down the side and a couple of windows on side of building had dull looking nets up. It put me off a bit but we were struggling to find another EMI type home that didn't have to pay top ups and that had good cqc rating and carehome reviews. So I just hope it's ok