Euphoria of funding was short lived. PALS manager has just called me and said there is NO capacity AT ALL for my dad to have 4 visits a day at home and that we need to start looking at care homes. Bearing in mind it was care home neglect that put him in there in the first place, this is a big NO from us. She was quite persistent, saying we'd have to start thinking about it. She assured me that the discharge team had called every agency (20 on total) on their books and there was no point me trying to call.
So, I started to call round, and straight away got an agency who told me they'd spoken to the hospital yesterday and told them they could look after my dad but not for 2-3 weeks whilst they had some staff on leave, then they could take over. She asked why they didn't send out their Rapid Response team until then. I've never heard of that - has anyone on here please? She says they are emergency carers from the hospital who fill the inevitable gap between discharge and getting regular carers in place. PALS manager has not heard of them either. But this care agency manager seemed to be familiar with Telford hospital's carers.
If dad has to wait 2-3 weeks (if he can hang on that long) in hospital would that not be better than a care home? It would be nice to be given the option.
I then spoke to another agency, and they told me they hadn't even been called by the hospital. They're checking and calling back this afternoon.
Does anyone do their job properly??
Consultant is assessing dad again tomorrow to see if he would qualify for a stint in hospice. I pray they say yes. But ward staff keep saying 'he's stable'.
So frustrating to keep taking one step forwards and two back!!
Written by
sasmock
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Most hospital discharge teams have a team of carers to do the discharge ho, assess in the home and provide support whilst the care plan is put in place.
I see no problem in getting more than one agency involved.
If he is near to needing a Hospice then he will be beyond the competency of a Care Home and if not a Hospice I would imagine he would need a Nursing Home.
There is no advice I can give. You seem to be doing everything that could be done.
It's Stafford and Surrounds CCG who did the Fast track and they're telling me it's different to Shropshire. It would have been better if he'd been assessed by Telford as they do have team of carers but Stafford don't, so we're at the mercy of the agencies. You just think of everything that could go wrong HAS gone wrong and can't believe it. Can they FORCE him in to a care/nursing home do you know?
No, they cannot force him. Neither can they discharge without a 'safe' care plan' and resources in place. If he hasn't got capacity then they would need to do a 'Best Interest Assessment' under the Mental Capacity Act and you would have to be consulted and your wishes would have to be regarded as weighing very heavily in their decision. e.g. they cannot ignore you view or simply override it.
We live in West Yorkshire and they tried telling me he had to go in home till he was picked up. My answer was no chance there's no care in place so he's staying here in hospital and that is where he stayed and chc had to ring round other company's till somebody said yes
I know you need your dad home asap so I hope they pull there finger out so he can be
Ignore them if they say they need the bed and tell them he cannot be moved till care in place
Have you tried using independent caters ?They often work for agencies and themselves . Try looking in your local parish mag for adverts or ask your district nurses if they know anyone - recommendation works well . We had team of four independents and they were great , reliable and full continuity . Once we had one they seemed to know others etc etc . You would have to take on a CHC personal budget but that is not a problem as there is a system that deals with it all for you .
S I can't believe this! They should all be lined up and shot! What an utter disgrace they are. To answer your question about Rapid Response we had a team early on but not sure they are still there now. Then we had the council's Reablement team for 6 weeks. I don't think they would be allocated to you given how poorly your Dad is even if they have such a team.
However if you have found two firms who have said they could take care of your Dad at home then you need to wipe the floor with the PALS Manager. I would certainly report this hospital to the CQC. Hospitals are scared stiff of being reported for inadequate care or for anything else for that matter. I would be very surprised if the CQC didn't take this very seriously.
In addition contact your MP and tell him/her what is going on at this hospital. Tell the PALS Manager you are contacting the MP for the area your Dad lives in and for the area the hospital is based in. What part of Shropshire is it in? Happy to help you with this if you want me to look up the MP's and tell them to contact you asap explaining what has hapoened.
I did this and had a two hour meeting with PALS and the two Matrons at our local hospital!! Amazing what a bit of official paper can do! This was a complaint about the fact they told us my husband was not in A&E when he was! An hour later we found him!! Anyway they got every moan I had after that. Apart from the last time he was there. I am going to do that within the next month.
The PALS Manager was obviously worried you would go to the press too. I would say that again even if you have no intention of doing it! However tell her you are reporting to them to CQC and do it! Tell whoever was meant to grant you CHC the same!
Ask to speak to the Chief Exec and go and sit outside his door if need be. His photograph will be on the website for the hospital as will the other members of the Board. You can ask one of the non-Executive Directors to contact you. Their email should be on the website so send an email and tell them what is going on and don't forget Healthwatch! Contact them and tell them you need their help.
Any phone calls you need to make I am happy to do for you. Just tell me the name of the MP's and your Dad's name if you are happy to do that.
Hugs to you and your Mum and Dad. Tell your Mum she has no need to say thank you by the way. I think we are all furious on your behalf!
There's more!!!!! I specifically asked the discharge team to contact dad's former carers. They told me they had and they didn't have capacity. So I just checked up and rang the carers myself. They said NO ONE has called from the hospital AT ALL. They have capacity to do 3 double up visits each day and one single, and they can start almost straight away. So I just need to find an agency who can send a double team on the one visit they can't do. That's a good starting point. I've just left a message on PALS line - NO ONE is forcing my dad in to a home because they can't be arsed to do their job properly!!! I'm STEAMING MAD. Probably a good job everyone has gone home now as they'd really get some foul language off me right now. My mom is so upset at thought of a home. Thanks for all those suggestions and I will most definitely take this complaint as high as I can , but right now I'm going to give my energy to getting dad out with good care, as it appears no one else is going to. I'm going to MDT meeting on Friday - I CAN'T WAIT!!!
Marie, thank you so much for your lovely offer of help, that's so sweet of you and so much appreciated. As soon as I can think straight, I may take you up on that. Right now, the gin is beckoning. I've got palpitations anyway at the moment, so it can't do any harm! x
I didn't know what they were called but I have come across them. My mother had them for a week after we realised she needed care at home, and before the council provided carers took over, and I think David might have had them right back at the start, but I'm not totally convinved on that one.
They did a good stop gap job with my mother, and still filled in the visit logs etc just like the main care places do, the only thing that didn't exist was the full care plan that you get in place once the main agency take over, so its more of a "What can I do" visit by visit call, which is fine for tiding over.
S this has to be the worst hospital I have ever heard of!! I would send your Dad's experience as a Case Study to the CEO of the hospital/CCG/MP's/ and CQC...in fact everyone! I would also include the council's Head Of Adult Services ...the Councillor lead rather than the officer! If he/she has any oomph they will start asking questions too. The hospital and CCG ought to be thoroughly ashamed of themselves!
I am going to talk to the Head of Adult Care at our council. He is aware there is so much wrong already as he had an ear bashing before. However I am going to get the bit between my teeth again! I have already offered to help him as I think we need these conditions moved onto the agenda but we also need to say to the CCG this is not good enough when people are literally abandoned. My heart goes out to you. Thank goodness you have been there for your Dad.
Marie is it awful place, I live just 5 minutes away from it! I put a formal complaints in last year. It is just a catalogue of errors snowballing all the time.
Spiral what happened after your formal complaint and did you contact the local MP to complain? I have never heard anything like this. Our hospital is certainly not great but this one is beyond disgraceful.
I got a long response which was just saying how they would be changing how they did certain things. It contained an apology. At the time no I didn't contact MP as I wasn't as clued up as I am now.
This is all of our journeys, rant as much as you want, the system is broken, its not money or staff shortages its people in the job who actually do not give a #### and not doing their job properly . As long as the box is ticked that is all they worry about.
I had the same experience with rog, the nurses had never heard of the complex discharge team!
I cannot add any more advice other than eventually it will come right but lots of tears along the way.
Must close time to get his nibs up, spending time with my ickle grandson today bliss, gary rog's carer coming in for my 6 hr block,
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succumbed with guilt and what if….
