"Care home placement from hospital"

Placing of our elderly relative - post stroke from hospital environment to care home

Difficult to find suitable care home. Given list by social worker.

Very strong offensive urine odour in many.

Run down fixtures and environment and often very small rooms.

Very few care staff available and minimum ratio nursing staff to supervise.

Smelly sitting rooms full of elderly residents falling to the side of their chairs asleep with a TV blaring loudly.

All very confronting when trying to place a loved one.

Many seem not purpose built and many not fit for purpose I would have to say. Lack of grounds/outdoor areas Bed availability, a bit of a lottery also therefore you may not get the care home of your choice.         

The Transition process from hospital not great, staff on the floor not aware of care needs on arrival in care home. Handover/ transfer of care communication seemed a poor process even though pre assessment conducted by senior care home staff (what did happen to that information?)

Relative dressed in someone else’s clothing day 2 as clothing had gone for labelling - surely some items could have been labelled prior. Care home staff unaware of mobility needs/ continence needs or daily care needs. Requested physio assessment be organised - senior care home staff advised wait list for NHS physio in care home was three months. Have a window of opportunity to get my elderly relative back on her feet - no physio for three months makes it impossible.

A number of the staff don't have English as their first language and this can make communication with an elderly broad-Scottish speaking resident very difficult. I felt like I was acting as an interpreter, and my relative was very frustrated by this.

Some of the staff seem to talk to each other over the top of my relative who is then out of the communication loop.

This must feel terrible for the elderly vulnerable resident and I believe this needs to be addressed.