"Cross Trust discharge issues."

My father 85 was discharged from LVH to Belfast Trusts care  he lived at home with my mother 82 .

He is currently  in a bed that is too short , not being able to access a commode, not being able to sit out as per the care provided daily for weeks leading up to his discharge.

 Whilst in LVH Dad was initially transferred using a hoist. For the weeks leading up to discharge, and as he recovered, he was transferred using a Stedy. Allowing him a bit more dignity and opportunity to move from bed to chair and toilet as required . 

As part of his discharge plan he was to use a Stedy to transfer at home BUT this is where our issues started. Staff at LVH said that Belfast trust would not supply a Stedy. 

Dad was sent home to a bed and hoist and slings on a friday. Initially a chair was to arrive to his home on the following Monday but this was then changed to the Thursday. Dad was to be nursed in bed until this happened

He came home with a package of 4 calls x2 with a plan a twilight call would start on the Wednesday after he was discharged on the friday 

 

My father is a tall man and home care workers identified that the bed was too short for him. 

His  discharge letter detailed a district nurse would call on the friday he was discharged and the Monday.  But this did not happen and after phoning services on the Tuesday they updated that his district nurse was to come on the Thursday, admin said the missed appointments had been ‘cancelled’ as   Staff  didn’t know he had been discharged . 

 

When the OT visited on the Monday after his discharged she agreed bed was too short but said this was a district nursing issue . The nurses  would need to order a bed extension.  She measure for the chair and ordered same . 

The OT also agreed that he could be assessed for a Stedy, said that she usually would have done this while in hospital ( even tough my father has been assessed by SE Trust clearly done in LVH). She said she would have to ask to assess him for a Stedy at a meeting that would not happen until early March, then if successful would assess him and if he met the criteria, he would then be on a list to get a a Stedy. I fear in this period my father’s strength to use this aid will reduce and he will become less able and not be strong enough, after such an absence of any opportunity to weight bear and use his muscles. 

The nurse came on the Thursday and  agreed  bed extension needed ordered  and said a bed extension would be ordered. Dad has found the short bed uncomfortable, his legs painful  and required a lot of support from family to move him up the bed regularly so his feet are not against the tail board. 

His chair arrived on the Thursday and after it was adjusted for height that day he was to be transferred out to sit from the next day (Friday - one week after discharge)

On the Friday the care staff were not happy with the slings supplied, were worried they were inappropriate and he was not able to sit out.

Equipment services made contact to book in delivery of bed extension and mattress but a date could not be arranged as Dad needed to be able to be out of the bed for this to be facilitated .

District nursing was contacted and they later confirmed that it was the correct sling but this was past his 3rd call of the day could not be facilitated. 

On Saturday care staff managed to moved Dad using the hoist and sling to the supplied chair. Between the morning and lunch call. Care staff felt the chair was too small esp with seat cushion and arms were low providing no support. They passed this on to their manager . 

On Sunday care staff came to provide morning care but said they were advised by manager that Dad was back on bed care only as the chair was too small. 

A commode has also been supplied but Dad has not been hoisted on to this as care workers said a toileting sling was not supplied. 

 Today we are again waiting to see what can be done and will need to contact nursing again as he appears now to be back to square one . 

Some of these issues could have been resolved if a steady had been supplied as part of his assessed need by SE Trust and should have been supplied by Belfast Trust on discharge . 

In the time staff from all areas make arrangements for the ongoing issues having a steady would have meant he was able to be transported to commode maintaining better continence. 

Transferred to chair / commode for a short period to allow bed extension to be delivered and set up inappropriately timely manor. 

This discharge has been a disaster due to the issues in cross trust care and appropriate aids not being provided in a timely manner. 

This Morning my father remains at home in a bed that is too short, not being able to access a commode, not being able to sit out as per the care provided daily for weeks leading up to his discharge. 

Cross trust discharges need to improve. We have been told if he was being discharged from LVH to a south eastern trust address a Stedy would have automatically been provided if in his care plan.  Community access to aids such as a Stedy should be the same no matter where you live .