"My father's discharge"

My dad has Dementia and was admitted to Hairmyres following a fall at home, urine infection and urinary retention. Prior to this hospital admission,  my dad was living alone at home with carers once a day and family support. He was still able to make himself a hot drink and heat up prepared meals.

On transfer to ward 14, I did highlight that as a family, we were keen for home and planned on downstairs living, as it was evident that his overall general health was on the decline and we were concerned that he might have a fall whilst trying to go upstairs, as he has 14 stairs to manage.

I had very little input from MDT despite repeatedly asking for updates, especially from OT & PT, at one point I was told that he wasn't a priority for PT input because he had no discharge date! I thought discharge planning commenced on admission? Am NOK with POA and had to he informed by a family member after a night visit on a Friday that my dad was being discharged the following Monday. No one had asked me how I was getting on with arranging downstairs living for my father, who is in his 90s.

He was also coming home with a urinary catheter, which I got no information on. When inquiring about POC eg times and frequency of visits, I was informed that all they had on file was 7x3x1, which was double dutch to myself! If I required any further information, I would myself have to call SLC SW department to find out this, as it was not routinely relayed to staff!

I also asked for kitchen assessment, to attain whether my father was back at his pre-admission baseline? He failed this assessments but I was never told until I asked, surely this is a vital piece of information that I should have been made aware of, to enable myself and family to make his environment as safe as possible?

Immediately, on finding out planned discharge arrangements I called ward to raise my concerns and inform them that no bed was in place, due to length of wait when ordering said bed. I was informed little could be done due to timing,  I explained, I myself had only been informed but that I was keen for it to be recorded in his notes that no bed would be in place for Mon discharge.

I called ward again on the Monday, which was the EDD to inform them bed couldn't be delivered until the following day, so unfortunately it was unsafe for my father to he discharged, only to have to be escalated from staff nurse, senior charge nurse then Hospital manager, who thankfully was sympathetic and agreed he would not be discharged until following day.

I am fully aware of the pressure on hospital beds and did not wish my father to have to stay any longer than need be, as I believed that he would thrive better within his own, familiar home environment where his family could visit freely. I feel saddened that my plight had to be escalated as far as it did. Is there no common sense or safety awareness when discharge planning? As it was being demanded of me to  take my father home to house that at that particular time was unsuitable and unsafe for his needs.