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"Mum should not be discharged to her home"

About: Wythenshawe Hospital / General medicine

(as a relative),

I'm going to have a public rant so I apologise but feeling very frustrated. The NHS so far have been amazing in providing care for my poorly elderly disabled Mum. We even got her discharged to home for a few days with amazing homecare. However, since getting her home to a 2nd floor flat the lift in the block has gone out of action until Xmas. The paramedics had to lift her (she’s no lightweight) down 2 flights of stairs to the ambulance and she was truly terrified plus we feel the paramedics were put under undue stress and risked their own safety as well as Mum due to stairlifts restricting the space they had to manoeuvre. The hospital is now talking about discharge again. We have explained that this is not going to be so straightforward.

1 Paramedics would have to lift her up 2 flights of stairs again

2 Paramedics would have to carry her down 2 flights of stairs again for essential hospital consultations within the next 6 weeks

3 Paramedics would have to carry her down 2 flights of stairs again for potential hospital admissions within the next 6 weeks

4 Social Services have offered reinstatement of the care package however this means Mum being in her flat with serious access issues

5 Social Services have refused to assist with the option of respite care. I have been told that she has to pay for this if she chooses this alternative and also we have to find her a bed in one of these.

6 I have called 25 Care homes/ respite homes and found 2 beds. I went through the list of A-Z and found very few homes that were not requiring improvement. When you are looking for care this is heart rending that the option of care may involve inadequate care for your relative

7 The cost of these available beds is £1000 per week approximately. Who on earth can afford that! !

8 The Care homes are concerned that if they offer the bed they may then have to have her admitted to hospital if her condition worsens

9 The discharge nurse from the NHS has stated that she is ready for home. We were totally unaware of this as Mum is making no sense due to high dosage medication. I was informed today that if there are no options of Home or Respite then a B&B would be acceptable- who this is acceptable to I really don’t know! She is frail, elderly, has mobility problems and needs mobility aids to enable her to live safely.

Struggling to come to terms with what options we have here and feeling very alone in this when we are already exhausted

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Responses

Response from Alicia Lucas, Patient Experience Matron, University Hospital Of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust 8 years ago
Alicia Lucas
Patient Experience Matron,
University Hospital Of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust
Submitted on 11/11/2016 at 09:21
Published on Care Opinion at 10:33


Dear Rosie

please would you contact me and I can help?

with kind regards

Alicia

Alicia Lucas, Matron for Patient Experience, 0161 291 2055 / 07824057757

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by RosieWing61 (a relative)

I eagerly await being able to speak to the Matron of Patient experience as this story has been getting progressively worse. After being referred upwards after persistently asking for help to actually find a respite bed we were given the numbers of 3 homes last night. I was left with the impression that there was some degree of acceptance regarding the safeguarding issues of discharge to home the discharge to home and respite was the better option and that the family would continue to pursue respite beds and visit any as soon as was possible fitting around work schedules. Mum made a written request that any further discussions were to be made to the family as she was not feeling well enough both emotionally and physically to make rational decisions and she was becoming distressed by the whole thing. Today, Mum was visited by 2 social workers today who completely ignored this written document in her notes and proceeded to discuss her discharge even though they were told family were due to visit within the next half hour. They apparently said so you don't want to go home and you don't seem to want to pay for respite. Mum was found by family to be visibly distressed, breathless and anxious following the visit. We are furious that her health has once again been jeopardised and feel that these visits are tantamount to harassment. I look forward to further discussion.

Response from Alicia Lucas, Patient Experience Matron, University Hospital Of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust 8 years ago
Alicia Lucas
Patient Experience Matron,
University Hospital Of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust
Submitted on 14/11/2016 at 20:56
Published on Care Opinion on 15/11/2016 at 12:05


HI great to meet you today and I hope that I have helped in some way. do get in touch if I can help further. best wishes

Alicia

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful
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