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Caring for elderly relatives? Supercarers can help

Caring for elderly relatives? Supercarers can help

Carers

dh's gran has started wandering out of the house late at night....what do we do now?

19 replies

brimfull · 02/02/2007 19:45

She's been managing fine living on her own with very mild demetia for a few yrs now.We supply her meals and she reheats,she potters and watches telly,even goes for her paper every morniin.Her dementia has obviously worsened as her neighbour called to say she found her wandering up the road for her paper at 10:30 last night.Who knows she may have done this before.
Community nurse unavailable until monday ,but dh thinks she'll need to go into a home soon.
How does it work ,do we have to apply for a home,does it all go through the GP?

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RubyRioja · 02/02/2007 19:48

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brimfull · 02/02/2007 19:50

thanks ,will look into that.SO do you think nhs won't cover it?

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Marina · 02/02/2007 19:54

Hard one ggirl.
Basically local authorities are not supposed to bully vulnerable old people and their worried relatives into selling their houses to pay for nursing home care. I would get some advice about her rights from Age Concern and Help the Aged. I heard of the case Ruby mentions but don't know the details.
Good luck, I am sorry to hear this.

RubyRioja · 02/02/2007 19:55

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brimfull · 02/02/2007 20:01

thanks so much,seems we need to do some homework.
Feel like we should have her here really,oh the guilt

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RubyRioja · 02/02/2007 20:09

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brimfull · 02/02/2007 22:05

Yes very valid point,we do need to be rational about this and consider the family as a whole aswell.Thanks

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Tiggiwinkle · 02/02/2007 22:17

Unless she has physical problems requiring actual nursing care, she would not qualify for a nursing home ggirl. The NHS do not fund, except in very severe cases of dementia. An application for a specialist residential home place would need to be made through assessment by your local social services (unless she was going to be self-funding which is hugely expensive). Ask for an assessment by social services-or the GP can do so. Have you spoken to the GP? Dementia can appear to worsen suddenly as a result of an infection (often a UTI) and treatment with antibiotics can help dramatically.

brimfull · 02/02/2007 22:23

Thanks tiggiwinkle,will look into the infection angle with the nurse on monday.Hadn't thought of that,she had a UTI a few months ago!

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shimmy21 · 02/02/2007 22:24

Care home funding: as a rule of thumb - if she has more than 21000 in savings etc she will be self-funding. Less than that and she will have some funding paid by ss but will probably have to top up the fees herself. A care home for someone with dementia can cost a lot more than £500 a week.

Shocking isn't it?

brimfull · 02/02/2007 22:27

God feeling depressed now

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shimmy21 · 02/02/2007 22:29

Sorry to be the bearer of more bad news but nhs will not fund care at all (continuing care) unless the condition needs pretty much full time professional nursing (and just giving medication or personal care doesn't count)

brimfull · 02/02/2007 22:30

Well she definately won't qualify for that then as she's fairly ok physically.
God it's shit isn't it?

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shimmy21 · 02/02/2007 22:35

As a temporary measure there are amazing gadgets (sensors on the front door) now that will speak to the person and tell them to go back inside if they wander out at night. They also set off an alarm at a control centre and they will contact a nominated person to go and check up. You can also get things that alert the centre if you overflow your bath, stay out of bed for more than 5 minutes, leave a pan on for too long etc

They can help elderly people to live indepedently for longer than they otherwise would have done.

Tiggiwinkle · 02/02/2007 22:41

If you ask social services for an assessment of need, ggirl, they will look at ways to support her in her own home with a package of care. (This could entail visits by carers throughout the day, an alarm system, sheltered housing, etc). Placement in a residential home is a last resort these days.

brimfull · 02/02/2007 22:50

Oh great ,like the sound of the alarm thing for the door,will the nurse know about these things?

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Tiggiwinkle · 02/02/2007 22:57

She may fo, ggirl, but as I say it would be best to ask SS for an assessment. They should look at all avenues to help her.(Including application for Attendance Allowance, by the way, as she sounds as if she would be entitled to it- the social worker would do the forms for her. It is not means tested.)

Tiggiwinkle · 02/02/2007 22:58

"do" not fo!

brimfull · 02/02/2007 23:02

Right so it's the ss we need to talk to next week.
Provided she's still there tomorrow morning

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