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Elderly parents

Nursing home support during hospital admission?

17 replies

AhAgain · 02/01/2018 19:35

Hi

Any thoughts about what support (if any) a nursing home should/could give or be able to help arrange when one of its residents is admitted to a local hospital. Especially if relatives aren’t local or are away (ie a few thousand miles away) at the time of admission?

Any other options to get help?

Thanks

OP posts:

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harridan50 · 02/01/2018 19:42

None they are caring for residents on their own site. What support were you expecting. Occasionally staff will pop to visit residents in hospital generally in their own time.

Bombardier25966 · 02/01/2018 19:43

Very little, as they don't have the staffing for staff to be hospital visiting and not at the home.

Can you be more specific in what help you are looking for?

hatgirl · 02/01/2018 19:45

In the UK it is entirely the responsibility of the hospital (NHS) to provide care and support for anyone on admission.

Nursing homes work to extremely tight staffing ratios. The only support that would be expected from them at most is to pack a bag to go in the ambulance, liaise with the hospital if required by the hospital and to re-assess for suitability before accepting the resident back again from hospital.

Some may go over and above this though, and that is their choice.

poisonedbypen · 02/01/2018 19:50

The home my DS was in sent someone with him when he had to go in for a pre planned op. In the end they didn't do it (too frail) but the carer stayed with him all day. We did have to pay for her time though, which was fair enough.

Vitalogy · 02/01/2018 19:50

If my mum needs to go to a hospital appointment, a member of staff will accompany her.
They also went with her to the hospital until I could take over one time when she had a fall.

RavenclawRealist · 02/01/2018 19:50

I agree with the above the ratio of residents to staff is beyond tight. It's the hospitals duty to provide care to the inpatient. The home has to focus on keep those still resident safe. I think if you have a really good home they may go about delivering clothes and personal items if it's a long stay but I think that is at the good will of the home! I'm not really sure what you are wanting them to do so hard to know what alternatives there are

monkeywithacowface · 02/01/2018 19:59

Other than transport to and from hospital and like someone said bringing in some personal items I don't think you can expect much. What sort of help do they need that the hospital can't provide?

NewtScamandersNaughtyNiffler · 02/01/2018 20:04

I work in a care home. If one of our residents has an appointment we take them if there isn't a relative who can do so.

If they are admitted we do nothing beyond phoning to see how they are. Staff might choose to visit but it's unpaid and in our own time. (I actually hate that this is the case and it's the total opposite to my last job where we always provided a staff member -mental health though not care)

OrinocoDugong · 02/01/2018 20:06

If there are no nearby relatives the nursing home should complete any paperwork the hospital require on admission, and that's about it.

If all family members are thousands of miles away them it may be appropriate to look for a local advocate who you can pay to be a regular visitor looking out for your mum's(?)/dad's(?) interests.

AhAgain · 02/01/2018 20:47

Looking to pay for someone to visit (for some company) and possibly take some things in. It’s a private nursing home (not that that matters) Quite happy to pay for extra, just looking for sons help and support.

It was an emergency admission. We are 5000 miles away (visiting another, much older family member) and realistically won’t get back for another couple of days.

Finding it pretty decent difficult being an only child: so going away, there is little real support to rely on.

OP posts:

AhAgain · 02/01/2018 20:48

How do you find/employ a local advocate?

OP posts:

monkeywithacowface · 02/01/2018 20:52

I think your nearest ageUK might be a good place to start. If it isn't something they offer they may be able to sign post you to someone who can

Floralnomad · 02/01/2018 20:53

Ring the manager of the home and ask if they think any staff members would like an hour or two overtime which you will pay them to go and see the relative . Alternatively ask the staff on the ward if they could get a chaplaincy visitor or a Red Cross volunteer to pop along .

OrinocoDugong · 02/01/2018 20:57

I have never had to arrange this myself but I know they exist. I just did a quick Google for keywords "companionship caring hospital visiting" and found e.g. [[//www.trustedcompanion.co.uk]] although that's for a quite specific area of the uk so perhaps you may need to do a bit more digging.

Also try contacting the PALS service at the hospital for any recommendations.

OrinocoDugong · 02/01/2018 20:58

Oops sorry broken link try this one

link

AhAgain · 02/01/2018 22:17

Thanks very much, very helpful.

OP posts:

Needmoresleep · 03/01/2018 09:02

Ask the home. When DM was convalescing in a nursing home following a fall/hip replacement, the home were willing to provide staff, as a fee, to take her to appointments. Or could arrange some sort of escorting service, I think via a local taxi firm, where a trusted driver would be booked not just to take the person but to get them to the appointment and then home again. (The same firm was willing to allow me to book a regular driver to take my mum to church each week and wait for her. DM refused and effectively tried to blackmail friends but it would have been a good solution.)

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