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Elderly parents
Original poster

Care home 12 Week disregard - No clue what I'm doing!

31 replies

brightertimes123 · 04/12/2020 22:29

DM has been in a psychiatric unit for 4 months with delirium. Recovered to a good enough level she is now fit for discharge and has been for some time.
She has accepted that she can't go home and needs to go into care.

I have had zero help from the discharge team or ward manager - I feel like I am totally fumbling in the dark. All the responsibility has been put on me to find a suitable home without any guidance.
Just as I thought I'd finally found somewhere with an available room and had organised a needs assessment, at the 11th hour I have now been told I will need to apply for a "12 week disregard" from social services.
DM owns her own house which will be sold but no savings so would not be able to pay up front.

I am so angry that I've not been given any advice from or guidance on this. I've been waiting weeks to try and get DM moved (who is now incredibly frail and distressed at being in a psych unit). Just as I thought we were getting somewhere now this. I have now got to explain another delay to DM and risk losing the space at the care home.

Does anyone have any experience of this situation or the 12 week disregard? Does the application take long to be processed and agreed. I literally feel like no one gives a shit about DM and can't understand their attitude especially with demands on beds in psych units. You'd think they'd do everything in their power to get her moved Angry

OP posts:
Diddlysquatty · 05/12/2020 13:31

I’m sorry you’re experiencing this
Is her home on the market already? It will help to get it sold ASAP.
One other thing to be aware of.... in our area and probably others... the 12 wpd is only available at the local authority rate so even if/when this is agreed there could still be a shortfall if the care home you’ve gone for is more expensive.
Normally either family make up the difference, or the care home agrees to accrue a debt repaid when the house is sold.

Agree that is strange and if it was an acute hospital they’d be under pressure to get her out quickly so it would normally be a quick process
Social care assessment to check they deem her in need of residential care, financial assessment along side that, then funding application for 12wpd.

I would consider -

  • Seeing if you can kick off financial assessment process from the council website, that will at least get you on the financial assessment teams radar
  • Phone the main social services number and ask who your mothers case is open to
Make a formal complaint/complain via a local councillor or MP. Should not be the case but this is a sure fire way to get things moving in my team....

The discharge co-ordinatior at the hospital SHOULD be helping with all this. But they may have left you to it if they think your mum is ‘self funding’ but if she needs the 12wpd then she is not fully self funding and needs to go through their channels.

Good luck!

Also make sure if she has been on section 3 whether she should have joint NHS funding under section 117
And if not that she has had an NHS continuing care assessment (ask the discharge co ordinator)
Best of luck!

Oh and if the home you’ve found would be too expensive for the council rate for 12wpd ask them where there is an appropriate bed at the right rate

DorsetCamping · 05/12/2020 13:20

Flygirl...it's me under yet another alias!!
This is turning into the most unremitting nightmare.
Ward Manager and some random connected person (who constantly tells me she's not a social worker!) are involved with this but between them are utterly useless.

When I phoned the shortlisted care home manager late yesterday to say I'd only just realised I needed to apply for the disregard, long silence at the other end. The guy obviously thought I already had that in place or DM had funds to bridge the gap. He only has 1 room and now I face losing that.
Utterly infuriating and poor DM meanwhile has totally given up.

flygirl767 · 05/12/2020 12:48

I feel your pain, it took me weeks to get my DM moved from a psych ward to a CH for respite care. It all fell through at the last minute due to funding..we got there in the end but only with the help of social services. The MH unit must have a duty SW, find out who it is and ask for their help. Also as PP says, contact your local Older persons mental health team, they were very helpful to me.

Will the care home not let her move in while you apply? Otherwise I'm sure they would hold the bed for you if you definitely want her to move there x

Original poster
brightertimes123 · 05/12/2020 09:58

Thank you...this is the thing; DM had a social worker whilst still at home but once in hospital I was told they would be dealing with things.
Clearly not and I am so frustrated we have got this far only to have major issues not addressed.
No one has explained what I need to do or the financial assessments that need to be undertaken. Meanwhile my poor DM is stuck in a psychiatric unit terrified and declining.

OP posts:
Soontobe60 · 05/12/2020 09:45

My experience of getting my elderly mil moved out of hospital into care moved at a snails pace.
Has your DM got a social worker? If not, you need to contact the Elderly Social care team to get the ball rolling.

This info may help
www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/factsheets/fs38_property_and_paying_for_residential_care_fcs.pdf

Original poster
brightertimes123 · 05/12/2020 09:37

Hopeful bump!

OP posts:
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