Can I report this to social care?

[Toddlerteaplease]

An elderly friend is completely self neglecting
He's very slow and unsteady on his feet. He's family live miles away and I've expressed my concerns to them. But he tells them everything is fine. It really isn't. He's got full capacity and refusing to do anything to help himself. Can I refer him anyway. He won't go to the GP.

Could you contact his GP. My friend was in a similar situation and she contacted their GP.

Asc would record the call but not sure what anyone expects them (us!) to do without consent? Or at least telling the person that you are going to refer them before we call out of the blue.
GP would also be told that they should have got consent or at least told the patient they are referring because they have concerns.

So I went round to see him as I still couldn't contact him. Turns out his phone is being repaired. However he was in A&E yesterday as he had 5 falls. He was in bed, and too scared to get up. He was praying I'd come. I've phoned an ambulance as didn't know what else to do. They will come as a non emergency. I've popped into town to get him a new phone and contacted his son. I've absolutely torn a stupid of him and hopefully it's getting through.

Next steps depends on what happens once the ambulance have been. If they take him to A&E, and he is then subsequently discharged; then there's little you can do. If he's admitted however, the hospital has a duty of care to ensure he is adequately cared for at home. But again, if he says he can care for himself and the hospital are satisfied he isn't at risk of harm (from a fall for example), they will have to let him home. It really is tricky. My great aunt was self-neglecting. She had started to smell, was often bruised. But in her mind she was "fine". Social care couldn't do anything as she refused their help. My gran offered to wash her but again it was refused. Sadly one day she didn't answer the door, the police were called and she had died on the kitchen floor alone.

Yes. I hope this time it's got through to him. I need to be careful how much input I have as when he had a stroke, social care refused the referral as I could and did sort him out. I won't do it this time though. I've had enough.

I've referred him to the falls service who can then sign post onto other services. The call handler I spoke too was not impressed at the response I got yesterday. It might take them four weeks to asses him but I made it sound fairly urgent.

No real advice, but wanted to say that you're a lovely friend, OP.

My Nan was self neglecting & had dementia & psychosis but was deemed to have full capacity for over A YEAR!!
She wouldn't let us help her we had to watch her deteriorate, it was only once she displayed behaviour that put herself & others at risk that she was sectioned & got proper help.

I remember a similar situation when I worked with a district nurse with a lady who had dementia who was again deemed to have capacity. In the end she died of a stroke.

We see self neglecting patients a lot in hospital, they go home & you just know they will deteriorate or be back in soon.

It's so so sad that people get in these situations but you have to respect the rights of the individual.

I just feel that its wrong that certain people are judged to have capacity when a lot of the time their condition is very variable.

Anyway, it's good that you care about your friend & are trying your best for him.

This is probably repeat advice Toddler I hope things are going smoothly, don't offer anything in relation to his discharge no looking in even it's harsh but unless there is absolutely nobody the full set of agencies isn't activated.

and later, I'd be honoured to have a neighbour like you.

He's in A&E they've given him a wash. They will keep him in.

Can you give them clean clothing to put him in?

OP, you actually need to tell the staff at hospital that he lives alone, has had 5 falls and has boobs to take care of him should he be discharged. Then leave.

He's in A&E, they are not discharging him and will transfer at some point to the community hospital. The nurse in A&E has given him a wash. We've had a frank discussion about his depression and how he's hit rock bottom the only way is up.

@slipperywhensparticus he hasn't got any clean clothes. He no longer goes the the launderette. I'll need to go into town to get something. I feel so much better that it's Being sorted.