My (third) cousin is in his mid 20s. His mum died a few years ago and his dad is not around at all. My cousin is autistic and agoraphobic and very vulnerable. One of the few people he can speak to is my elderly mum (in her early 80s).
He cannot advocate for himself and still lives where his mum did, which is 300 miles from Mum. She keeps in email contact (he can't use phone). This morning he sent a highly distressed email and mum managed to contact local police for a welfare check. The police found him unkempt and in squalor and have removed him to hospital. They have said he cannot return to the house as it is unsafe. They have spoken to social care but the SEN social worker can't do anything til Monday as she doesn't work weekends (sigh).
The police are putting pressure on my elderly mum to drive 300 miles from a low risk to high risk covid area and back again, to collect my cousin and take him to her home. My cousin has expressed that if he has to stay somewhere he would like to go to Mum.
I think this is a dreadful idea, puts my mum in danger (I haven't seen her for months b/c of covid) and that my poor cousin should not be discharged from hospital until there is a proper care plan to maintain him in his local area. His LA have been dreadful throughout his life and support has been terribly lacking and my worry is that if Mum "rescues" him the council will continue to do fuck all.
Can we demand he stay in hospital until the social worker has had a chance to do a proper assessment and a proper discharge plan is in place?