My DF and his broken ankle

[Rudolphishere]

My DF lives alone and has broken his ankle after a fall at home. He has other conditions that make him vulnerable to falls and he is in his late 70's. He is in hospital. I cannot come back until the weekend and I can't stay more than a few days due to family and work commitments. I live a six-hour drive away. We have no other family. I don't think he will manage at home by himself. Does anyone know what options there are? Are there such things as rehab homes where a person can stay until they are more mobile and independent? Any advice appreciated.

What’s on offer will depend on where he is in the country and capacity. I wouldn’t think the hospital could discharge him unless it was safe.

He will be seen by occupational and physiotherapists while on the ward and they will be able to establish the next steps for him. Maybe rehab? Make sure they have your contact details up to date on their system.

To get the right support you will need to make sure they know you will not be there and will not be doing any caring. Don't agree to be there for 'a couple of days' or to go at the weekends or anything like that. They'll just hear 'family available' and not arrange proper support. He needs to be assessed as someone living entirely alone, with no help.

It sounds callous and like you'll be judged as uncaring, but any hint of you doing anything and you'll be expected to do everything. My poor SIL had a mental breakdown and was off work, and somehow managed to find herself a full time care for her DM who was discharged with no care package as SIL was 'available'. She had the devil's own job to get someone to acknowledge that she was a) too ill and b) returning to work at some point.

*full time carer

Do not feel pressured into saying you could temporarily care for your father. In some areas there will be rehab facilities, in others he will need to remain in hospital. They will try to get you to care for him to unblock a bed, but it is unrealistic for you to do the caring, you have work/family 6 hours away. I hope they find somewhere good for your dad.

Agree with other posters.

Do not at any point say you are available, don't say you are visiting.
Just stress you live 6 hours drive away and your father is a vulnerable elderly person whi lives alone who needs assessing for a care package when discharged.

You can still visit. Just don't tell the hospital your intentions.

Agree with all the PP about standing your ground if that is what you need but have you also considered bringing him back to yours for respite? Or moving him to sheltered housing nearer to you? Might be time to force a change?

If this is UK based it's possible that he will be discharged from hospital on a discharge to assess pathway into a care setting, where he will stay usually for a set number of weeks whilst his needs are assessed by health care professionals and adult social care. Or he could be discharged home with the short term intervention team in place, usually for 4 weeks then Adult social care will assess whether long term care will be needed.
Either way don't make any commitments that you can't fulfill, and be absolutely clear about the level of involvement you intend to have. And I hope your dad is soon feeling better

I can empathise OP. We are in a similar situation with my FIL at present except he did get discharged, isn't coping and is very stubbornly refusing to change his lifestyle at all. DH and his siblings all live in different parts of the country and are up and down to their father's house like yo-yos at present. So I would agree with the advice not to let him be discharged without a proper care package in place. Once discharged it seems very much out of sight out of mind and it's proving very difficult to get anything in place for my FIL now.