What are the options in this situation?

[dare2care]

Please could you help with what the options are in this situation please:

Elderly relative who has impaired mobility needs to go to A&E due to an accident. This has been advised by the GP. A family member is their carer but cannot help because they have a young child home from school with a vomiting and diarrhoea bug. They are a single parent and don't drive. Another relative can't do anything because they are going to work (retail job in a big store if that's relevant). The elderly relative needs help to get in and out of the house and cannot travel alone by taxi. There are no carers going in because they aren't needed. The elderly person manages quite well but needs help with everything except cooking and day to day personal care. Social services are not involved in any way.
What are the options here? It's not an ambulance situation and is during the day, not nighttime.

Hospital transport? Could a neighbour put her in a taxi?

Carer relative is out of the question, obviously. I would expect the other relative to take time off work to help. I have had to do similar in an emergency, which this is.

Lots of elderly people have no one to take them so probably whatever they use. GP should advise!

Has the cater got a partner?

If I was the working relative I would take the day off to help in this situation. If the injury requires A&E there is really no other alternative as nobody is going to want to babysit a child with D&V and obviously child cannot join the parent in the taxi. I can't imagine that work wouldn't be helpful with this situation with either unpaid leave, holiday or make up the time later. It's an unfortunate set of circumstances but sounds like it wouldn't be the norm and expected of the working colleague regularly.

Is there any chance of an assisted transport option at all?

Are those two people the only options for help from family?

If the GP has advised it I'd hope they'd have some knowledge on how other people manage to get to the hospital / have offered some transport options.

What sort of help does the elderly person need that prevents them getting a taxi? I know locally to me the taxi firms would be very helpful if they had the situation explained to them, the drivers are very good locally at helping older people get in and out or assisting them. Is that an option?

There may be a charity community transport scheme with volunteer drivers.

Carer!

For a planned hospital appointment I'd say to use hospital transport. It might be worth calling to see if they can help.

I might try ringing 111 to see what they say and if they can help arrange something.

Might see if a neighbour can help.

Does the relative with the vomitting child have anyone who can take over the childcare so they can help? Another parent or extended family?

Ultimately, if no other option, I'd expect the working relation to take emergency leave

Why can the other relative not bring them to a&e before or after their shift and leave them there to be seen. Then organise a pick up after

Doesn't go down well taking emergency time off if your'e a minimum wage employee of a large organisation. I can understand the person not wanting to go down that route.

There are charities but they have to be booked a week in advance. The carer relative doesn't have a partner. All neighbours are equally elderly. The GP would expect the relative to step up. Possibly because they have power of attorney but I'm not sure. I don't know if hospital transport is available if it's not for appointments or inter-hospital transfers. I'll find out.