Evicted from care home

[TheFlowerArranger]

My mother has dementia and has had several falls on her floor or out of her bed. They were not witnessed but the first time, she broke her cheekbone, the second time her hip and had a replacement and then she broke her kneecap. Each time, the home made concessions such as place her bed against the wall, lower the bed and finally gave her a bed with bars but she persists in falling over. I have given her walking aids, an airbed to cushion her fall if she falls out of bed, walking sticks and even an alarm if she moves out of bed, but these have 'disappeared'.

I have made formal complaints to the home about the falls and the loss of care items and they have given me notice to quit. They said I have 28 days but would prefer it if I could take my mother out sooner if I can find a place. They said, 'Old people fall over. this is what happens and they cannot take care of her in the way that individuals can'. They have told me that they can take care of her and meet her needs but not meet her needs to my satisfaction so they have evicted her based on my complaints.

What can I do ?

Find somewhere new for her? Sounds like you weren't happy with their care anyway so might be for the best if they weren't looking after her well.

You will need to find somewhere new for her (isn't the whole point of care homes to otovide more intensive care for someone?) but, if you have the energy left, discuss your concerns with your council https://www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us/report-concern/report-concern-if-you-are-member-public

You need to find somewhere that can meet your relative’s needs to both of your satisfaction.

Are there many vacancies in your area? How is their care funded?

What on earth do they mean by 'they cannot take care of her the way individuals can'? The whole bloody point of paying thousands every month is that individuals can't provide 24 hour trained care on a long-term basis. I hope you find somewhere can provide the care your mum needs. She's clearly very fragile and vulnerable.
Before MIL moved into a dementia home, a bed alarm was fitted that I think integrates with their alert system. It can be disconnected, but not removed as such, other than by staff, I suppose. Maybe the next place could fit something similar. It wouldn't necessarily stop your mum getting out of bed and falling, but it sure as hell makes enough noise for someone to come to switch it off, thereby checking she's okay.
Incidentally, over the course of a year MIL has had far fewer serious falls in hospital/residential care than she did in her own home. (I hope I haven't jinxed her.)

They sound awful and are not looking after your mum's safety. You should report your concerns to the CQC. This is bout anyone in their care who could suffer because of their attitude. There are several 'gadgets' they should be trying.

Very sorry you are going through this. I think it’s very bad that they did not sort the bed out after her first fall tbh. I would find another home, as hard as it is to change their surroundings it’s worth it to have peace of mind good luck

You really need to report the ‘care’ home. What a horrible situation to be in. They sound terrible

I think you need to report all of this to the CQC. Do you have photographs and receipts for the equipment you provided that has disappeared? I would be reporting that to the police.
Speak to social services and Age UK.
Is your mother self funding?
You need to look for another care home. The place she is in is dangerous.
What happened about her injuries? Were they reported and investigated? She must have been hospitalised.
I am so sorry, but you need to get her out of there.

Yes phone up CQC and make them aware. People shouldn’t be afraid to complain or comment for fear fk their parents care being terminated.
that said sadly homes are allowed to give notice at any time.

the falls that weren’t witnessed where she sustained serious injuries should’ve been reported to both the local authority adult social care team and to CQC.

if you’re struggling to find a suitable home that will meet her needs the local authority is obliged to help even if your relative is self funding.
hopefully you’ll find somewhere good but just a heads up any prospective home will make contact with the current home.

Sorry to hear this, its really upsetting when you entrust a loved ones care to a home such as this and they aren't kept safe.

They are correct that sadly falls are common, but they are incorrect that they can provide adequate care to keep her safe; they evidently can't. Your standards aren't too high, they just are loathe to admit that they can't ensure her safety. It can be challenging to find somewhere new, I agree with a PP to contact the LA even if self funding if you are struggling to find anywhere. I'd also consider reporting them as has been said, losing the items you've provided and then giving notice for incorrect reasons (as well as the falls themselves) doesn't demonstrate that they're capable.

My first thought was to report to the CQC. Do you know what the home's rating is?

It's very rare for care homes to give notice, it's hassle for them, it doesn't look good and it's something that the local authority/ CQC take an interest in when they inspect.

They are often very reluctant to take it as a course of action unless they feel they have no other choice.

Most of the time notice is given because the persons needs cannot safely be met and no action is being taken by the people who need to take the action (usually the NHS or the local authority but sometimes the family or the person themselves) so notice is given to force it to happen.

You shouldn't have been having to buy falls equipment, all of that is supplied by the NHS or the local authority even if you are self funding the care home placement.

It may well be that this care home isn't set up to cater for people with a regular, ongoing high falls risks.

Care homes can decide what level of need they are able to manage and it sounds like they have clearly communicated to you that they can't manage the risks your mum has now so she needs to move somewhere with a higher level of input.

Falls equipment does get moved (in the way) and tampered with (curious residents) and things like falls mattresses are also a trip hazard in their own right and should only be used after a proper OT assessment has been completed.

It may well be that the manager feels they have done everything they can to mitigate the risks and you have still complained.

or it may be they are crap and you need to report it.

either way it is very very common for people to have to move if their needs change and it sounds like that is the point you have reached.

It may be worth contacting the local authority for assessment for her next placement as a high falls risk may mean she is eligible for some NHS funding.

The CQC also won't do anything other than pass it on to the local authority to investigate if the concerns meet the criteria of abusive or neglectful practices (safeguarding).

Contrary to popular belief the CQC don't investigate individual complaints about care homes.

Complain to CQC

Agree go to cqc. There should be a falls prevention policy. Accidents happen but they should not happen repeatedly,

When a person who cannot safely walk insists on continually getting up and walking or leaving the bed, there's not a lot anyone can do about it. Low low bed with a crash mat on the floor and a sensor mat on top of that so staff are aware as soon as they start getting up, and monitoring and walking with the patient, is all they can do.
You can't restrain anyone, even someone with dementia.
You can't assign 1-2-1 carer for falls, it doesn't meet the criteria for funding.

If you think they aren't doing a good job and they think they can't do anymore then moving her is the best thing.
Falls are pretty common with dementia patients who for get that they aren't able to walk or stand alone.

The problem is this is the third placement. The first home asked her to move out when her dementia worsened and she started throwing things at staff. The second home evicted her as they said I complained all the time. This was not true. She had a few falls and I asked them to investigate and see what could be done to ensure that they did not happen again They had 3 staff for 28 people and said they could not look after her to my satisfaction like I would at home. We paid for 1:1 care and they cared for her for 6 months but her funds have all depleted and the local authority would not pay for 1:1 and she was evicted. The final home is LA funded and they said they cannot manage her aggression or her falling to my satisfaction. The LA social worker said that they will not fund 1:1 so she has recommended a secure unit. Basically these are ones for people who are of serious risk to others. The only risk is my mother struggles when being changed and is uncooperative and throws things. I don’t think that she is being treated with any dignity towards the end of her life and want the home to treat her with empathy and understanding. She is in pain and needs management of this and some mechanism to stop her falling rather than being evicted whenever I complain. I cannot understand how any organisation can function when they kick someone out for complaining rather than investigate and rectify the issue but this is what care homes seem to do.

I am at my wits end. I have three children to look after and am a working single parent and cannot cope with the stress of having to find another place for my mother.

it is all getting too much for me.

Is it that she needs a nursing home rather than a care home? I'm not expert but from overhearing things when my DM went though this with her DM there came a point where the care home couldn't meet her needs so she had to move to a nursing home as there were better equipped for such things.

It sounds like she may need nursing care to rather than residential. Has the social worker and district nurse done an assessment of nursing needs?

@MadeleineMummy have you name changed?

Only you can know if there is anything in you complaining too much. I have worked in care for nearly 15 years and unfortunately there are a minority of relative for whom absolutely nothing you do is ever going to be good enough.
That said there are also some shockingly bad care homes and poor carers.

In terms of falls - sadly they are inevitable. We always do our best to prevent them but you cannot prevent every single fall. I wish we could!

Your not wrong to ask them to figure out the circumstances around the falls, and do all they can do to prevent them. And also to do what they can to reduce the risk of injury when she falls.

If you feels she needs 1-1 care you may need to fight for it. But it's the LA your up against not the care home. You would probably be best to look for a specialist dementia unit.

OP contact https://www.carerightsuk.org/ Care Rights UK (formerly relatives & residents association) who are a charity that support people with relatives in care homes

You need a nursing home rather than a care home, people don’t understand the difference. Also a nursing home with dementia care involvement. People look for care homes when it’s totally inappropriate for the client.

I can’t think why rails were used for a someone with dementia with risk of falls - they should have used a low bed with crash mats and a sensor as a previous poster said. I would report the home and move her to somewhere with a higher standard of care.

Mega sympathies OP, a horrible trial
for you.

Ask the LA for nursing home help. A lot of places won’t do aggression, so be upfront about the throwing things. Be upfront about the difficulties and falls.

DM (mine) has a habit of escaping her 1-1 carers and being found covered in blood on a trolley in one of the town’s A and Es by her terrified daughter (me). There really is not much you can do about the falls - bar detach yourself emotionally by accepting this is the price we pay for not locking them up.