Does this type of care home exist?

[lorisparkle]

Currently my Uncle is in hospital with an undiagnosed delirium/dementia. He hates being in hospital and has tried to ‘escape’. He has been with my Auntie for over 60 years and hates being separated from here.

My Auntie is a very capable and independent woman however she would never be able to care for my uncle at home alone.

With the rapid decline we were hoping for the diagnosis to be an infection that could be treated but the longer this goes on the less likely this seems.

So what care options are there for a couple with such contrasting needs. My uncle is paranoid, unpredictable, and strong. He is incredibly private and hates new surroundings and being around lots of people. A lot of the behaviour is because he wants to go home however before he went into hospital he was unmanageable as well.

It does exist yes (ex care home manager), but you’d need to pay for two rooms - either separate, or one could be a lounge and the other a bedroom. Your uncle would be encouraged to spend time away from your auntie to support his own care needs, but also to give her respite.

Are you saying your aunt also wants to go into a care home? This would be extremely expensive. I would suggest that your Uncle is moved into a respite home in order to assess his needs better. Once he no longer has a clinical need to be in hospital this should be ranged by the discharge team under Discharge to Assess. The first 6 weeks would be free.

Yes, i know a couple who had a bedroom and sitting room initially and then when that was too difficult he had a bedroom on a different floor and visited her ever day. What i was most impressed with was the care the staff gave him and his needs as well as his wife with dementia. When she died he decided just to stay.

What does your aunt want?

This a good question.

Please remember that care homes don't do nursing care, you'll need a nursing home if he has nursing needs. Just to help narrow down the search parameters, if a placement is to be found.

There are some care homes that also have independent living flats on the same site, which might be marginally cheaper than 2 full care places.