I sort out all the care needs for my grandad who is 97 and who normally lives independently on his own with twice a day care. My mum is 69 but has Alzheimers so the care has naturally fallen to me. He was admitted to hospital on Boxing Day having spent a whole week repeatedly falling at home and injuring himself. He spent a month in hospital and was then discharged to an NHS short term rehabilitation care home where they were going to work on his mobility with a view to getting him home.
While he has been in the home he has become increasingly confused (last week he told me he had been discharged from hospital as he had made one of the nurses pregnant!), and his mobility has worsened.
I have had an email from his social worker today saying that he still has capacity and wants to go home, and how was I planning to sort out his package of care? She also stated that she had reviewed his night records at the home and he also needed support with overnight, as he gets up frequently to use the toilet. She has offered me to apply for a commissioned package of care (4 x daily with overnight care) from Social Services, but I have serious concerns about a 97 year old going home to live on his own in the current climate!
Firstly, what if I can't get food to him? The supermarket shelves locally were all empty today. What if his carers become sick, or I become sick? He will be stuck on his own with limited mobility and increasing confusion. My feeling is that he is far safer where he is at present, and that we should be keeping him there until the worst is over, regardless of his mental capacity. Is anyone else have similar issues? Am I within my rights to ask that he stays where he is?