They want to discharge him home

[NCforthis32781]

91 year old father been in hospital with Covid on lungs and there is now "no medical reason for him to be here". But his Alzheimer's is so much worse since he got the Covid there's no way my elderly mother could cope with him at home. Sibling is on the ward with him now. So I don't have all the info but sibling definitely seems to think they want to send him home. Ward manager seems not to know what a best interests meeting is and he hasn't been seen by a social worker and neither has my mother. Any advice (hard I know given so little info available). And its Friday evening pretty much. Will PALS be available over the weekend? Don't want to contact them til I've had an update.

Insist on seeing the assessment and care arrangements before any plans are made.

Age concern website?

If I Google adult emergency social services and my hometown I get a number for out of hours emergencies. I don't know how effective they are but it's worth the Google for your local area, maybe.

Insist that he is assessed properly before discharge. Say that there will be nobody who will be able to care for him properly at home so his safety once there cannot be guaranteed.

Do NOT volunteer to be present to take care of him at home on discharge. If you do then it is very unlikely that the correct assessments will be done or care packages put in place. They will consider you to be his carer. This happened to us last year when my Dad was very ill.

Insist on full assessments, including from adult social services.

Thanks for the advice so far. It looks like he's there for the weekend now at least. Ward Manager refused to engage and turned her back on sibling. Think she just wants to get a bed back.

Make sure the hospital have on record the lack of care available from family. Unsafe discharge is a useful phrase.

Agree with all the above advice. From my experience you need to be very firm and lay it on thick re no care at home for them to take you seriously.

If they attempt to discharge with no care package in place at home then tell that ward manager that you believe that this would constitute an unsafe discharge and you will be asking Adult Social Services to launch a section 42 safeguarding adults enquiry.

Request an assessment for nhs continuing care due to his incapacity, takes a while to arrange so they can't discharge or will need to arrange respite in a care home

Sibling has told them we wont be providing care and that we are concerned about mother's cognitive state. Have heard the phrase unsafe discharge. Think we'll phone PALS on Monday and lay things out. Thanks

Surely the discharge team or you need to arrange for your father to go to a nursing home where he can be cared for?

You say your mother can't care for him but hospital is not the right place for him either.

I hope you can get something sorted.