Mother keep phoning 999

[NK346f2849X127d8bca260]

My mother is at home with carers 3 x a day, cleaner also goes once a week to clean and another morning as a companion.
The cleaner could not visit today as her ds is sick, so my mother called 999 yet again saying she was in pain, attention seeking behaviour. I have lost count of how many times she has done this over the last 18 months. The paramedics said today that they were raising a safeguarding issue and talked to her about whether it was time to consider going into a care home.
My mother flatly refuses to consider it.

I am fuming at the waste of emergency resources, she knows what she is doing. Last year she was diagnosed with a personality disorder and is very controlling and demanding.
In July she had another capacity assessment and passed that so not sure what can be done as this calling 999 frequently can't continue.

What age is she?

You could call the police and ask them to have a word with her about possible charges for misusing the service? Otherwise you could speak to the GP on her behalf and see if they would consider her a vulnerable adult and push the care home that way

86

she's clearly not going to stop this, so she will have to accept if she wants around the clock care then it has to be in a home.

Sounds harsh I know, but she really can't be wasting first responder time like that.

A relative did similar, repeated calls, although not to emergency services. Her phone ended off being cut off.

We had this with MIL. If I were you I’d contact SS before they contact you.

This isn’t for you to sort out, you can’t control her behaviour and I’d avoid getting sucked too deeply into the drama. Her GP, Adult Social Care and Emergency Services need to set boundaries with her about appropriate use of services.

Usually this sort of behaviour would be referred to the local vulnerability hub where the agencies involved can discuss the situation and try to deal with it. Are there local befriending schemes she could be referred to?

My mother had a spate of doing this recently. Not 999 but constant calls to her GP surgery, 111 and the care alarm people. She "doesn't feel herself" but has had many tests, including bloods, and I am certain it's mostly in her head as she has a long history of anxiety. Also she might not be feeling great - but she is 91!

She moves into a care home tomorrow. Eventually she saw sense that she just wasn't coping, psychologically, with living alone any more. She is frightened and needs attention all the time. I'm so grateful that she has agreed to do this and relieve some of the stress on me and my brother.

My MIL did this and nothing we said stopped her. It was a call for help, so don't be cross @NK346f2849X127d8bca260 . My MIL was adamant that she wasn't going into care but it had to happen. Start the ball rolling @NK346f2849X127d8bca260 by speaking to an Adult Care Social Worker, they can help. As an aside, we spoke to her GP and it was completely pointless, Just. Not. Interested. Good luck.

I agree, GP was useless. Adult SS got carers in initially, then greatly encouraged a care home.

Your Mum will be classed as a frequent caller and they'll be well aware of the repeat calls.

There's a special team in place to deal with people like her, and it will be multi agency, including adult social care, GP, and the High intensity service user team (or equivalent from your local ambulance service)

Once the safeguarding is in place it will then flag up to the call handler when she calls and a procedure might be put in place to deal with this - what that may look like I can't tell you, possibly further support, possibly a home, we have had people banned from calling unless a genuine emergency as a last resort.

Do you have poa ? You can make her go to a home if it's the safest option if so

i think OP said she was deemed to have capacity (to decide where she lives?) so OP couldn’t use POA to change residency unless and until her mother loses capacity. But PP are right. - the safeguarding process will push towards a multi agency response to manage her behaviour. OP you can’t stop her doing it, don’t try, and make sure you take care of your own mental health - you mentioned she is controlling be careful with your boundaries

We know someone who does this. The ambulance service have a plan in place - they usually turn up but don't stay long and now never take her to hospital.