Care package - leaving hospital

[Greentreesandbushes]

Just want to pick brains, my parent is 76, lives alone. has Parkinson’s, fell and broke their hip, surgery successful, still very frail.

Been in hospital 4.5 weeks, OT tried to start discharge last week however after me pointing out mobility problems (can’t independently use toilet - even on a walking frame) and then an infection (UTI) meant they stayed put.

I’m expecting a call at some point suggesting discharge home, with a care package. Lots of issues but not least a quirky house that has steps on ground floor, to access living space, there is only small living room and a bathroom on one level. Kitchen and bedrooms on other levels with stairs to access.

My question is about the care package, up to 6 weeks of care, can we request this be residential? A care home or community hospital? If residential is this to be paid by patient? If privately funded is it patients choice?

The OT wasn’t friendly, clearly just wanted the bed back, when I pointed out mobility issues they confirmed what I said with physio - no apology or accepting that they were wrong, just confirmation that the hospital stay would be extended.

I’ve made steps to get pendant alarm and a key safe, is there anything else that could be useful?

She should have had a social care assessment to assess her needs before leaving hospital. Social work will assess her needs as 1 point of care, 2 points etc or if at the highest point of need then will be assessed as eligible for residential care.

It needs to be patients choice if she has capacity. She can say she wants to go home and that's her right.

Patient is scared to go home at this point and either wants longer stay in hospital or somewhere else.

We’ve elderly relatives who been to state-funded residential homes for six weeks post hospital, and others who’ve been to a cottage hospital for rehab. I’m surprised they’re letting him home if he’s not mobile.

Also contact adult social services who can supply mobility aids, put up rails etc.

I can only comment on my experience earlier this year with my mother, but other threads have suggested that these 're-enablement' packages vary greatly from area to area. I don't think you'd be able to get a live in carer (if that's what you mean by residential care) unless you were prepared to pay. We were offered carers coming in four times a day, plus regular physio sessions at home and visits by OT's to see what she could and couldn't manage in the way of cooking, dressing , washing ,toileting etc. Before she was discharged from the cottage hospital she'd been in for a couple of weeks (having been moved there from the main hospital after a couple of weeks following breaking her hip and needing a hip replacement) an OT came to the house to see what was needed, measure up and arrange for a chair, commode and toilet frame to be delivered. This was all free of charge as part of the NHS re-enablement service but it only lasts for six weeks - at the point her ongoing care needs were reassessed and ongoing care visits (down to two a day) were arranged by the council, with mum self-funding.