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[Scottishbornandbread43]

My mum is nearly 80. Very poor mobility.She fell backwards down an escalator last week. Injuries are horrendous- wound is so big and deep it’s going to take months if not longer to heal.
she lives by herself and the hospital did not keep her in.
She can hardly walk, struggling to get herself in and out of bed. Cannot clean herself. She cannot go downstairs to even get food or drink.
I’ve been going in 2/3 times a day but I go back to work on Friday.
I don’t know what to do or who to call.

We cannot afford private care. What do I do?

No other family/friends to help

If she can't afford private care then contact social services and ask for an urgent needs assessment.

I agree with this - go on the website for her local authority and look for 'adult social care'.

Sounds like an unsafe discharge. Batter away at social services first. But if you absolutely have to, take her back to hospital.

Phone the ward that she was discharged from and let them know that the discharge was unsafe and she needs to be re-admitted. Failing that, phone adult social care (there should be an emergency number for your area). Hospital should have got them to do a needs assessment and secure the right support for her before discharge.

what was their excuse for not keeping her in?

even though she wasn't kept in, I thought she was entitled to a re-enablement package which is two carer visits a day.

please speak to adult social services about this. It could be a real help. But I think she sounds like she needs more.

hospitals - and the system as a whole - often doesn't say what you're entitled to, especially when they see an adult who they think will do everything for the vulnerable person.

lots of info here

www.ageuk.org.uk/siteassets/documents/factsheets/fs76_intermediate_care_and_reablement_fcs.pdf

Oh yeah, the way they see a younger woman at the bedside and their eyes light up with, "Are you the daughter?"

Try Adult Social Care at the council for an assessment or ask her gp surgery about a referral to the local Reablement service. They can involve an OT for mobility aids as well as carers and physio if needs be. Is she having her wound redressed by nurses regularly?