Getting MIL to appointments

[TurkeysarenotjustforChristmas]

Hello so we live some distance away from my MIL and too far to provide emergency cover. She had a fall over Christmas and it looks like she will need repeat hospital trips and potentially some emergency tests for other issues such as Dementia and cancer.

We have been able to sort this over Christmas, but we are back at work next week and have no clue on how to get her to her appointments from then on. She isn't very coherent at the moment, won't get a taxi on her own, may try to drive (I know, I know - we are sorting it) and isn't currently keeping track of dates.

Up till now she has carers going in twice a day, and these will be upped to 4 times a day. But I am not sure what my options are for transport. Can anyone give any advice or experience of managing this? We can't move closer as we run our own business. And MIL is not prepared to move away from her home.

Can you ring whoever the appointments with and explain the situation? Hospital transport is offered in my local hospital (Midlands) but needs to be booked quite far in advance

Agree with previous poster to get in touch with the hospital to organise patient transfer for her, we had to do this for my granda and are getting to the point where we will also have to do this for my gran and they were really good

Engage private carers to do hospital appointments, shopping, cleaning etc. Has she claimed the attendance allowance?

Hospital transport but it can mean long days. Look for local community transport organisations in her area as they would be able to help.

You have to take away her keys now. Today.

Has she been referred to adult SS?

Tbh hospital transport is just a volunteer driver so no different to a taxi so I don't think that will solve it.

Yes this is a good idea as then isn't alone in taxi

Can she get hospital transport? Is there a local volunteer driver service?

Take her keys away asap. No good saying 'we are sorting it'; sounds like it needs to be done now.

The appointment letters should provide details of how to book patient transport. I used to arrange this for my mum as she wasn't mobile enough to get herself to hospital. There are a lot of questions to establish if it's needed or not but an invaluable service.

Keys are already with us. It is DVLA we are in the process of contacting.

Re: appointments. We don't get sight of the letters and have no idea when they come in. We are not listed as Next of Kin for a whole host of reasons (mainly hers). But the person who is listed as Next of Kin won't do transport.

My dad used volunteer drivers from a local organisation - the only problem was that they don't take you in so if she has dementia then you would need an escort. Some care agencies can do this, or she'd need hospital transport - but it would be better if someone was with her to take notes and make sure that things happen that are supposed to

There is a service called Driving Miss Daisy that specialises in this.

drivingmissdaisy.co.uk/

The gp can request hospital transport, you have to then book it

And they are not volunteers!!

Round here they are. My DH does hospital transport - the only official transport is for those that are seriously medically unwell (ambulance transport) he gets expenses but isn't paid

Google name of hospital and patient transport and it should send you to the webpage with details of how to arrange it and costs. I had to do this for a further away trip to a specialist hospital in a different county. There was a per mile cost but I think it would have been less than a taxi (and definitely less than cost of my petrol to her house then to hospital using my annual leave!).

If she has to be accompanied then that needs a carer agency but if you can get a carer who drives who can take her then that covers it.

Carer who drives is good as they'll take her in, find the clinic etc. But obviously it depends on them being available when the appointment is, so you'd likely need a few people to call.

Hospital transport also definitely an option, but as above it can be a very long day as they pick up & drop off en route. Not sure how much support they provide getting in & finding appointments (dad's issue is sight loss, so he would go and ask at reception for assistance, very different to someone with dementia).

But if you don't know when the appointments are, and MiL doesn't have capacity to cope with arrangements, it's going to be much more tricky - would the carers photo appointment letters & message you with info? Would MiL be capable of being ready & waiting for a hospital transport pick-up?

I think you need to have a carer type person take her. She probably would be eligible for hospital transport but, that's not going to work if she doesn't know what day it is and takes hours to get ready anyway. That's when you need someone going in to get her ready and take her etc.

Em, if secondary care arranged the appointment why would it be up to primary care to act as concierge! That’s not how it works.

Even if she gets there and back from the hospital sounds like the appointments will be pretty pointless as she won’t remember anything from them and may not be able to convey a relevant history. She needs someone with her.

Hospital transport doesn’t have to be paid so no worry about having the right cash and how much to tip.

But the issue doesn't appear to be money related

She isn't very coherent at the moment, won't get a taxi on her own

Hospital transport won't solve either of these issues.

There are often local voluntary driver services who can accompany to appointments. The council should have a list of such support services on its website or try local branch of Age UK.

Working out how to pay is one of the worries of those who are having cognitive issues.

Where I am the transport options vary wildly in terms of town and diagnosis; a public/charity run service in one town may not be available a couple of miles away.

I'd do some internet searching using both your MIL's local authority area and town.

If there's a local community organisation that has a directory of volunteer and community run services they'll be able to help signpost.
The council may also have a similar list.
Speak to the GP's surgery and ask if they can direct you.
The agency that provides her carers may be able to provide a paid for service or direct you.

My DF's carers were really helpful in terms of helping him get ready for trips out.

Realistically there may be a fairly limited time span of the time period with getting multiple carer visits and hospital visits and assistance with transport etc and needing to move into a home or assisted living, so it also would be worth looking at options here too.