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.

Some great suggestions here. You could also see if there is a Good Neighbour organisation in the area.

Hospital transport
Her local fb page for voluntary groups that do hospital driving
Maybe ask on her local FB page for a PA (not carer if mil has issues with that term) for admin/meds and medical visits?

The main difficulty, in a way, is that she nominally "has capacity", but in reality is a bit fried?
That's tricky. If you can - if someone can - get the carers to
a) find out when the appointments are and then
b) take her ...
At a price, obviously. That can help.
Is she self funding or ...?

(I have a friend who says she'll organise her own appointments, but quite often she doesn't. She forgets, or gets confused. The upside (!) of her no longer being able to read the appointment letters herself, and having carers with her a lot of the time, is that they CAN read the letters and ensure transport etc is somehow sorted.)

Thanks everyone. Am so sorry I hadn't checked in on the thread as we have had a hellish few days. MIL is now in hospital after a significant deterioration over the weekend. Social care team have been brilliant but transport to and from routine appointments has slipped down the list of priorities. I will pick it up with the social care team, as it is blatantly obvious now that we can't provide that round the clock care and support for routine things as well as emergencies. I honestly take my hat off to anyone doing this at home on their own while juggling all the normal things associated with life. You are angels.

It is best that she is in hospital (although I'm very sorry about the deterioration)

Biggest thing now is to be clear of what you are willing to offer and the boundaries you are happy with as there maybe pressure on you to accept more than you are willing to do.

they are the referral source

What about hospital transport? It's available to get people to appointments who can't get themselves there such as elderly or disabled

Discharge letters from the hospital often ask for bloods to be checked and medication to review…. But they never facilitate transport. Not the GPs job and I doubt they are obligated contractually.

Gp don't organise patient transport - there's usually a number for the patient (or their carer/family) to call to arrange it