Hospital unsafe discharge

[ednaclouda]

How do I block my dad's discharge from hospital on wedn 30 april when he has lied to the occupational therapist and said all is well
mum has dementia no safety help at all.

Contact PALS as soon as possible There needs to be a bloody campaign against these unsafe discharges. Just keep repeating to the medics that the discharge is unsafe

Have been told on here PALS have no teeth or any authority to stop discharge

Do you have power of attorney for him?

TBH even if you do, in my experience the hospital won’t be too fussed provided they’re happy he’s met the criteria for discharge.

Are you able to go in to the hospital? Ask to speak to the ward manager and explain the situation. Keep repeating it’s an unsafe discharge (explain why) and say you refuse to accept responsibility for him if they discharge him and he’ll be back in hospital within days. Be firm, they will need the bed and will try to push him home.

They will probably also threaten to evict him if he doesn’t leave. They can do this, but not immediately, especially if you’ve explained it’s an unsafe discharge.

Ask to speak to the social worker in charge of his discharge too. Explain everything to them.

Whenever you’re speaking to someone, take notes of their name and what’s being said. You will get told different things by everyone. Make it clear you’re writing things down because you know it’s an unsafe discharge and want to be able to call people out when he’s readmitted in a few days.

It’s a really stressful situation but you have to fight for them to keep him until there are appropriate support networks in place for him at home. Has anyone even asked you what the set up at home is?

I’ve just been through this with DMIL (twice) - good luck and stay strong.

Exactly what @NewspaperChips said.
Write everything down. Speak to the ward sister/manager and request to speak to the ward social worker.
It may also help to email the social worker and the ward. Infact when I worked alongside the discharge team I actually found the geriatric consultant more sympathetic than the social worker. Is there a carers Support group/charity operating within the hospital, there is where I am. They advocated for many relatives.
Repeat repeat repeat- unsafe discharge, no support, sole carer for vulnerable adult.

Who is looking after your mum at the moment? You may need to remove her from the house so she cant be expected to provide care.

Agreed, though if he is placing a vulnerable adult at risk it changes things

Are you able to put any care in place for your DM?

What would make the discharge unsafe? Who is looking after mum at the moment? What needs to be done to make it safe at home?

This. Can you give more details, OP?

Op you have not given much detail some of which could help if we knew how the hospital stay changed things

Is the home itsself safe?
Can he move around if he needs a mobility aid.
Or aids to get in or out if bed or chairs?
How is the heat produced mainly central heating or plugin heaters or an open fire?

Is he mobile
Is he in danger of falling (again)
Can He access a toilet
Can he cook or access food and water
Is he in need of medication which need collecting from a pharacy
Has he a dressings or medical intervention that needs care in the community support?

Will he be providing care to DM who has dementia
a ) during the day
b ) during the night

What is the pre hospital setup and who was looking after DM while he was away?

Lots of times people will say that family/friends are delighted to provide 24/7 cover so on paper its not an unsafe discharge.

And having a letter
• listing the problems and
• that you and the family and friends are not able to provide care
• but will be happy to support the hospital/ SW by providing details of his home life and
•once given notice attending any meetings (if you can) in person or via the phone.
[(Edit) to be placed on his file helps ]

And his rejecting care for himself and DM while he is not in a position to provide care to her shows that his capacity or ability to risk assess may not be the best. And if he is telling outright lies that is also an issue.

To be honest OP,
The hospital wanted to send me home BED bound half way through my recovery ( I still couldn't walk after a very long stay in icu)
With carers 4 x daily and physio coming around daily.
My family refused.
I couldn't even turn myself over in the bed. I couldn't move my hands, legs or hold my body up in a sitting position.
Speak to the bed managers, ward staff. Hold your ground.
I was 29 at the time - on a dementia ward. They are horrible ward. I ended up spending 4 months on that ward. As soon as I could just about manage to walk in a straight line with a frame and get myself off a toilet I made myself get discharged.
Elderly wards are disgusting and the way they treat people are fucking disgusting.

No poa set up yet we are trying
Yes he has been providing care for Dm
yes hes in danger of falling
yes he has to have a wound dressed twice a week
not very mobile at all

Gret
if dad fell dm would leave him there for an hour before she would realise what is needed
we cant keep relying on neighbours bless them to sort
neither dm or df know what a mobile is

If you don’t have poa in place but are trying that must mean that your father has capacity to make his own decisions. And also the right to make what we might see as unwise decisions.

Definitely make sure that the team at the hospital are fully aware of your concerns, but at the end of the day it is up to you Dad (providing of course that he has been assessed as having capacity to make this particular decision).

Have just rung the ward
have left phone numbers and got the name of the occu therapist
will try again after rounds at 11am

If you are trying to get POA for your father, that is only possible if he still has capacity, in that case he makes his own decisions even if they are bad decisions.

So with a fall risk is the home safe?

We had this with someone and its going through the house and what has to change.
From removing mats to lowering thresholds to removing furniture so having paths so safe shoes to sticks and then walker then wheelchairs work.

Can he put on his shoes or antislip socks to aid his movement.

Are the staff supervising him as a fall risk if so is it low or high plus what is involved as that falls away at hime

Can DF safely carry a hot cup of tea from rhe kitchen open/close a door and get himself into a chair to watch tv.

Etc

He may still get discharged but both DM and DF need to be assessed urgently by the LA's Elderly Care team as he is no longer able to provide the safe care she needs.

What was the end result @ednaclouda?

The OTs focus will be on dad's needs. How is mum looked after in his absence.
I am an OT and it is not an easy job. A person at risk of falls can fall anywhere. A care home will not prevent falls. If someone has a Telecare alarm and/ or falls sensor then raising the alarm will not be dependent on your DM, even if dad was unconscious the alarm would be raised.
If someone has capacity around destination on discharge, understands what the risks are and still wants to go home, were have to respect their wishes even if family say different.
OT will have assessed what he can and cannot manage in terms of looking after himself.