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Elderly parents
Original poster

How do your elderly parents in nursing homes get to hospital appointments?

32 replies

GreyAreas · 07/09/2025 21:39

We are just wondering, because dmil is now in a nursing home, family that are close by are not physically able to transfer her from wheelchair into car because she is frail and immobile and they are elderly with their own issues. She is not keen on much intervention, they have a nurse on site and a GP once a week, but she has been invited for hospital appointments etc since moving in which she probably ought to go to.

OP posts:
Thethingswedoforlove · 07/09/2025 21:41

You can get taxis that take passengers in their wheelchairs and also hospital might have transport? The home will have a hoist they can use to get her into the wheelchair probably?

Wbeezer · 07/09/2025 21:41

I think the hospital transport service handles this type of thing?

mamagogo1 · 07/09/2025 21:42

Depends on her care package and needs. Dad’s care package includes taking her to appointments, activities in the community etc.

Original poster
GreyAreas · 07/09/2025 22:07

Thank you
I don't think it's included. I think they might do it if she pays for the staff member(s) and I guess at least they might have a suitable vehicle.
Will look into hospital transport.

OP posts:
PropertyD · 07/09/2025 22:09

I had to pay for a staff member to go with them and from memory about £40

TobiasForgesContactLense · 07/09/2025 22:10

My DM definitely attended a couple of hospital whilst she was in a care home last year. The home arranged hospital transport.

happinessischocolate · 07/09/2025 22:13

The care home I used to work for charged for an employee to attend hospital with a resident at an hourly rate - the home my aunt is in make no extra charge - check wit the home but also as pp said there should be hospital transport - only problem is they may have to wait around for hours for it

Toddlerteaplease · 07/09/2025 22:14

Hospital transport and a carer went with him. I met them at the hospital.

SwisswolvesLilley · 07/09/2025 22:16

I registered my Dad for hospital transport but the problem was they had to be ready two hours before any appointment and could be kept waiting up to two hours afterwards for transport back home. Now he is in a care home, the staff book taxis which I pay for from Dad’s account and I pay a member of the care home staff an hourly rate to accompany him which, last time he went, was approx £15 per hour. I hope that helps.

EmotionalBlackmail · 07/09/2025 22:31

The home organises transport. The home we used had a minibus that could take wheelchairs.

EmotionalBlackmail · 07/09/2025 22:32

And as PP have said, the home sends a carer with them, the cost gets added to the monthly bill.

Pepperedpickles · 07/09/2025 22:33

Patient transport organised by the hospital. It’s very long and tedious though. My Mum ended up having to wait a whole day to get back to the home again after an appointment at times. They just fit them in when they can - which if you had bowel cancer, copd and Crohn’s disease like my mum did it was very difficult. (We didn’t have the best relationship either, I did do my fair share of taking her myself).

PermanentTemporary · 07/09/2025 22:47

Talk to him and the GP about whether it is really worth going to the appointments and what the impact would be of not going?

Danikm151 · 07/09/2025 22:50

Black-cab that a wheelchair could fit into and family member went with.
The care home didn’t have the capacity for a member of staff to accompany a resident.

IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere · 08/09/2025 12:15

My DM was in a home when she had an appointment for her cataracts. The home arranged for hospital transport for her. It would have been possible for me to go with her but I would have needed to be at the home for 7.30. That would have been impossible for me without inconveniencing a lot of people. As it happened a few days before the appointment, her favourite nurse was on duty and she admitted that she didn't want to go, even if I did go with her so they cancelled the appointment..

They could find a way for her to go but couldn't send anyone with her

BlueLegume · 08/09/2025 12:29

In my experience when my Dad moved to a nursing home he still had hospital appointments. The home organised the transport but it was a faff as you are at the mercy of wherever the vehicle is. After hanging around for 7 hours at one appointment we decided we wanted a member of staff to accompany him and we were charged by the hourly rate…understandably. The home preferred us, well me TBH to then meet him at the hospital and stay with him along with the staff member. It just felt better having someone with experience of dealing with a doubly incontinent person in a wheelchair than having to handle him by myself. However I accompanied him to an appointment early this year to see his consultant and the consultant suggested there was no value in Dad having the upset and complication of him being taken out of a safe setting when there was nothing more the consultant could suggest medically. @PermanentTemporary mentioned are the appointments useful. I made a decision to have no further medical interventions for Dad. The nurse called me recently about something she was concerned about and mentioned hospital trips, biopsies and all that goes with that. I politely declined. Nothing in his life would change with the intervention and he is settled and well cared for as he is.

NewsdeskJC · 08/09/2025 12:52

The only appts I concern myself with is eye appts. Mum has glaucoma. I've stopped all other's. She has vascular dementia and was clear that she didn't want any intervention once she was diagnosed with it.

NewsdeskJC · 08/09/2025 12:53

Sorry that didn't answer the question
Mums care home would take her for the cost of staff and petrol

Original poster
GreyAreas · 08/09/2025 12:57

That's all really helpful, thanks for all your replies and experiences.

OP posts:
CrotchetyQuaver · 08/09/2025 13:22

When my mum was in a nursing home, they organised the hospital patient transport service and I used to go with her there and back. I was able to juggle my day around to do this and lived locally anyway, I'm not sure what they did when no family member was available to go with them, I guess charge extra for a member of staff to work that day to go with them?

notacooldad · 08/09/2025 13:27

Sorry that didn't answer the question
Mums care home would take her for the cost of staff and petrol
Crikey,that sounds like you are saying for staff care twice. Staff are already on duty and unless they had to get casual staff in,it wouldn't cost extra for staff to go to an appointment. My nans care home just made her pay the taxi fee when she had appointments and we couldn't take her.

BlueLegume · 08/09/2025 13:45

@notacooldad yes you are technically paying for the care staff twice as if they send a member of permanent staff with the resident to an appointment they are a staff member down in the home and will need to get in agency staff for the day or hours required. That is to be expected. Staff to resident ratio is very strict where we are. My dad could not just be put in a taxi as many residents will not. They require hoisting into a wheelchair and transferring in suitable mini bus style transport not simply a taxi.

catofglory · 08/09/2025 13:49

I would definitely question whether these appointments are vital and in her best interests, especially as your relative is so frail. My mother used to get 'invited' to appointments which were essentially of no use to her so I declined them.

When she moved to a care home the only time she went to hospital was when she had a fall and was injured. All other health requirements were taken care of by the GP or nurse visiting the care home.

If the appointment is vital I would ask the care home manager's advice about transport, they will have had to deal with this many times.

BlueLegume · 08/09/2025 13:52

@catofglory yes agree - if the appointments can make anything ’better’ then consider them if not it is simply a disruption and incredibly tiring for the resident.

Falls absolutely have to be taken seriously. I find the GP and nurse who visit my Dad are very understanding in my decisions not to further investigate.

catofglory · 08/09/2025 13:56

I had the same experience @BlueLegume
The staff and medics understood that most interventions would not be helpful.

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