Does this kind of care home even exist.. MNetters please help

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DF is 80 - he is fit as a fiddle/no meds etc apart from devastating Alzheimers. He was given 5-8 year prognosis 8 years ago and since then was cared for by DM.

Recently (since Christmas) his symptoms are much worse, more brain fog, agitated behaviour, trying to drive (hasn't had license for 8 years), no short term memory or processing ability.

DM had to move out (due to agitated/aggressive behaviour) and he has care 3 times a day for meals/housekeeping- does his own self care but needs checking he is putting on clean clothes etc

We're at the point of looking at residential homes (DM homeless/staying with a friend and his decline will continue).

BUT... the nursing homes we've looked at are just that, nursing - he doesn't take medication/is mobile - can still cycle (!) but can't remember where to go/gets nervous

Does anyone know of anywhere that is a step up from McArthur Stone type setting - guided activities/level of care. Its like we need one of those old days villages in the Netherlands where there is a level of independence but care for someone with no short term memory. And a pathway to a dementia unit (although we may have to move setting when we reach that point).

Looking in SW london Richmond / Kingston and out to Chertsey / Esher / Kingston

Physically fit/mobile but cognitively impaired, getting aggressive and a future of progression ahead - it’s a tough situation, solidarity.

My mother spent a couple of years in Badby Park care centre. Their specialism is neurological disorders. They emphasise their rehab side but they also do long term care.

It’s nowhere near the area you want but you could ring them and ask if there is somewhere like that in your area?

My mum was in a 'nursing' home but it catered for all different abilities and conditions, it had a floor for dementia, a floor for those with medical needs and a floor for those that just needed more support.

And a note on those commenting on underplaying his needs - I'm not. I'm clear that his needs involve full DoL and a pathway to an advanced dementia unit.

However I am trying to find somewhere that really match his current needs and give him a higher quality of life while having him fully safeguarded.

What I liked about Badby Park - and I should be honest that we took mum out very quickly after hitting a bit of a wall with them - was that to me, the money wasn’t going on stuff Mum couldn’t use. It wasn’t one of those places with a cinema room and a bar, both empty all the time, but they do have specialist staff - a psychiatrist, a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, a social worker. That’s much more important. Our relationship with the ward team eventually broke down but I’ll be honest, I don’t really think that was their fault, or certainly not all their fault. They were too far away from us as well - nothing replaces being able to see your relative and their situation frequently and to have frequent brief conversations. The staff were difficult to speak to, never initiated contact with us, the specialists didnt seem to have enough input and information seemed limited generally, but if we’d been on site more often, especially if we’d been able to go midweek, most of that wouldn’t have been an issue. It’s a beautiful spacious setting which makes a big difference. But just being in a place where the team understand what has happened to your relative is amazing.

I think that there are many care homes suitable for what you're looking for. However, you will have to look at a lot to find the one that is suitable for his specific needs and preferences. Visit at lunch time if you can!

In my experience (I looked at about 15 homes) those that are not part of a chain usually have a better feel and possibly a more stable staff team. In the end the one I felt had the best atmosphere and a manager who I really felt was in tune with the residents was a bit shabby. It's turned out that that hasn't mattered at all.

There's a group of 8-10 residents (out of 30) who are quite capable of having a chat, doing a crossword together or taking a stroll in the lovely garden. The gardener also engages them regularly in his eccentric projects and takes small groups out in the minibus. Others there have more advanced dementia. Manager still there 5 years later.

My father is in an independent care home which specialises in dementia care. My father is mobile (has a walker because he's at risk of falls) and is able to socialise. He is able to wash and dress himself. He does require someone to give him the right medication at the right time as he cant remember when or if hes taken his medication. He's in the wing with people with low nursing needs and varying degrees of dementia. There is another wing for people who have higher nursing needs and finally a wing for palliative care. He has a lovely big ensuite room with a view of the garden. He can go into the garden whenever he wants, there's a large and varied programme of activities and they go out for lunch at a local pub, to craft fairs, theatre etc will full staff support. He does more there than he ever did at home! It's not in your area but they do exist so hopefully you'll find what you need.

Avery Health Care Homes UK | Avery Health Care https://share.google/rsN2WsUEBSbeBQG37

Relative was in one they had lots activities to engage the more able residents.
Expensive but pleasant
Visit care homes op they all will offer various levels of activity support individual to eg cycle on a machine etc

Yeah, my Mil is in one. She was quite difficult at the point she went into care.

You need a residential specialist EMI home. Even better if it's dual-registered as a nursing home as the agitated behaviour is a nursing need and he'll likely decline to that level.

Have a look at CQC website and get it to list homes in authorities local to you (you can filter out according to ratings if you like), and then you are looking for a residential home which takes dementia patients. Many residential homes have a wing specifically for dementia. Read CQC reports, look on individual homes’ websites. Once you’ve found some you think maybe suitable you can ring the homes, have a brief chat around your dad’s needs, length of waiting lists etc and visit any which look promising. One question to ask is whether family members can visit at any time, and around activities. Regarding the cycling - if you dad is admitted to dementia care, he won’t be able to go out alone. There should be organised trips, and exercise classes in the home plus possible walking with a member of staff in the grounds.

When the time comes that one may be able to admit your dad, a member of staff will see him and do an assessment to make sure they would be able to meet his needs.
Be warned - this will be expensive and they will want to know your dad is able to self-fund for two years.

The home my parents were in was owned by Sunrise but they sold to Care UK around 4 years ago. I preferred the home initially under Sunrise but the change of ownership also coincided with issues around Brexit and many good staff were lost. I think the home is still rated good (my parents no longer around).

Can you speak to a local admiral nurse to get the lowdown on what’s available

I don't quite understand why you think there isn't much available to meets your dad's needs. Pretty much every residential care home has a dementia wing. My own mother was in a care home specialising in dementia. It was built on 3 levels. She entered at ground floor level where the residents needed the lowest level of care. When she deteriorated and needed more care, hoists, etc she was moved to the first floor. She died there so I never got to see what residents on the top floor were like, poor things. There wasn't interaction between the levels so she was always with people at a similar level of cognitive function as herself. My understanding was that this sort of compartmentalising was entirely the norm in dementia care homes these days.

Im sorry I can't help with your specific area but I thought this type of home was pretty ubiquitous.

I also have a relative at a Hallmark Care Home, and highly recommended them.
They have separate floors in the homes for people who have dementia or need nursing care.

Try looking on carehome.co.uk - you can specify the area you are looking for, plus that you need dementia care and it will show you the available options. You'll be able to see pictures, read descriptions and in many cases see approximate costs - plus you can see genuine reviews from residents and relatives. That should enable you to get a shortlist of possibilities - then get in touch and see if you can arrange to drop in and view the place, talk to the manager etc. There absolutely will be somewhere suitable - in your dad's case it sounds like safe access to a good amount of outdoor space might be important to help him settle in? I know it probably feels overwhelming right now, so hang in there.

The other thing to bear in mind is funding. I think you said your father's funds would last a few months? When the LEA take over funding you may well find that to keep your father at the home you've chosen requires top up funds. Not many homes accept the low LEA funding rates. Do investigate this before choosing somewhere.

I don't think you will find any home willing to take a self funder who can only afford it for 3 months, surely?

Rodwell House is Chertsey way. Looked after a relative of mine but with very different care needs.
I think you need to bite the bullet, get a list from the council and then visit them. And if you find one you like, hope they have space.

It's horribly disruptive though OP to settle him somewhere that works for now, and then having to move him on again especially as his dementia progresses.

I think you will struggle here.

Most care homes want 2 years of funds available for self funding. They are unlikely to accept him if he only has a few months of funds.

The issue is when his money runs out social care would have to take over funding - and at the moment it sounds like they have only assessed him as needing 3* care calls a day, so won't fund 24 hour care.

You could ask social care if they could increase to 4* visits a day (usually thats around the max before they look at care) and potentially fit a canary type system to look at if he is using the house safely between care calls. This would support a need for 24 hour care.

You also need to (realistically) look only at care homes on social cares contracted list - thats probably available on your local council website, as otherwise he would have to move once his funds ran out. Even with homes on this list, many will be subject to 3rd party top up.

A good residential home might be able to meet his needs but if he is unpredictably aggressive it might have to be dementia nursing.

I visited a lot with DM around and about Guildford area. Most of the more modern ones had three levels of care, and three levels of building. So bottom floor, healthy, mobile, not too many issues, able to come and go as they wished. Middle floor, bit more supervision required, more help, less able, but still integrated with the bottom floor for meals and entertainment. Top floor, really poorly, 24/7 nursing care and supervision, locked doors.

Thanks - we’re contesting the SS assessment with input from Memory clinic and lawyer. Meeting next week. want them on board for care plan and DofL.

the place we saw this week was council contracted for reasons you have mentioned. Top up would be possible as has private pension.

I just wanted to consider options to see if we could improve his quality of life in short term. Of course decline is unpredictable and could be rapid.

Sounds like you need extra care. It’s independent living but with care on site. Much better than a nursing home if he isn’t at that stage!

Thanks yes maybe that’s it - I’ve only seen four and a couple of those were a while ago for DM post op recovery (but had DF in mind while looking as well). Will do more searching while SS conversation ongoing.

My stepfather was in a dementia care home with this set up but all the residents were together. Some were very severe, others much less so and took part in a wide range of activities. All had a DOLs as they were locked in. It means that as residents needs escalate they do not have the issue of being moved elsewhere at the time when they need as much consistency as possible.

Has anyone mentioned Whiteleys Village to you OP. The mother of a friend was cared for very well through her later years, and into dementia. They are just off the A3 at Esher, I think.

www.whiteleyshometrust.org

Hope that's helpful. Best if luck with your search and doing the best you can for your parents.

Please also consider your DMs quality of life. She shouldn’t have to sofa surf at her age birder to accommodate your DF.
How did SS become involved?