Care at home for someone who has lost most mobility - any experiences of making this work?

[DinahCat]

Mum is 93 and very frail but until now she has had enough mobility to get herself into the loo, to the kettle to make a cuppa, and upstairs on the stairlift.

However she has been in hospital for a week now with an overwhelming infection and can barely support her own weight. She is also confused (delirium according to the staff here) though this is now easing. Memory however seems pretty shot.

She will soon be medically fit for discharge but obviously needs comprehensive nusring/social type support (only moveable with a sara stedy etc)

My guess (OT has not yet assessed but we expect it to happen next week) is that they might refer her to what is laughably known as "reablement" in the community hospital (around 40 mins away).

She was sent there last year on discharge from the acute hospital (broken shoulder and generally bashed about after nasty fall, and tbf stated out similarly weak) and the total of 6 weeks in hospital definitely left her with reduced mental and physical capacity (it was only then that she had to have care/use a stick indoors etc - and she stopped using her bed and moved to the riser recliner)

This time ideally I'd like to see her home sooner but I don't know how her personal care would be managed. Do they supply anything like a sara stedy for home use? Would regular "food prep washing and toileting" carers be able to use one or is that officially "nursing".

I'm not expecting answers to these questions specifically so much as hoping people might have their own different experiences to share, of fairly intensive care delivered at home, what was provided, what worked/didn't and (😭😭) what did it cost?

Thank you 🙏🙏

Best to wait for the OT, but yes it is possible to have reablement at home, but it just depends if your area has such a team commissioned. An appropriate transfer device can be prescribed by the OT following assessment, assuming it will suit her property and carers can use these. Typically the maximum care package is 4 calls a day. If she is sleeping in a riser recliner and not a bed the OT won't (or shouldnt) be happy as it a pressure care issue.

Yes - but it can be a very long time between care calls and no help overnight. So potentially in a wet pad for a long time. It sounds like she needs a 24/7 environment.

Thanks @Edictfromno10 - they did suggest a hospital bed last time but she declined (v small downstairs space). It's still a possibility though. Ironically she has slept in the riser recliner for a year with no pressure / skin issues, but the ill-fitting hospital bed, with just one thin sheet between her sweaty skin and the plastic matress (why on earth do they do this?)seems to have caused a skin breakdown in several places in a matter if days. And the riser recliner is so much easier to get out of , as it helps, unlike the bed.

She's self funding so we could have someone live-in, though I don't think she'd want to pay for waking care. She did have live in for a few weeks when she came home before, but she was a lot more able. This time she seems to have lost a lot of her sight (not clear why, eye clinic next week) so that is also going to complicate things

Contact adult social services. They can provide hospital beds, mobility aids , walking frames etc.

My parents have carers. They help them to get dressed, prepare meals, tidy up , do the commode etc.

Consider a lifeline if your mum is frail.