How To Get A Care Home Place For Someone Who Needs It

[FIRETHORN1 58]

An elderly relative, severely physically disabled , living alone and getting more deaf and confused by the day, has now reached the point where this poor person can't look after herself properly. Having repeated falls, unable to dress, wash of feed herself properly. We really think she needs to be in a Care Home, but how can we do this? She can't afford private care.

 

We called her GP, who just said to call Sheffield Council Social Services and ask for a Care Assessment.   Called Sheffield Council, who just said to call the GP.  Called Age Uk for advice - but although sympathetic, the only advice they could give was to call the GP ... or the Council!

The "best" advice  we've been given so far has been to wait until this poor person becomes seriously ill or injured in a fall, then call 999 for an ambulance to have them admitted to hospital - on the grounds that hospitals cannot discharge someone without an appropriate care package in place.  This seems so cruel. 

 

Has anyone got any advice about how we can deal with this? 

 

[S35_2o21 32]

Have you rung Adult Social Care on 2734908?: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/social-care/getting-long-term-care-support. That is your first place to try.

 

If you wait until your relative deteriorates further which leads to a hospital stay, the outcome could be much worse. 

[FoxLady 121]

On 07/01/2022 at 17:36, FIRETHORN1 said:

An elderly relative, severely physically disabled , living alone and getting more deaf and confused by the day, has now reached the point where this poor person can't look after herself properly. Having repeated falls, unable to dress, wash of feed herself properly. We really think she needs to be in a Care Home, but how can we do this? She can't afford private care.

 

We called her GP, who just said to call Sheffield Council Social Services and ask for a Care Assessment.   Called Sheffield Council, who just said to call the GP.  Called Age Uk for advice - but although sympathetic, the only advice they could give was to call the GP ... or the Council!

The "best" advice  we've been given so far has been to wait until this poor person becomes seriously ill or injured in a fall, then call 999 for an ambulance to have them admitted to hospital - on the grounds that hospitals cannot discharge someone without an appropriate care package in place.  This seems so cruel. 

 

Has anyone got any advice about how we can deal with this? 

 

Similar case to you, 3 years ago.

The old dear fell, broke a hip. hospitalised against her will. (Yes, even with a broken hip!)

The old boy, totally gaga with dementia, couldn't cope, and neither could we with him. He couldn't even remember who his wife was at that time.

We started contacting social services, but it was over a bank holiday weekend - forget it.

Once they did respond - took 4 days - they confirmed there were no home spaces available.

Managed to contact their GP, and sighed relief - at last, he'd surely manage something.

Nope.

Same story.

He eventually suggested the same as you stated above.

"Don't quote me, but ring 999, claim he's hurt himself in some way, and leave 'em to it."

Like you, we didn't want to, and didn't.

Things were sorted within a few more days, presumably because some poor soul in a home lost his/her fight for life.

Sorry to be so pessimistic, but....

Good luck. My heart goes out to you.

[FIRETHORN1 58]

It's impossible not to be pessimistic. Sheffield Coucil's Adult Social Care have been quite helpful to our elderly relative in the past - assisting with getting a few adaptations made to the home and giving some help with claiming  financial support, but this old lady has now gone beyond the point where she can realistically live alone. The only real solution is to get her a Care Home place - and this is not something the Council can help with. I don't blame them - I blame the whole system, which makes no provision for looking after the elderly when they are no longer able to look after themselves.

 

Essentially, there is no "Social Care" in this country, so unless you are rich enough to fund your own care when you are old and infirm, or fortunate enough to have younger, fitter relatives who are willing and able to give up their own lives to care for you, then you will just be left uncared for until you are so ill that you are taken into hospital as an emergency  or just be left  to die at home  alone - in poverty, misery and squalor. 

Edited January 19, 2022 by FIRETHORN1