Dad 'bed blocking'

soolin

I have to bit a bit vague here as it might get unpleasant and I don't want to much info online.

My father lives in a residential home (no nursing care no nurses work there) and is currently in hospital for the second time in a week. He now has a catheter. I last spoke to the hospital last night who assured me that all tests were normal and all was fine and he could go home. However they have told the home that he has something wrong with his blood, needs a catheter for 2 weeks then a review at which time catheter will be taken out.

Home won't take him as they are not catheter trained, he also has severe dementia so we have issues with him trying to remove catheter.

Hospital have already called social services once to report an abandoned senior, but SS turned up and told them at that point that he was not to be discharged as at that point they had run no tests and just put a catheter in without knowing why he needed it.

The other issue is I'm spending all my time there usually in corridors trying to get through security doors out of visitng hours, the hospital are not telling me anything other than 'he is absolutely fine' they keep calling SS and the home but have never yet called me despite me saying over and over again that I need to be involved as i am next of kin.

I've just spoken to PALS and they have said that if home won't take him but he is medically fit they will send him to a nursing home of their choice which the family will fund (Dad is self funded), but they say that I *should* be involved and cannot explain why I am not being contacted.

What do I do, when i go down I just make Dad worse and i really only go down to sneak a peek at his notes and try and talk to hospital staff. They will only let me attend during visiting hours, so I can't get to see a doctor and I just don't know what to do. I actually typed a note out and pinned it to Dad's dressing gown at one point with my contact details, but they still have never called me.

I have had one piece of advice and that is to stay out of it as if they decide Dad needs to go to a nursing home temporarily they will have to fund the first two weeks if family have not been involved, if I am involved I will have to fund from day 1. Therefore if i stay away they may well decide it is easier to keep Dad in a nice warm hospital bed and just discharge without a catheter in 2 weeks, problem solved as home will take him then.

HappyMJ

It's not bed blocking. He's there for a reason he may as well stay there.

concerned43

Phone the doctor's secretary and ask for a meeting with the doctor. You need to know what your father's care plan is and when he will be discharged. Sounds llike your father needs more care than he originally did and therefore a new care home which will meet his care plan will be beneficial to your father whether he has to fund it or not! Your father's care means more than two weeks of money!

Mojisola

I would be doing two things - one, phone your Dad's consultant's secretary and arrange a meeting or a phone call with him/her; two, contact the chief executive of the hospital trust and tell him/her what's going on.

soolin

I've been on the phone to all sorts pf people and i think we have a solution. The home (who are marvellous) called Social services themselves and have arranged for a full training session for their care staff in catheter care tomorrow, they are now going to tell the hospital to send Dad back to them and they will make arrangements for a nurse this afternoon to cover until the staff are trained. How brilliant is that? I cannot praise the home enough.

However, whilst I was assured that dad was very well and had no problems by thehospital the care home have now been told that dad has a prostate problem and needs a permanent catheter, but as yet we haven't been told what the prostate problem is.

clemmatis

when my mother was in hospital I read her notes daily, openly. Your father has a right to see them and to give you permission to see them. But also, as others have said, you should make an appointment to see the consultant. Also, have you talked to the hospital social workers?

I do know how difficult it is for you now, how tiring and confusing.

Mojisola

I would still follow it up with the chief executive, even if you leave it until your Dad's problems are sorted out. This kind of poor communication is unlikely to be a one-off and needs to be addressed.

soolin

I suppose that's what gets to me really, the uncertainty and the feeling that someone somewhere is lying.

I can't see how being 'perfectly well and nothing wrong' to me but then 'unwell enough to need a permanent catheter' to the home.

margaretclare

soolin wrote: »

I've been on the phone to all sorts of people and i think we have a solution. The home (who are marvellous) called Social services themselves and have arranged for a full training session for their care staff in catheter care tomorrow, they are now going to tell the hospital to send Dad back to them and they will make arrangements for a nurse this afternoon to cover until the staff are trained. How brilliant is that? I cannot praise the home enough.

However, whilst I was assured that dad was very well and had no problems by the hospital the care home have now been told that dad has a prostate problem and needs a permanent catheter, but as yet we haven't been told what the prostate problem is.

It's quite possible that he has benign enlargement of the prostate, which is extremely common among older men. It makes passing urine very difficult indeed - read up about it: http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Prostate-Gland-Benign-Enlargement.htm

DH has this and will be seeing a urology surgeon next week. Before being referred for possible surgery, he has been taking medication called tamsulosin, which helps but does not cure the problem.

Because of the other things your Dad is suffering from it is possible that his team don't think a urology referral would be appropriate, given that the patient has to co-operate. Are they giving him tamsulosin, can you find that out?

soolin

margaretclare wrote: »

It's quite possible that he has benign enlargement of the prostate, which is extremely common among older men. It makes passing urine very difficult indeed - read up about it: http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Prostate-Gland-Benign-Enlargement.htm

DH has this and will be seeing a urology surgeon next week. Before being referred for possible surgery, he has been taking medication called tamsulosin, which helps but does not cure the problem.

Because of the other things your Dad is suffering from it is possible that his team don't think a urology referral would be appropriate, given that the patient has to co-operate. Are they giving him tamsulosin, can you find that out?

When I spoke to the hospital and they finally admitted there was a problem they did say they would be no investigations, and I am happy with that. They sort of skirted round the idea that a younger or fitter man would have an operation, but my father is too frail for it (and i agree) so making him comfortable is the only way forward. They also sort of half mentioned that even if tests did show it to be any sort of real problem we still could do nothing about it.

He was in another hospital last week with his usual heart issues but because i refused consent to an operation there for the heart they sort of ignored the fact he can't pass urine and sent him home still with no urine function, hence the ambulance the next day to a different hospital.

I just want dad to be comfortable, I don't really care what he has or has not got as long as he is in no pain but it just feels like we are playing politics sometimes with the hospital.

Arthurian

Sorry for the disgraceful treatment you are experiencing, OP. Could someone explain what an "abandoned senior" is? It's the first time I've heard the phrase and neither google nor directgov help explain the implications. Does it mean relatives have a legal responsibility to take on the care/responsibility of that person?