What is housebound

paul2louise

My mother in law moved to a retirement bungalow in our town so we could be there for her and she be close to grandson.
She has been struggling and been quite poorly. I work part time so been taking her to appointments at the doctors.
Next week she has 3 nurse appointments and 1 doc appointments. I can take her to the Monday appointment, my husband can take her to the Friday appointment but the wednesday and Thursday appointment she is going to have to get the bus. She hasn't been well enough to walk more steps without feeling bad. I phoned up the docs for her and asked if we could do something about the number of appointments and different days and what does it take for her to get a home visit. The receptionist said she can't be housebound if she is getting to some appointments. She is only getting to appointments if someone drives her. She has a disability badge. We go on holiday for 2 weeks in October. I am worried if she will be ok.
Thanks for reading.

General_Grant

paul2louise wrote: »

My mother in law moved to a retirement bungalow in our town so we could be there for her and she be close to grandson.
She has been struggling and been quite poorly. I work part time so been taking her to appointments at the doctors.
Next week she has 3 nurse appointments and 1 doc appointments. I can take her to the Monday appointment, my husband can take her to the Friday appointment but the wednesday and Thursday appointment she is going to have to get the bus. She hasn't been well enough to walk more steps without feeling bad. I phoned up the docs for her and asked if we could do something about the number of appointments and different days and what does it take for her to get a home visit. The receptionist said she can't be housebound if she is getting to some appointments. She is only getting to appointments if someone drives her. She has a disability badge. We go on holiday for 2 weeks in October. I am worried if she will be ok.
Thanks for reading.

A medical practitioner needs to make a decision about ability to access services. She may not be "housebound" but that doesn't mean she can get around unaided and thus a medical practitioner will have confirmed the situation so that she is entitled to a blue badge (assuming that is what you mean by "disability badge").

If there are appointments which can't be changed and you are not able to accompany her, try a taxi or see whether your local Age UK offer such a service for GP/hospital appointments.

MovingForwards

The receptionist is talking out her bottom!

It will be taxis for her to get around to the appointments, safely, on her own. It may be worth seeing if a local firm or black can company can set up an account so you book and pay for the taxi, they arrive and take / collect her.

As she is in a retirement bungalow what kind of assistant does she get? Are there on-site warden's? Health care assistants who assist? Or is it just a regular bungalow where residents are self sufficient?

paul2louise

Both my husband and myself are taking her to as many appointments as we can. She is living in a retirement complex but there isn't a warden just a phone she can use that connects to us.
She has a blue badge cos she has a heart condition that means she can't walk very far without getting out of breath. She has managed to get the bus in the past but at the moment she is quite poorly and is getting out of breath just walking from one room to the other. She moved into the bungalow in the spring. I worry as winter is approaching and she might not get much better and is struggling even now.
Regarding the taxis, how does it work. Do they wait while she sits in waiting room for 30 mins. She doesn't have a mobile phone

suejb2

'A doctor shall render the relevant services during the hours for which he is normally available in the case of a patient whose condition is such that in the doctor's reasonable opinion it would be inappropriate for the patient to attend at the practice premises at whichever is appropriate of the places set out in sub-paragraph (5)' (previously defined locations, including the patient's own home).

This was copied and pasted when I Googled home visits.


. There is a contract between doctor and health service to provide for their patients. Ask to speak to the practice manager NOT the receptionist! Explain you can arrange two of the appointments can they either put the two remaining ones onto these or make them both home visits, they have a duty of care.

paul2louise

I am taking on the first appointment for a 40 min health review. I will make sure that they are clear about how she is finding it difficult.

MovingForwards

paul2louise wrote: »

Regarding the taxis, how does it work. Do they wait while she sits in waiting room for 30 mins. She doesn't have a mobile phone

Good grief no, they would charge her waiting time!

You set up an account with the taxi firm, you or your mom calls a taxi and they come get her, drop her at her appointment, the receptionist calls the taxi firm and they come back, drop her home. No money changes hands as it's automatically done from your debit card.

My mate does it, a few companies I looked at this week allow the public to set an account up (black can and private hire).

Have a look online at some local firms, see if they do it and see what they want to set it up. Be one less stress for you, aside from making sure the money is in your account; would suggest a dedicated current account just for that and you could keep it topped up.

kirtondm

Taxi's are the obvious way to do this.

Undervalued

MovingForwards wrote: »

The receptionist is talking out her bottom!

It will be taxis for her to get around to the appointments, safely, on her own. It may be worth seeing if a local firm or black can company can set up an account so you book and pay for the taxi, they arrive and take / collect her.

As she is in a retirement bungalow what kind of assistant does she get? Are there on-site warden's? Health care assistants who assist? Or is it just a regular bungalow where residents are self sufficient?

Why? I would have thought the receptionist is correct.

If the lady can travel there in her daughter's car she can also travel there in a taxi (as you seem to agree in your second paragraph). The cost and convenience is not the doctor's problem.

However, if the situation is that she can only just manage a car journey with considerable physical assistance than that is another matter.

Undervalued

paul2louise wrote: »

Both my husband and myself are taking her to as many appointments as we can. She is living in a retirement complex but there isn't a warden just a phone she can use that connects to us.
She has a blue badge cos she has a heart condition that means she can't walk very far without getting out of breath. She has managed to get the bus in the past but at the moment she is quite poorly and is getting out of breath just walking from one room to the other. She moved into the bungalow in the spring. I worry as winter is approaching and she might not get much better and is struggling even now.
Regarding the taxis, how does it work. Do they wait while she sits in waiting room for 30 mins. She doesn't have a mobile phone

Sorry to sound harsh but that is not the doctor's problem.

I am sure the reception will call a taxi for her, it happens all the time at the surgery I use, but obviously she will have to wait for it to arrive.

The only relevant question is whether she is medically capable of getting there by taxi or not. If she is then the inconvenience and cost are not the doctor's problem (although maybe financial help is available from other sources). If she is not fit enough then she should be getting home visits.

gettingtheresometime

Would it be worth getting her a payg phone so that she can call a taxi when she's finished?

As a separate issue it may be worth her getting one so she can carry it around with her on a daily basis just in case she needs it in an emergency