Advice RE Respite care

sheramber

Many people are stuck in hospital because there is no suitable  home care for them. That is what is causing the bed blocking.

In my area one woman has been waiting for over a year to be discharged because there is not suitable home care available for her

My mother had respite care in a local care home, to give my sister a break,  but she paid for it. 

MouldyOldDough

The confusion comes because of the lack of knowledge as to who is responsible for paying ..NHS / Council or myself ?

If I am coming out of hospital and my wife could not cope with me - surely it would be NHS ?

elsien

It's not that simple. If appropriate the NHS pays for a 6 week package at home to support discharge. At the end of the 6 weeks that funding stops and the local authority would assess need. Once the assessment is completed there is then the financial assessment to determine how much you pay towards any ongoing support or whether you would be fully self-funding for that help.
If you may be eligible for any ongoing health funding after the 6 weeks then that would involve a CHC assessment - how and when that takes place varies between areas but in my area you would probably be sent to a temporary care home place for 4-6 weeks to allow those assessments to take place. And then a decision about whether it is safe for you to return home or not with any package that can be provided. 

MouldyOldDough

elsien said:

It's not that simple. If appropriate the NHS pays for a 6 week package at home to support discharge. At the end of the 6 weeks that funding stops and the local authority would assess need. Once the assessment is completed there is then the financial assessment to determine how much you pay towards any ongoing support or whether you would be fully self-funding for that help.
If you may be eligible for any ongoing health funding after the 6 weeks then that would involve a CHC assessment - how and when that takes place varies between areas but in my area you would probably be sent to a temporary care home place for 4-6 weeks to allow those assessments to take place. And then a decision about whether it is safe for you to return home or not with any package that can be provided. 

6 weeks may be enough to get my shoulders workkng again!! 

elsien

It might not be 6 weeks everywhere, that might be a local ICB decision. You might want to check the ICB for your area.
This is a bit heavy going but Annex B about discharge pathways simplifies it a little if you go to that.

Hospital discharge and community support guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

MouldyOldDough

elsien said:

It might not be 6 weeks everywhere, that might be a local ICB decision. You might want to check the ICB for your area.
This is a bit heavy going but Annex B about discharge pathways simplifies it a little if you go to that.

Hospital discharge and community support guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Can somebody be discharged into an unsafe environment ?

Because if I lived on my own - with no wife/carer - that's what would be happening

My wife has cared for me, without a break for over 20 years and cannot cope any longer and when I come home from a major operation, like a shoulder replacement IS - I feel that would send her over the edge - she has already told me that she can't cope as it stands !

elsien

Theoretically, no. In practice, yes, unless people speak up.
So you would simply decline to leave hospital and your wife would tell everyone loudly and clearly she can’t cope unless there is support in place. 

I’m going to repeat the question I asked earlier which is whether you and your wife have ever asked for a care needs assessment, you for our own needs and her as a carer? 

It seems to me that you’re getting stuck on who pays for what and not taking it any further when to start is getting the help is more important. So if you are going into hospital for a major operation, you need to be saying at the point you go in that it needs proper discharge planning. 

MouldyOldDough

elsien said:

Theoretically, no. In practice, yes, unless people speak up.
So you would simply decline to leave hospital and your wife would tell everyone loudly and clearly she can’t cope unless there is support in place. 

I’m going to repeat the question I asked earlier which is whether you and your wife have ever asked for a care needs assessment, you for our own needs and her as a carer? 

It seems to me that you’re getting stuck on who pays for what and not taking it any further when to start is getting the help is more important. So if you are going into hospital for a major operation, you need to be saying at the point you go in that it needs proper discharge planning. 

I have had a care needs assessment – but my wife refuses to have a carers assessment !

Savvy_Sue

MouldyOldDough said:

elsien said:

Theoretically, no. In practice, yes, unless people speak up.
So you would simply decline to leave hospital and your wife would tell everyone loudly and clearly she can’t cope unless there is support in place. 

I’m going to repeat the question I asked earlier which is whether you and your wife have ever asked for a care needs assessment, you for our own needs and her as a carer? 

It seems to me that you’re getting stuck on who pays for what and not taking it any further when to start is getting the help is more important. So if you are going into hospital for a major operation, you need to be saying at the point you go in that it needs proper discharge planning. 

I have had a care needs assessment – but my wife refuses to have a carers assessment !

Is she concerned that her needs will not be recognised, that there will be a suggestion that of course she can cope because she's been doing so for the last 20+ years? That will certainly be the result if she continues to refuse a carers assessment!