Continuing Health Care - Preparing to fight PCT's decision

chcfan24

greenflamingo wrote: »

I am wondering why when we asked for a reassessment of my father all we received was a psychiatric and nutrition report - his other domains were not reassessed and the PCT turned down our appeal - hence our application to the IRP.

These are probably the two domains which your father's does not have severe needs. When I started requesting assessments they behaved in a similar fashion but I contacted the HCC who were brilliant, but they went out of business last month. If you don't get anywhere with your requests for an assessment, contact the Ombudsman's office, the details are on line.

Following the first assessment did the PCT send you the results of the panel decision, and the necessary information on how to appeal and the time scale for appealing. The reason I mention this is the first assessment of my dad back in 2006 apparently failed at panel, but I found out later it had never gone to a panel meeting.

You do need to start your own assessment, this will prepare you with the necessary information so you will be ready for the PCT's assessment of your father. Please read everything you can possibly find on CHC you can never be over prepared when the PCT get involved.

As I said my dad was being given unprescribed antipsychotics to sedate him I witnessed him being given this drug but obviously believed it was prescribed for him by his GP. If I hadn't started to prepare my own case I would have never realised this abuse had happened. I had better not tell you the rest of my story I may be fired off this board.

chcfan24

Monkeyspanner my dad's list of ailments almost mirrors your relatives ailments. My dad was whisked into hospital Boxing Day 2004, after being found outside his warden controlled flat very early morning only partly clothed. He had been ok Christmas Day perhaps a little quiet, but nothing that prepared me for what was to happen.

He was diagnosed suffering from Vascular Dementia, he was already a Type 2 Diabetic, he was suffering hallucinations which were mostly involving the war, the hospital sent for me one evening to take two hand grenades from him, these grenades were actually two cordial bottles but nonetheless I suppose they could have caused serious damage if he had thrown them.

After almost 5 weeks I was told by SS he required EMI care and he would have to fund this care himself. Not knowing anything about assessments/CHC away I went, there were only 2 homes that had vacancies both owned by the same group. He moved into a home that could only be described as resembling a top class hotel, it was new and really beautiful place. He stayed 3 weeks, in that time everything he owned was taken, including such personal items as teeth, glasses, hearing aids and the badges off his red beret from WW2.

I didn't pay any fees but had to fund replacements for everything that had gone, the day I moved him he didn't even have a cardigan to left to wear. I moved him into a home recommended by SS as being the best in town, he settled well, and I felt such relief, short lived I think due to lack of training and understanding of Dementia by staff and also due to my dad's new hearing aid always being in the wash and the staff not having English as a first language it was difficult. He started being barricaded into his room with heavy furniture, he was severely bruised twice and I noticed he walked with a shuffling gait. In fact this was a Parkinsonian gait which was a new ailment along with being very agitated when sat down, forever leaning forward, leaning back, hundreds of times an hour.

He was rushed into hospital with a suspected stroke which gave me the opportunity to empty his room at the home, previous threats to do so had been answered by move him you will kill him, I dithered but I had nothing to lose once he was in hospital. They awarded him NHS CHC full funding as he was bed blocking, (they do have a way with words) anyway I moved him into his third home where he thought he was in Jersey it was light, bright and cheerful.

He died a month later in 2007 I managed to arrange a Retrospective Review with help from HCC, the PCT Nursing Assessor provided me with copies of all medical notes and care home records. I bought a copy of GP notes so I began to prepare my case which the Assessor said she would present for me, I wasn't allowed to attend the panel meeting. I immediately found the antipsychotics the second home had been giving him had never been prescribed. That was over 18 months ago I was told there would be an investigation carried out by the PCT but that was a lie as they said he is dead and no futher harm can come to him. I persevered which led the PCT to hire a policeman to come to my home and intimidate me, also a PCT Director making enquiries about me with my GP, she didn't count on him telling me.

Thanks for reading my story, oh I nearly forgot to mention while he was in hospital initially in 2004 they had also diagnosed him suffering from Cancer Prostate, but it was 15months later when they realised they hadn't referred him for treatment, a bit too late.

monkeyspanner

Hi CHCfan
Thanks for sharing your story with us. As you say your Dad's ailments are very similar to those my MIL suffered from. Your experience of the system is I'm afraid much worse than we experienced in that there is a malicious element to the way you have been treated by the PCT rather than the sheer incompetance we had to find our way around.

We were very lucky that we found, more by luck than judgement, at the first attempt a small well run care home owned and run by a qualified nurse with experience of managing dementia. After our experiences with the NHS hospital system this was a relief. The home gave my MIL the best care we could hope for and she died there after a short final decline. There was never any question that she would be sent to hospital for her final hours. The owner of this home runs 2 small care homes in Devon and if anyone is looking for a placement in North or South Devon PM me. My MIL also had a very good specialist in her final months who managed to stabilise her medication to control both her parkinsonian symptoms and the more distressing symptoms of her dementia. He even came out to visit her at the care home a couple of times when MIL became unstable. This was a better response than her GP who had to be threatened in order to get care home visits and we even thought the funeral would have to be postponed because the GP had not provided the proper documents.

Have you contacted the SHA as I think you would have a good case to ask them to carry out a proceedural review. At the very least their harrassment of you should be investigated? Also if policeman was a serving officer I would have thought this would be a case for a police complaint particularly if he/she was acting unofficially.

chcfan24

Hi Monkeyspanner

I reported the behaviour of this officer to the Chief Constable but he didn't reply, so I contacted the the IPCC who advised me to write to the Chief Constable and request an update, which I did, but no reply.

The PCT have bent over backwards to protect the manager of this home, they have insisted in their letters that my dad was given the antipsychotic by the Physician at the hospital, but my dad never went back to hospital after being discharged in 2005. The CEO has now written saying none of the doctors dealing with my dad ever, never ever prescribed this drug. I am hoping the PCT have shot themselves in the foot by writing and blaming someone else for the abuse.

My case has now been handed over to the Omb by the HCC when they closed their doors last month, so I am now waiting to see if they will take my case on.

They don't seem to understand the hurt this leaves behind for the close relatives, especially when they could put a stop to it by investigating and if necessary bring court action if found guilty, at least it would send a warning to others and give some justice to the relatives.

margaretclare

chcfan24, your Dad could have been suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and this could explain the WWII hallucinations. I am reminded of reading what happened to one of the VC holders from the battle of Rorke's Drift - he died in a workhouse and used to wake screaming that the Zulus were coming!

Type II diabetes - well, when he was found outside half-dressed, I am reminded of what my DH was like back in October with a combination of septicaemia and sliding into hyperglycaemic coma. He didn't know where he was and has no memory of those days, not at all.

I cannot comprehend how EMI care can be said to be funded by the person himself/herself. My only experience of it has been what happened to a good friend of ours. He was treated in the local psychiatric unit at first and then in a new NHS EMI unit where he died. There was never any question of him funding it himself because it was all done under the NHS, and he didn't have the array of physical disorders that your Dad suffered from.

chcfan24

Margaretclare My dad was an Arnhem Veteran and was visited regularly throughout his illness by the Para's they were marvellous, they replaced the badges on his red beret that were stolen and they attended the funeral and gave my dad a military send off.Bless them all.

When he was initially discharged from hospital into an EMI home he was only assessed by SW who asked me if my dad had more than £20,000, I confirmed this to be correct, so I was told he would have to fund himself. I had never heard of NHS CHC funding and they don't tell you so it is a vicious circle.

My dad was sedated so heavily with the antipsychotics at the home he was missing vital food and drink and was falling off his chair suffering Hypoglycamic coma. It is recorded in his notes that staff were shouting for food to be brought to my dad.

I am just surprised that all these agencies employed to help and paid huge salaries in some cases, just don't want to know when you are begging them for help.

margaretclare

I am not surprised that your Dad had hallucinations of his wartime experiences, when one recalls what happened at the disastrous Battle of Arnhem, where they parachuted literally into the waiting hands of an SS Panzer group!!

People like your Dad should have been treated with all honour. It should have been an honour and a privilege to give them the best care possible. They had earned the very best - instead, what did they get.

I am so very sorry. We shall regret it, once that brave generation is completely gone.

chcfan24

Margaretclare

I agree with you, these old soldiers gave up the best years of their life to serve their country, for what. My dad was captured at Arnhem and was sent to a prisoner of war camp, he was one of the lucky ones.

I went with him to Arnhem on one of the pilgrimages to pay respects to those who weren't so lucky. I must say the Dutch people haven't forgotten what our soldiers did for them they are so kind they cannot do enough for the old soldiers, it would seem it is just our government that have forgotten.

100mel

As one who has been engaged in the fight for continuing care with a PCT and has been through the appeal process I would be happy to be in touch with you if it helps. I now have a good solicitor helping me - as you probably know this is specialist area and the PCT will do everything to delay the right outcome - I've been involved with this issue for the last 4 years

Mel

chcfan24

Hi Mel

Thank you kindly for your offer, I won NHSCHC funding retrospectively 4 months after my dad died this turned out to be such an easy process due to the abuse that I found leading up to my case going to panel.

That was in 2007 but since receiving payment I suspect the PCT then expected me to go away and enjoy, I have tried to get justice for the appalling treatment he received at this home and hopefully make others aware of abuse in this care home. This home was given 3 stars while my dad was experiencing abuse there in early '07 but when I notified CSCI they said it had nothing to do with them.

My dad should never have had to fund his own care due to the severity of his dementia , not to mention his other illnesses but due to him being means tested by SS while in hospital at the onset and my lack of knowledge he paid over £2000 per month for 2 and a half years until he died.

I also contacted a specialist solicitor (probably the same as yours) but didn't need any help. I can give you a website address if you PM I am new on here so I am not allowed to give websites. This website gave me confidence, help and everyone is fighting the same cause.

Kind regards