Took dad to see extra care housing

Firstly, i would like to say that i have been so busy with one thing and another that i have just not had any time to blog, but i thought that it would be a good thing to update you with some good news.
Last friday i had arranged to take dad to see an extra care housing complex. All arrangements were in place, including the wheelschair friendly taxi. When i got to the hospital i was told that dad was not well and had been light headed and feeling sick.

In dad's room i found him lying on the bed taking large breathes. He said that he felt terrible. A nurse said it could be the effects of a nicotine patch that had been applied a couple of hours earlier. I
asked why was he presenting with these symptoms since he had been using the patches since Wednesday.

I was shocked to learn that a nurse had ordered them on Tuesday afternoon so why had it taken until Friday for the patches to be used. Further, given that the appointment had been made for the extra care housing complex, i was less than imprerssed.

I emphasised that this was an important meeting and that this had been arranged on Tuesady evening after i had been and had a look round. Yipee, they had a vacancy, but they needed to see dad to assess him for the panel assessment on Tuesday the 24th August.

The hospital mistake caused me to have to cancel the appointment so the manager was unable to arrange for my dad's assessment of needs. I was so upset and angry with this. Unfortunately i met a doctor leaving my dad's ward so i let him have it. I told him that it was digusting that a 85 year old man, who had smoked 35/40 cigs a day, was left to go cold turkey. Dad is not twenty years old so he will not shout out for the nicotine pastches. He is frail and eighty five years old. Is this ageism? I said that it was know wonder dad was feeling ill when he had not had a cig for 4 days and then they put him a maximum strength patch on so he would have had a nicotine rush.

I went down to the extra care home and explained what had happened and handed over the paper work we had to fill in. The manager explained that dad could not be put forward because the assessment of needs had not been completed.

I contacted dad's dr on Monday. This call was very quickly returnrd by the Community Matron. In her opinion she felt that dad's home was detremental to his health. Following this i received a call from the extra care housing manager to see if i could take dad to look round on Wednesday afternoon.

I had also made arrangements to speak to the medical staff and social worker on Wednesday afternoon, at the same time, to talk about what was going to happen to dad once the 14 days, that he was allowed to stay in hospital, were up.

On Tuesday dad's case went to panel for a place in extra care housing and today we found out that dad had been given a place in Hampton Crescent in Leeds. This is such a huge relief for me and it feels like a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Dad has seen the housing complex today and filled in all the paper work. Just a few final checks then it is sorted.

Sorry its been a long one just did not have time till tonite, take care
Luv to all Paula oxoxo

Its not much but i did get half hour.

 Made this card today to say thanks, it was a  quick one.

Totally unbelievable.

Friday i got a call to say dad had fallen again, it was the pharmacist that found him and while she was seeing to him the carer came and i just happened to make a phone call to dad. It was the carer that i spoke to. She asked who i was and when i said she said your dad's fallen we have called the ambulance i said please can you make sure that he goes to the hospital this time, and if you do not mind calling me back to tell me which hospital they are taking him to.
They took dad to St James' in Leeds its the biggest teaching hospital in Europe it took me 45 mins to get to the hospital when i arrived they showed me where dad was and then about 10mins later the Dr came and introduced himself and then spoke to dad.
He examined dad from top to toe doing all the vital signs and more, he spoke with dad and tested dad with his memory etc and said he would like dad to have a chest xray because he could hear a rattle in right lung he said that they had taken blood from dad, he said he would like to keep dad so if he got a bed on elderly care the Drs could check more so he did just that he got dad a bed.
This young Dr was a first class professional nothing was too much trouble for him and if our NHS was filled with people like this we would be envied throughout the world.
Dad was then taken to elderly care after his xray and they did his assessment at 8 oclock the nurse said that she thought my dad would be going home tomorow, i said over my dead body and anyone Dr etc that discharges him i would want there name etc because if anything happens to him i will hold them responsible.
I then rang the EDT Social worker and spoke to them regarding dad and explained what the hospital had said to me, the social worker was able to get up dad's notes and saw what had been discussed earlier in the week.
She said that if the hospital thought my dad was fit enough to go home i could do nothing about it, she advised me to visit dad on Saturday and see what they had to say. The nurse said that the Dr had said dad was fit to go home, but would need to be seen by the emergency response team and they would see how dad was on his feet.
They came while we were there and dad had a problem with his walking and a problem with his right hip so they wanted an xray of his hip to see nothing was broken or cracked from the fall, anyway today i was told dad's hip is ok but dad was still not good enough to go home so they are sending dad to Seacroft for rehabilitation.
John the physio asked me if that was ok i said that's brilliant it makes me feel so much better that dad is been taken care of and it also gives me more time to look for extra care homes and to get the social worker on the ball also tomorow.
SO SORRY I HAVE NOT DONE ANY CRAFTING IN WEEKS AND ITS ALL BEEN ABOUT MY FAMILY, BUT WILL TRY AND DO SOMETHING AND THAT IS A PROMISE.
Take care luv Paula

Meeting with Professionals re dad's quality of life

James and I met with a social worker at my dad's yesterday. We were really impressed to see that the SW turned up 10 minutes early!! We discussed dad's needs and the fact that his quality of life had now been reduced to a mere existance with very little quality of life at all. SW stayed for over 2 hours and we discussed every possible aspect of dad's care needs. She was very forthcoming about different options for dad which is a breath of fresh air given that all we have been told in the past is the same old routine stuff!!! Because SW was there for so long she was able to witness, first hand, how dad is. She did suggest that maybe he needs a power of attorney so that his needs are managed in a way that causes no stress to him or ever again, puts him in the position of having to pay late payment charges for a television that he first rented in 1993 and we are convinced that he has now paid for this TV 4 times over!!!!! Thankfully SW was present when the carers arrived. The service provided, whilst we were there was less than adequate. A young man came in and gave dad his meication and a cup of tea, this was 4 hours after the previous visit when meds were administered. At no time in these 2 visits was dad asked if he wanted anything to eat!!!! It was only after care worker had left did James go and make dad a sandwich. SW was not impressed and contacted the  the care worker's supervisor. The conclusion of the afternoon was summed up by SW that a multi agency meeting would be called on 24th August when she will nominate my dad for a place in 'Extra Care Housing' provided by Anchor Housing. There are very very few places available in these establishments so please  keep everything crossed for him. Thanks for all your support and i will, of course, keep you all updated.

Luv Paula

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Up date on dad Butler

Thanks to those who have been sending me messages. Yesterday i made contact with Social Services because they had not got back to me, and spoke to the team leader that said she still had not allocated dad a social worker but would have it done by the end of the day. I explained that when i had called on dad i was able to walk into the house he was in his chair fast asleep and that this was real scarry for me knowing that anyone could walk in and all sorts ran through my head about what could happen. I explained that my dad had no quality of life and that the best place for my dad would be with other people in the same position, in a residential home the social worker asked is your father self funding i said no.
That is when she said well we will have to come out and do assessment of your dad and if he fits the criterea but he may not which means that they will make alteration to dads house, i said that this would be stupid as this does not make my dads legs any stronger and his mind any better.
The dr said that it would be the best for dad to be looked after in a residential home, the social worker said all drs say that about the elderly, this made me angry and i said that we should be taking care of our elderly they went to war for our country and they deserve looking after and just becasue my dad is not couldn't self fund should not stop him been looked after. He nursed both his parents and his wife with cancer so i think hes been a good man and now its time for the country to take care of him he is 85 years old.
Anyway the social worker is visiting Tuesday and i will be with him so i will update you then.
Take care luv to all
Paula

OMG

What a shock i had only been back here 24 hours when my mobile rang when i picked it up it said dad Butler, and it was a young girl's voice who said is that Paula i said yes she said where are you i said at home.
She said its about your dad he's had a fall and that she was a carer, she said i have called the ambulance and i will stay with your dad until they come and then call you back and let you know which hospital they have taken him to.
The girl then rang me back and said your dad would not go to the hospital but the medics checked him out and left paperwork for him to give to the dr, the medics said dad's blood pressure was very high so he needed the dr to visit him today.
I went across to Leeds and saw dad and made him comfortable and something to eat and drink, we talked about him living alone and not having any quality of life dad said that with having 2 falls in the last month its made him realise how unstable he is.
Dad said he would like to go into a home this was a shock as last year we looked at dad going into a sheltered home and he looked and said it's nice but not for me, i will only go out of this house in a box so we have never had any more disscussions on it until yesterday.
So today its been calls to various outside agencies to try and put wheels in motion to sort all of this out, but it looks like it could take some time due to people being on holidays ect

Back in the UK

Firstly i would like to say thank you to all those that attended, sent cards/flowers for dad's funeral.
I am wondering what happened to the last 5 day's firstly saying a bye to dad on Wednesday,Thursday saying bye to other members of my family and friends.
And then Friday it was another bye to my sisters Jan and Jo for the first time i just did not feel the same way about leaving, it was such a strange feeling i just could not understand what it was and why it happened this time and never before over the years i had come and gone.
Anyway i boarded my plane on Friday evening and arrived back in the New Castle UK on Saturday afternoon, James was waiting for me we was delayed for an hour.
It was good to see Bertie my beautiful black lab he was so excited to see me and i was pleased to see him, my son and his partner Kyra came round to see me with my latest grandson Joshua i was so pleased to see them all.
But Joshua had forgotten who i was and when his dad handed him over to me and i had him in my arms talking to him he cried and his bottom lip was quivering i had to give him back, they stayed a couple of hours and before they left he was happy for me to hug and kiss him.
Hope everyone his well and thanks for your support its been much appreciated.
Luv Paula