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