Mental Capacity Assessment

[robin_1506]

hi, my mum in a home now and Essex Social Services have decided mum requires another Mental Capacity assessment, the last one was carried out while I was looking after her, it was laughable, my mum's deaf and loses a hearing aid on a regular basis, anyway I explained this to her social workers at the time, they insisted on going ahead with the assessment.. it was a joke,. she was simply giving wrong answers because she didn't understand them, ... they spoke poor english to make matters worse...

Anyway I was informed a couple of days they would be carry this out again now that mums in a care home , on the first day her hearing aid went missing ..anyway why is this so tragic is because i couldn't understand the lady who informed me of this, her english was very poor, she informed me she would be one of those carrying out the assessment,...

Does anyone have any idea how i can stop this ridiculous box ticking excise and get mum a real assessment where she can understand the questions...

Thank you .,..

[Elaine]

Can you arrange to be there so that you can repeat the questions to Mum, in order to be sure she understands them? As long as you don't prompt her answers of course?
E.

[robin_1506]

hi, without her hearing aid , she struggles even with me ,,, the last time this happened they ask me to stop...


Regards

[Elaine]

So who nicked the hearing aid? Not under the bed of course? First of all determine what the results of the test would mean to Mum. Is there any advantage to her being classed as worse than she actually is? If not then refuse the test until the hearing aid is found or Mum is fitted with a new one?
E.

[bowlingbun]

During the last few months I seem to have spoken to a number of people who have such a bad accent that I struggle to understand them. Increasingly, I am asking them to speak more slowly so I can understand them, and they don't even understand what "speaking slowly" really means!!! It's a joke sending someone with a thick accent to interview someone not wearing their aids. Most definitely either you or an advocate should be present. Under the Care Act, mum is entitled to an advocate, maybe you should ask SSD for one to be present?

[robin_1506]

thanks for the advice, but the care home she in( three months ) , she dropped two dress sizes, her floor is slippy at times, the wardrobes has the knobs missing so just screws, most of her clothes have gone missing , including coats, slippers and other stuff... today i noticed she inserted a coat hangar in the wall socket , the earth point , so i got to buy some child proof mains plugs and glue them in place, last weekend there no cleaner so the toilets were terrible... she got sore toes and they were black... from dirt...she has a toilet but they screwed the door shut ...

My biggest worry is her weight loss, she still in bed sometimes as as late 15.00, that means she had no breakfast and lunch. and the dinner can be a small sandwich..., i have witness this..

and social services remarked yesterday they are satisfied about mums well being ...

[bowlingbun]

Robin, that's not good enough! Time to take a camera in, take photos, keep a diary, and contact CQC on Monday. If SSD are satisfied, then they deserve the sack. I believe it's important to speak up not just for your mum, but for those other residents who don't have any relative to speak for them. Definitely ask SSD for an advocate for mum.

[robin_1506]

thanks bowling bun , i will do that .. mums deserves better,.,,.

[robin_1506]

In mums room there are main plugs situated on the wall, i discovered a clothes hanger hanging from earth plug, now i been told i got to pay for the the mains plug covers...

I'm started thinking shouldn't the home being paying for this ...

Mums bedroom , the smell was sicking ...she had a accident but I had to pay some air freshener to get rid of the stink ...is this right ?

Now it seems all of mums money is going on paying for things such as the above...

She left with £25 a week....

her hair and and feet cost over £20 every six weeks... her feet today appeared clean for the first time

[bowlingbun]

This home is a disaster. Hope you were clicking with the camera today? Of course the home should be ensuring that it is safe - which includes things like plug covers. As for air freshener, of course they should be paying for that too. Is mum incontinent, or need help to get to the toilet? Was she left waiting too long? Presumably the home are managing mum's money on her behalf? In that case, they should be providing you with a copy of their accounts, which should show clearly how her money is being spent. If they are not, ask for them. CQC would be interested to see these accounts, and if they are not available, CQC would be interested in that as well. What they are doing amounts to financial abuse of a vulnerable person. Get the accounts first, then we can talk further.