Assessment.

[Sonia]

Hi Everyone,

What a lovely day it is in Weston-Super-Mare,plenty ogf people spenting their money,down at the seafront this morning.

Just need a little advice about my fourth coming carers Assessment on April 29th. I have read some of the web pages about needs etc.But I think its best to ask the folks who are out there doing the caring. My Mum will not be coming out of hospital till at least the end of April, She has to have a MRI scan this week to see if there is anything wrong in her brain,to have caused her short term memory problem. After this its a case of will she be given tablets to help her not lose any more memory. So in many ways,as what help I will need will all depend on what she will and can do for herself when she goes home again. I do not want to just take over her life and do all for her,she still needs to feel in control. I will do what I think she needs extra,to what I already do for her.

Any help would be most helpful.I should beable to have a good meeting,with all the Mum's needs and any that I think would help me.
Love Sonia xxx

[susieq]

Hi Sonia

just tell it like it is ! don't try and put a 'good face' on it - describe the situation on the worst day possible and you can't go far wrong !

I don't know if your Mum lives with you or independently and you don't say what took her into hospital other than short term memory loss. However your local Occupational Therapists (OT) should do an assessment before she leaves hospital to ascertain if there any aids that she needs at home to help her in everyday living - walking frame, support rails, commode etc, etc. And the Social Services team attached to the hospital should assess if she can care for herself; bathe & dress, cook etc, etc. In the immediate short term after being discharged from hospital they can arrange for Care Assistants to visit daily to help her get up, washed and dressed; help with meds and assist her back to bed in the evening (although that is usually too early for most people). Even if she is living with you she can still have this level of care. Where we live they call it 'ablement' and the idea is that patients can be discharged back to their own homes, rather than having to go into an intermediate care facility.

In the long term you will need an assessment by your local authority Social Services and OT teams. What you need and what you will get will all depend on what level of care they assess your Mum as needing.

Good luck with the scan on Tuesday and hope your assessment meeting goes well.

susieq