change of social worker

[jane_17121234567]

hi everyone,mum who is 86 with no mobility and mixed dementia .we had a lovely social worker we got used to over the last 12 months ,now because we havent needed to call on her since may 2018 ,we have got to start the process again.we had a local ot,but now we have got to get in touch with county hall at glenfield leicester.we just need some rails on the bed they provided because mum has started to try to get out of bed.she forgets she cant walk.that means broken sleep for me too.i do work 3 days a week ,so i do have a bit of a break,so i need sleep too.so that means another morning taken up on the phone ,and then having to juggle my work with new ot.the original ot ,knows our situation and i am sure she would have just ordered the rails .we could be got them by now .frustrating again ,jane .

[Chris From The Gulag]

Hi Jane.

Sounds as if your mother needs an URGENT Needs Assessment if the previously one was some time ago.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-ca ... ssessment/

Perhaps your mother's gp can add his / her weight to the " Urgency " ... given the waiting times / post code lotteries out there ???

As for the rails , a phone call direct to the OT ( ? ) within your mother's LA ( SS department ) is recommended ... stressing the urgency !

Potential care home ... even CHC / NHS Contining Healthcare ... lurking in the shadows.

Time for either / both of them to be considered ?

And , yes , between us we have a whole arsenal full of guidance / information on those regular subjects !

Like Japanese Knotweed at times ... or bills arriving in the post / by email ?

No sooner as we have dealt with one posting , said subject appears in the next one !

[Melly1]

Very frustrating, Jane. Gone are the days when once allocated, someone stayed on the social worker's/ healthcare professional's books and when some help was needed they just picked up where they left off.

I appreciate that juggling care and work plus bring sleep deprived doesn't leave much energy, but if you can, it might be worth contacting your local Red Cross, they hire out all manner of equipment, at a reasonable cost ( at least they used to.) You might be able to loan some bed sides until you can get some through the new OT. In the meantime, would dining room chairs, positioned with their backs up against her bed, remind her to stay put?

Melly1

[Chris From The Gulag]

Good shout , Melly !

British Red Cross ... help and support :

https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-help/ge ... rt-at-home

Area centres to contact ... assuming not a branch on your manor ?

https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-help/ge ... me-service

If you don't ask , you don't get ?

[D_1706]

My partner has been known to get out of bed forgetting he can't walk any more. The advice I was given is people in this position usually try to climb over the rails and so just fall further. A hospital bed on the lowest setting, ideally with a crash mat seems to be the preferred solution, so long as the crash mat isn't a trip hazard.

In our area they are starting to move back to having an assigned person because they've realized how inefficient it is reinventing the wheel time and time again. Fine so long as the staff turnover isn't high, which of course it is. Hopefully they'll do the same in Leicester sometime soon.