NHS discharges to care homes
- Thread starter sherlock
- Start date
Norfolkred1
Well-known member
Depends on the circumstances. My Dad was sent to a care home as he was end of life, it's less disturbing for other patients on the wing.
Ste43
Active member
The Tories get to pump more public money into their mates pockets...the last great syphon of public funds continues at pace...
Thing is, what else can you do quickly to clear the hospital beds needed to support A&E?? If people require supervision but are not ill enough to remain in hospital they should be placed elsewhere as long as it is safe and provides the care needed...I am not absolutely not saying it is the ideal scenario but the system is broken and this will help alleviate some pressure on Trusts emergency departments.
MolteniArcore
Well-known member
This probably should have been done years ago. There was rest bite / rehab hospitals in the past (one in Northallerton actually that I know of) but they were all closed down.
Until there are more community carers maybe this is the next best thing to free up beds. Obviously we should create more beds in hospitals but there just isn't the staff.
Until there are more community carers maybe this is the next best thing to free up beds. Obviously we should create more beds in hospitals but there just isn't the staff.
BaronSmoggie
Well-known member
Huh? Do you mean respite?
sherlock
Well-known member
Andy Preston will be right onto that.
MolteniArcore
Well-known member
sherlock
Well-known member
I work in social care, you’d be amazed how many people, even professionals, use rest bite instead of respite.
Acklam_Lad
Well-known member
something has to be done to clear the beds in the hospital for those that need it. These bed blockers (through no fault of their own I might add) are a massive strain on a broken system.
One example I know of is an 85 who has a broken arm, can't look after themselves as it was not a straightforward break and needed surgery. They can't discharge as they have no family in the area. they are is otherwise fit and healthy and has been in hospital since mid December as there is nowhere else for her to go.
care in the community needs to be stepped up massively, its been stripped bare to focus on hospitals and paper over the cracks but now the whole lot has gone to the dogs.
Im not against the use of care homes, They are good for the most in need that don't require full time medical cover but do need assistance... but they need to be separate from the current system of care homes... under NHS control and not for profit.
We wont see that under this current shower of $hit
One example I know of is an 85 who has a broken arm, can't look after themselves as it was not a straightforward break and needed surgery. They can't discharge as they have no family in the area. they are is otherwise fit and healthy and has been in hospital since mid December as there is nowhere else for her to go.
care in the community needs to be stepped up massively, its been stripped bare to focus on hospitals and paper over the cracks but now the whole lot has gone to the dogs.
Im not against the use of care homes, They are good for the most in need that don't require full time medical cover but do need assistance... but they need to be separate from the current system of care homes... under NHS control and not for profit.
We wont see that under this current shower of $hit
exeterboro
Well-known member
What happened to all the excess overflow hospitals built during the pandemic, as far as I know there is still a pandemic and the excess in hospitals at the moment can be largely attributed to COVID/ flu?
Acklam_Lad
Well-known member
That was a temporary boost that could never ben sustained. it was the equivalent of calling up the reserves of an army in a war, you can't then maintain that forever.
you might be able to generate extra wards and equipment, but there are not enough personnel to run them
sherlock
Well-known member
My worry here is I have witnessed how quickly people can deteriorate once they go into care homes, especially if they don’t want to.
If this was a short term measure whilst care was being readied to be delivered at their own home, I’d be less concerned.
But it’s nailed on with this government that once these people are admitted to a care home, they are never going to be discharged.
If this was a short term measure whilst care was being readied to be delivered at their own home, I’d be less concerned.
But it’s nailed on with this government that once these people are admitted to a care home, they are never going to be discharged.
Colgates_shaving_foam
Well-known member
I think you're making him a bit of an escape goat here.
HarryVegas
Well-known member
As already documented on here and elsewhere, when this cabal came to power in 2010, there were over 200,000 NHS beds. There are now 150,000. Anyone else remember Cameron's austerity promise, "We're ringfencing the NHS"?
They are liars. They've never wanted the NHS, it runs contrary to everything they hold dear - the accumulation of personal wealth.
They are liars. They've never wanted the NHS, it runs contrary to everything they hold dear - the accumulation of personal wealth.
I think beds have been on decline across both Labour and Conservatives with the emphasis being on social care and managing patients in the community. The biggest failing for me is the lack of investment in social care where it is being slashed/ saved from the NHS budget.
I hope this idea doesn't leave a lot of the elderly/ frail left in limbo and getting worse, where at home they may have achieved better independence. If staffed well and good rehab facilities as a model interim care can be brilliant.
I hope this idea doesn't leave a lot of the elderly/ frail left in limbo and getting worse, where at home they may have achieved better independence. If staffed well and good rehab facilities as a model interim care can be brilliant.
HarryVegas
Well-known member
I can tell you truthfully that the current situation with home care is terrible. My elderly father-in-law is 94, with all sorts of serious ailments. The carers are poorly trained, badly paid and do the absolute minimum. For every half-hour they're paid for, they're in and out in 8-10 minutes, leaving his bed unmade, dishes unwashed etc. We've made loads of complaints only for the staff to be snappy and sarky the next day.
We're now trying to exercise the so-called 'patient choice' by him getting the payments direct and choosing another provider. This is being blocked at every turn. I got our local councillor involved and he's being blocked too.
It's an unholy mess. The only winners are the private firms who are clearly in it purely for profit, as there's no care at all. Meanwhile the old fella is treated as a nuisance and a drain on their time as they race to the next call. Yesterday we learned that the young lasses they call 'carers' are paid bonuses for getting through extra patients.
It's a very familiar story. Social care needs to be funded to keep people independent, well and out of hospital. It is far from the case and this is reflected in staff quality and turnover of staff.
Good luck to you with your father in law.
HarryVegas
Well-known member
More than this, IMHO it needs taking away from private companies (who are making a fortune out of the NHS) and taking back to direct provision.
Glover_elbow
Well-known member
respite beds and hospitals and public sector care homes, work better than private care facilities.