Hi, my Dad has severe MS, he can’t walk, feed himself, often his speech fails and he definietly has some kind of dementia (although this has not been diagnosed as he was so disabled he couldn’t be at risk of going anywhere).
He is currently looked after in a home but he has a chest infection and needs to go to hospital. This is traumatic as the hospitals have very limited help for him.
Is there anyway to make this stay in hospital easier? Last time he was in hospital they didn’t understand he couldn’t go to the toilet on his own, he couldn’t tick his food options etc.
Does anyone have any suggestions to help him get extra help? I understand hospitals have very limited staff etc, but I’m wondering if there is extra help available if I knew how to ask.
Ask his care home to carry out a statutory assessment on him and his environment. This is likely to be done through the Adult Social Care Dept. at the council who will look at the issues / procedures involved in moving & handling him. Ask the hospital too, as the NHS employ Occupational Therapists as well as the councils.
In a perfect world, they shouldn’t admit him until a proper assessment has been carried out, so make sure you use the right language and emphasise the assessment is urgent or else corners will be cut and he’ll be in the same mess that you are currently afraid of.
I’ve highlighted the “trigger” words and you need to make the request in writing in some way - even if it is a note pinned to his shirt.
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