What can we do now so we don't become 'bed-blockers' in the future.

HeavenLeigh Who said it was as simple as eating sensibly etc? I didn't. But statistically you are less likely to suffer from other health problems if you look after yourself, and that includes some cancers. There is no way of ensuring you never get ill, but there is a lot you can do to reduce your chances of becoming ill

I am absolutely with you on 'a couple more days in hospital' - and not just for the elderly. I have experienced this with both DH and DD, both suddenly suddenly booted out of hospital, because the beds were needed. In both cases there were no assessments as to whether there was any support structure at home, there wasn't, other than me, or whether I could cope and in each case, once outside the ward doors we might as well have fallen over the edge of the world, as we never saw or heard from any health or care professionals, other than follow-up clinics or if we sought the help ourselves.

In each case, a couple more days in hospital would have made a lot of difference.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Each time my elderly mother fell, she was discharged home with a six week care package. Carers came into her three or four times a day. With the final fall she was discharged to a beautiful care home (I think this is luck of the draw) and stayed there three months at the expense of the NHS. She moved into another lovely care home after that where she lived until she died, but she was self funding by then.

There are also palliative care hospitals here for those who haven’t got very long to go. There are probably not enough of them . The one nearest to us has a very good reputation and they encourage family to visit and make their patients as comfortable as they can.

nanna8

There are also palliative care hospitals here for those who haven’t got very long to go. There are probably not enough of them . The one nearest to us has a very good reputation and they encourage family to visit and make their patients as comfortable as they can.

We have them in the UK too, they are called hospices here. They aren’t fully NHS funded though, and as in Australia there aren’t enough of them.

Aveline

No point in sitting back waiting for any government to somehow fix everything. That ain't going to happen. This thread, sensibly, asked people to think of practical suggestions.

On a personal and practical level the individual can do a lot - like being very careful in the home environment to remove obstacles that might contribute to a fall. Becoming carers for our family (I am one). Or we can be neighbourly and keep a check on the vulnerable in our locality and lend a helping hand where necessary. And I believe people are doing this.

Ultimately though bed-blocking is not something we can fix. Patients need a safe environment when they are discharged, be it care-in-the-community, care home, or rehabilitation. Which all needs funding, and staff. So in this respect, it really is up to the government to fix it. If they are not going to sort out the structural problems of society - what is government for? People can only do so much on a personal and voluntary level, but we can't build care homes, nor recruit staff, provide occupational therapy or medical aid.

Casdon

nanna8

There are also palliative care hospitals here for those who haven’t got very long to go. There are probably not enough of them . The one nearest to us has a very good reputation and they encourage family to visit and make their patients as comfortable as they can.

We have them in the UK too, they are called hospices here. They aren’t fully NHS funded though, and as in Australia there aren’t enough of them.

Are they funded at all by? We have an excellent one near us, and several friends have been looked after to the end so well, but it is, from what I gather, totally funded by Charity donations. Which is so so wrong.

Not exactly the point of the thread, I know, but one thing dh and I have done is to add a paragraph to our Health and Welfare powers of attorney, to state that if we should develop dementia, or any other condition where we are unable both to care for ourselves, and to speak (with full mental capacity) for ourselves, then we do not want any life-saving or life-prolonging treatment. We ask for palliative care only.

Other than things already mentioned, I hope to be able to avoid ‘bungalow knees’ by continuing to use stairs for a long time yet. My mother was still well able to manage them when she finally moved to a dementia care home at 89 - I do realise that she was very lucky - in that respect anyway - though.

Yes Witzend, we have done the same. Having watched elderly relatives going through years and years with so little, or even none at all- quality life- this is the obvious answer.

We have both gone one step further actually, and intend to take matters in our own hands, as it were, with support from a reputable Association abroad. In the case of dementia though, it is very complicated.

Fleurpepper

Casdon

nanna8

There are also palliative care hospitals here for those who haven’t got very long to go. There are probably not enough of them . The one nearest to us has a very good reputation and they encourage family to visit and make their patients as comfortable as they can.

We have them in the UK too, they are called hospices here. They aren’t fully NHS funded though, and as in Australia there aren’t enough of them.

Are they funded at all by? We have an excellent one near us, and several friends have been looked after to the end so well, but it is, from what I gather, totally funded by Charity donations. Which is so so wrong.

Some of them are partially NHS funded, some not at all, it’s down to the individual health bodies in the local area deciding if they wish to support them or not.