Blocked beds?

Aveline

That's shocking Allira. The patients I used to see were worried about where they might be put. I used to Google the various homes to show them pictures of the one they were to go to. SW assured them that there would be nothing to pay for 6 weeks. How awful to believe that and it wasn't true. It's so hard for these vulnerable people to advocate for themselves in these circumstances.

This was England and a few years ago, just before Covid. She had spent a couple of weeks in a convalescent home after an operation, then fell, went back to hospital then the supposedly funded care home, then got a bill on her return home.

If our local authority is paying for 6 weeks in a care home at approx £2600 a week that adds up to a huge amount. Multiply that by the number of blocked beds and a convalescent hospital would be a bargain.

Allira

Aveline

Locally patients can eventually be offered 6 weeks in a local care home. However, patients that I spoke to were worried that they might just be dumped there with no choice and struggle to pay when the time ran out. That must cost local authorities a fortune too.

My cousin needed three weeks in a care home after a fall. She was assured it would be funded by the NHS but got an enormous bill afterwards which she had to pay.

Convalescent homes are an excellent idea.
Here the local hub hospital has a couple of wards which help to serve that purpose but the provision is far from adequate. If people need longer convalescence or therapy they are sent to care homes, often at their own expense.

Quite definitely conned there then. Was that promise to fund that 3 weeks a verbal one only (ie I guess they could get away more readily with saying "Whoops....silly us....inadequate training for that staff member that said that...but it is what it is and pay up") or did she have it in writing?

Makes sense that any promise of that nature should be given in writing - and then there's proof there (paragraph x, line y) that one could quote/go to MP about/send a solicitor letter etc and prove someone had been told the cost would be covered. Meanwhile - stay in hospital and refuse to budge until they "find the time" to write such a letter. Guess they made some sort of excuse for only telling her verbally (ie "We're too busy to type that letter right now - we'll do it tomorrow...oh whoops the day after....oh whoops the day after that" - so she had no proof?)

It sounds as if people need to be aware the NHS might make excuses/even tell downright lies just to stop any perceived "bed blocking" and not concern themselves with the welfare of the patient thereafter?

I think if you're in pain, alone, perhaps you take what you're told at face value, which was unlike her in fact.

I think, sadly, lack of nursing staff is also an issue.

We have a number of community hospitals in our county for end of life and rehab. My DH has just been in one for 3 weeks after spending 6 weeks in one of the main hospitals.

One of the problems that causes bed blockers is lack of Social Services funding. A lot of people are discharged with a care package at home, but there aren't always the carers to do this.

There are also long waits for an Social Services OT assessment, then installation of equipment. This adds to the risk of falls and hospital admission.