Off to annoy another NHS Continuing Care Nurse today.

An NHS continuing care nurse has started a thread on another forum, entitled * Off to annoy a patient, her family and their bolshi friend* It says the woman has been a nuisance by living longer than the predicted 6 months.

Frank, why go spoiling for a battle when there does'nt necessarily have to be one? Pleasantness can achieve better results sometimes.

Hi Shysal

In every case I have dealt with so far the Continuing Care Nurse has tried to put the person on to social funding or has suggested the relative sell the house.
In all cases the offspring has been living in the house and have been joint owners so they were not legally obliged to sell.
When I have said the person qualifies for NHS funding the assessor has changed their decision.

Frank

Shysal Would like to be a fly on the wall for this one eh ? I bet this nurse thought she was just having another normal routine day at work.

Just got back from the assessment and the step daughter has said I can put this on Gransnet.
I should have said step mother when I started this post.
The step mother got her full NHS funding for another year but the Continuing Health Care Nurse told the step daughter to sell the bungalow her step mother was living in in case she does not qualify for NHS funding next year.
As it happened the daughter inherited her mother's half and then inherited the father's half but the will which was drawn up after the father's marriage to the step mother states that the daughter had to let the step mother live in the bungalow for the rest of her life or until she is placed in Care on a permanent basis.
This has now happened and the daughter has sold her house and moved in to the bungalow.
The Continuing Care Nurse insisted that the bungalow must be sold or the step daughter must provide the care fees.
The nurse said that when a person is married the estate would go to the spouse automatically.
She does not know what she is talking about as she is asking for the bungalow to fund the patient's care and it does not even belong to the patient.

Frank

...totally!

why would she not qualify next year? Budget cuts? every time I read about this I steam! Isn't there a way to set these nurses straight? A lawyers letter? Geez maybe she gets praised when she gets some one to pay up.I know hospitals in the US end up getting people to sell their homes.

It does sound as though the CHC Nurse has got her facts wrong. A married person's estate would only automatically go to the spouse if there was no will, and obviously the step-daughter isn't obliged to sell her home to fund her stepmother's care. I'm at a loss to understand why so many of these professionals seem to be so ill-informed!

Hi Ana

I can only agree with what you are saying.
The step daughter is not going to sell the bungalow but what I find worrying is what if she had taken the CHC nurse's advice and sold her home.
Obviously she would not have done so as she still has the proceeds of her own house and other savings.
Even if the step daughter is obliged to pay which she is not why do anything now?.
The step mother may have passed away by next year or she may still qualify for NHS funding.

Frank

HUNTERF I cannot help wondering about personal confidentiality in these situations. It's all well and good that a friend requests your presence at these meetings, but the person mainly concerned – in this instance the friend's step mother – has no say in allowing you to know confidential details about her. This seems all wrong to me.

Hi Enviousamerican.

The patient is in the UK.
The main reason the patient is NHS funded is because of severe behaviour problems.
She has a lot of strength, she attacked 2 nurses in the hospital and 2 visitors.
The nurses had to take time off work as a result and also 1 of the visitors.
She has also been violent in the secure nursing home and people have said if she gets out onto the streets it is possible she could kill a child.
I think the nurse is thinking that she will get weaker over the year and this problem will no longer exist.
There is no saying what will happen however as she was supposed to have passed away 6 months ago according to the medics.

Frank

Hi absent

The step daughter has told me not to name her or the step mother but she said I could put the facts only on Gransnet.

Frank

So did you explain to the step-daughter Frank that you would put the facts 'only' on Gransnet, but as it's a public forum the information could be accessed and repeated by anyone?

If this CHC nurse is asking for funding illegally, and it sounds as if this might be the case as she is giving out misinformation to clients, then a letter needs to be sent to her immediate Line Manager and a more Senior Officer.

You need to get on the case and send letters letters to the line manager and senior officer ---- pronto .

You know you want to .

Hi Nonu

I have spoken to the step daughter and we have agreed to compose a letter as suggested tomorrow morning.
What is more worrying is how many houses have been sold which should not have been sold around the country.
I do realise people could be compensated in money terms but if the property had been sold and the new people had moved in it is unlikely the step daughter could have got it back.

Frank

Just composed a draft letter of complaint on my laptop for the step daughter to complete / amend as required.
I am not very sure however if it will do any good.

Frank

Why do you always go spoiling for a fight with those who are employed to help people? Maybe if you arrived with an open mind and looked at ways of co-operating and working together it might be more productive.

What chip on your shoulder has been focussed on this particular issue that makes you want to go in all guns blazing with a desire to annoy?

In the main these people are working hard to do their best for people under very often difficult circumstances and we have to give them some credit for caring and doing their best in the face of a problematic system that is not of their making. How will it help to annoy them?

I have been the one going back to the powers that be with an assessment that means they have to fork out and it is not a pleasant experience. Has to be done of course and my duty was always to the patient and family, but it truly is not easy believe me! The faceless people behind their desks are not having to see the suffering at grass roots level, and the training that the nurses etc receive in these matters leaves something to be desired.

I have been faced with a number of battles over the quality of care for my father, but I always give credit where it is due and praise those members of the team who do a good job. The intermediate care team were wonderful and I told them so frequently.

If this nurse has made a mistake then it needs to be sorted, but maybe with good manners and consideration rather than a desire to annoy. I know well the scenario where you go into a profession with a sense of dedication and a desire to help and then find yourself morphed into a finanncial gatekeeper for a system of which you do not approve. Cut her some slack why don't you? Help to move things on in a considerate way.

Your approach is so unproductive - what is your role in these situations? Who is asking you to get involved? Are you really helping them by being so belligerent?

When I was a SW there was a man who latched onto vulnerable elderly people and their families and charged them for advice that could have been theirs for free and was often wrong. I hope you are not one of these!!!!

This is the first time that I have replied to one of your posts as they always seem so antagonisitc and life is too short to be bothered with them; but entitling your thread with a clear plan to annoy somebody is so ridiculous. Have you thought about meditation?! Or taking a different path in life and enjoying your retirement.

Sorry to be so blunt - I am not usually - but really this is all becoming so tiresome. I'm with shysal on this one - try being pleasant?

Well said Mishap I couldn't agree more.
I suspect that if I was the unfortunate SW, I would refuse to continue in Frank's presence.

Hi Mishap

I do not charge for advice.
The lady wanted to buy me a meal for my help.
I did not have time yesterday but I may take her up on her offer in the near future.
We won't go too expensive possibly a Harvester.
I will buy some drinks and we may go for a Latte at the café around the corner after which I will pay for.
I think it should have been blatantly obvious to her the patient did not own the property.
We showed her the latest photocopy of the Land Certificate and she still insisted the property would have to be sold.
At least my friend will have her money and her home.

Frank

Hi Galen

By law I have got to be admitted to the meetings if the relative wants me to be there.
I am sure they would like to see solicitors banned.
I am not sure what would happen if an individual Social Worker or Continuing Care Nurse refused to work with me in the room.
The only possibility I could think of is a manager might have to deal with the case.

Frank

Well put absent but reading the response I feel your comments have fallen on stoney ground.

Here's an idea......

"Good day Ms/Mrs/Mr Social Worker/nurse

Mrs/mr so-and-so has asked for me to be here today to help clarify the position as regards (client's name). I know that we are both working to get the best care for (...) and to make sure that all the rules are followed. I have a feeling that there might have been some mistake here as regards the advice (.....) has received. I realise it is a complex system and would like to discuss this with you to make sure that everything is as it should be. I am sure that we can work this out together to everyone's benefit."

Might that be better than setting out to annoy?

lovely

Hi Mishap

I was involved in a meeting once and we were polite and pointed out to the Social Worker that the property did not have to be sold as it was jointly owned.
The Social Worker just said that it was not necessary for 1 person to have a £750,000 house on her own and then went on that there would be a much better choice of homes available if the patient was self funded.
He did not mention that as the father had very little money except his share of the property the daughter was entitled to social funding as a minimum.
He then asked her if she had financial advice with a view to paying the fees out of her money and the fathers pension.
At that point she just said she was paying nothing knowing they could not let the father go on the street.
It was amazing how quick it was found out the father was entitled to NHS funding and he went in to a nice secure home at the expense of the NHS and the daughter has now inherited the house.

Frank