Nursing/care homes

[Helen82]

Evening all.
Mums had some days recently where she’s really struggled to walk, even just to transfer from chair to chair. As she lives alone we’ve unfortunately started talking about whether it is time to look at residential care. I’ve been researching online and it’s all a bit overwhelming and I don’t know where to start. Should I be looking for ‘nursing’ homes or ‘care’ homes or are they the same thing?! Some don’t even make it clear if they have wheelchair access/hoists etc. And every time I search I get new results so I’m not sure if I’m even seeing all the options available to us. I was going to ask her social worker but she’s on leave until September and things seem to progress very quickly at times so don’t feel I can wait until then. Any advice much appreciated 😊

[Gillette]

Hi Helen,

I understand your worries about Mum's living arrangements. However, she may not need residential/nursing care at this stage. In many local authority areas there are schemes called something like "extra care homes". These are similar to sheltered housing but, usually residents live in a building (rather like a block of flats), in their own self-contained bedsit or flat. There are carers who work exclusively in the building and are there throughout the day.

http://www.housingcare.org/jargon-ex...e-housing.aspx

These links have helpful information about needing residential/nursing care.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social...es/care-homes/

https://www.careuk.com/care-homes/ch...ng-a-care-home

The first thing is to have Mum assessed to find out whether residential or nursing care is what she needs. The assessment is usually done by a social worker. Don't worry about the usual SW being on leave, just contact social services and explain your concerns about Mum's safety. An important issue to consider is funding. Will Mum be funding her care entirely herself, or will she be partially funded by social services? If she needs financial help to fund her placement then social services MUST assess her as needing residential/nursing care BEFORE she moves into a home.

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information...r-a-care-home/

If Mum is assessed as needing residential/nursing care, social services may well be able to give you some information about what is available in Mum's area. Mum doesn't have to stay in her local area. For example, if she would like to be nearer to family, she may want to move to that area, which is fine (you may need to consider the difference in cost between the two areas).

If Mum is assessed as needing residential/nursing care, you can and should check the quality of care of any home by clicking on this link:

https://cqc.org.uk

Sorry to have blinded you with information and links but I thought you might find it useful to have the links in one place. If there is anything you need to know, just ask.

[Barry52]

Hi Helen,

Many nursing/care homes don’t have the experience of dealing with residents with MND and I understand how a search on the internet can be frustrating. I suggest you contact MND connect as they should be able to point you in the right direction.

Best wishes,
Barry

[Broostine93]

Definitely look at Nursing Homes rather than Care Homes, if you go down this route.
I agree, you should definitely look at the CQC website (but also go and view places in person because CQC doesn't always give the 'full' picture of what the place is like).
I would advise getting your Mum moved in before her progression gets too bad- I only say this because, as above, there's no nurses specifically trained in MND so the only chance they have of caring for your Mum properly/as well as possible is if they can learn from her as her symptoms progress (especially if her speech is not yet affected, as she can then communicate exactly what she needs and the nurses will develop a routine with her). I am speaking from experience on this score.
Nobody ever wants to move their relatives into a home, but sometimes, if the person lives alone as your Mum does, there doesn't seem to be much of a choice. Really feel for you xx

[Kayleigh]

Hi Helen,

If you haven't seen them already, these websites might be useful (they identify some Care Homes/Nursing Homes that are described as being suitable for MND patients):-

Covers locations throughout the UK:-
http://https://www.carehome.co.uk/care_search_results.cfm/searchcountry/uk/searchchtype/motor-neurone-disease#list-view

Covers a limited number of locations in England:-
http://https://www.porthaven.co.uk/our-care/specialist-care/motor-neurone-disease-care/

Hopefully someone at social services will be available to help, while your Mum's usual Social Worker is on holiday. If your Mum has an Mnd Specialist Nurse, perhaps she/he could also give you some advice?

Best wishes,
Kayleigh

[Helen82]

Thank you so much for all this advice - it’s amazing! Granted it’ll take me a while to wade through it all but I’m up for a challenge 😉 haha. Mums looking like she may have changed her mind now so will need to talk to her about it before I can do anything more. Thanks again for taking the time to offer so much help, it’s very much appreciated x