Case Studies

Care Campaign for the Vulnerable is contacted by families requesting support to bring a loved one out of a care home and back home due to the ongoing visiting restrictions and current staffing crisis. During this process, CCFTV will attend best interest meetings and will only agree home care is best for elderly living with later stage dementia when it's evident a home is not meeting the care and emotional needs and so returning back to be cared for in the community would be in that person's best interest and returning to a safe, caring environment supported by an appropriate care package. Many families that contact us say the current staffing crisis as well as the ongoing visiting restrictions is having a negative impact on a vulnerable loved one's emotional and physical care needs. One daughter CCFTV is supporting tells why after nine years, she is now bringing her mum back home.

''I am in the process of bringing my Mum home to mine, from her fourth care home in nine years, with the invaluable support of the Care Campaign for the Vulnerable.

My Mum was failed in all of the four care homes. The current home was very strict during Covid, which I understood - up to a point, even though it was difficult - because the Facetime communication did not work for my mother as she has late-stage Alzheimer's. I was eventually allowed to see her in a pod in December 2021 (Christmas Eve) for half an hour and I sobbed my heart out, seeing her decline.

In spring through to the summer, I was allowed to take her out in the wheelchair taxi, purchased when Mum became immobile. I could spend time in her room too and help her with her food and drink intake and equally important, her emotional care needs.

In late October, however, having gone away for a rare few days, I was informed that Mum had another UTI. The care home ordered the wrong medication for her (she can only take liquid) so I intervened and called 111 as nothing seemed to be happening. My Mum was delirious, slipping in and out of sleep/consciousness.

An ambulance was called and paramedics found Mum to be severely dehydrated. The crew couldn't get the cannula into her hand and it blew her vein. I managed to get her to drink three-cup fulls of water, one after the other, and one ambulance crew member told me ''I think you have just literally saved her life.''

Paramedics reported how my mother was to safeguarding and the care home proprietors were furious about this. It was made clear to me by them that I had the audacity to help my mother. I was literally told soon after that I could now only see mum in a visiting pod, which I stated was of no use to her whatsoever, as it distressed her not being able to hold my hand or communicate and I tried to explain pods are of little to no use to people with dementia, as it was confusing and distressing for them. So now I am not allowed in at all. I haven't seen her for almost two months, not even over Christmas.

I contacted the Social Services and so began weeks of being passed from pillar to post only to arrive back at the same place I began. My Mum is funded by one local authority but lives near me. Once Mum is home at mine, my local authority takes over. I was told by the local LA to change Mum's GP (local to me) - (to order bed and hoist). I received a Direct Payment card last week. I have made her room ready, comfortable, safe and welcoming, only to be told at the very last minute, believing mum would be back home with her family within days ... at the last hurdle, the local LA informed me that they are not responsible for my mother funding of care.

The matter was sent to the legal department and it's now it is told they are responsible, after all, and will be contacting Continuing Care. If no success this has to go to a Panel because mum's needs are, I am told, ''expensive''. Mum required medication during this unnecessary delay and so I had to collect her prescription/medications and take them over to the care home (one hour away) because she is not registered anymore at the care home's GP surgery.

I just want whatever time she may have left, for my mother to live with me, in a safe, warm, safe, loving stimulating environment and this unnecessary delay is not in her best interest.

UPDATE ON THIS CASE STUDY:-Thursday 3rd February 2022

CCFTV WROTE TO THE LOCAL AUTHORITY WHEN INFORMED OF THE LAST MINUTE DELAY AND NOW ITS BEEN CONFIRMED HER MOTHER WILL BE RETURNING BACK HOME TO HER FAMILY TO BE CARED FOR WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS CASE STUDY PLEASE CONTACT ccftv.cares@gmail.com