Finding a High Care Nursing Home Place

[kengillard]

I'm in the process of finding a placement for my OH, who has dementia, in a High Care Nursing home.  It's all new and confusing to me and frustrating....so thought I'd ask if anyone is interested in my day to day inquiries and answers I've found (or not!)  Might make it easier for someone else when it comes to their time to do the same?

[kengillard]

Stupid neighbours 2 doors up are havinga fire in their back yard!!! I rang the Fire dept. and they said it's not a total fire ban...it should be...that's one reason I'm not too keen to leave the house and animals alone....we live opposite a pine forest too

[kengillard]

getting very angry.   our Daughter and grandies went to see him this morning.   they told her that he had spent the day in Nambour Hospital yesterday because his blood sugar levels were way too high.    

That's the first I heard of it!!!!!!!   nice of them to let me know eh?

No point ringing them as no one is there on the weekend.

[cherry*135]

Thats not very good, gill. Are you going to call the manage/person in charge on Monday and question them about that? They do need to let you know by phone,  any time things like that happen to your OH.

[kengillard]

yes I sure am ....am3....not good enough!   it's their fault....mucking about with his insulin dosages the way they do.  He's not a guinea  pig...but they seem to be treating him that way....

[azureline**]

That is very annoying! They really should have called you. Perhaps you need to call each day and check so they know you are in charge, not them.

Why is the nursing home mucking around with the dosage? I would have thought only the doctor could authorise that.

The nursing home here calls me if dad asks for a haircut, lol. I was almost sorry I gave them my mobile number.

[kengillard]

Someone rang me yesterday afternoon, to apologise for NOT letting me know on Friday...Obv. they realised their mistake. The doc. has now ordered that he be given a fast acting insulin, when and if he needs it.   !!   When he was stable at home he was having the long acting slow release one in the morning and a small fast acting dosage 3 times a day.    very frustrating.

[azureline**]

Nice of them to apologise!

Hope you are feeling better about it and the neighbour is leaving you alone.

[kengillard]

thanks Az.    went to visit today.   Transition Care informed me that he only has 3 more weeks to stay in this "rehab" nursing facility,(12 weeks total) and because his 'rehab" didn't work he can leave any time he's able to. If I can't find him a high care nursing  home by then, he will have to come home with me until I do, incontinence and alll.....they said they would apply for  new ACAT assessment for him to have a "home care " package made available to me.. what I want to know is....if his incontinence gets toooooooooo bad, do I get to call the team and ask them to come and clean it up?????? It's not nice.....sorry but that's the truth

[kengillard]

The other suggestion they made was I contact an Aged care service that will do the whole thing for me, from Centrelink to Vacancies and all I have to do is inspect the places they've found and make a final decision...They do all the paper work.... Very tempting.  only costs $500 to $600 ...........!!!!!!!!!! mmmm

[azureline**]

No, don't do it!!!

I enquired about that service but hesitated for a day, the following day, I got the call to say there was a bed available for him. Glad I waited.

Really, all they will do is what you are doing. The centrelink stuff looks hard but it isn't once you start filling it out, it is quite simple, they will not assess your home as you are still in it, they will assess his share of money in accounts and investments and probably only take 85% of his pension.

Find a place with vacancies and apply for them, even if they are not in close distance to your home or not ideal! You can move him when you find a better one. I know they say not to but we did and it was the best move we could have made.

Not all vacancies are listed, so start calling one by one, I am assuming he is High Care dementia?? That is all you need to tell them for them to tell you if they have a room. Please ask if you need help 🙂