As a bit of background, my mum was in a Nursing Home for about 15 months. She managed to fracture her hip and her GP - not the one she has now - insisted there was nothing wrong with her. I had called Social Services begging for help and he called them after he had seen her telling them she was being stubborn and could stand if she wanted to. This was on a Monday. On the previous day my mum had called for an ambulance. They called me to tell me that there was nothing wrong with her. The problem was that she had called them so often before that they didn't take her seriously. They even rang me (I didn't live with her then) to tell me the problem was that she did not have anyone to socialise with.
Anyhow three days later on the Wednesday we at last got her to hospital where they took an X-ray and found she had a multiple fracture of the hip. She needed a hip replacement which they did very quickly. While she was in hospital they noticed her very erratic behaviour (I had told her GP previously about it and also Social Services and asked for help but all they would say was that unless she agreed they couldn't do a psychiatric assessment). They couldn't continue to ignore it though while she was in hospital as she was throwing things at the nurses!!!!
Mum was diagnosed with dementia and I was put under enormous pressure by Social Services and a nurse from the Primary Care Trust to agree to her going into a Nursing Home. I was told that I would be alone if I tried to look after her myself and could expect no support. I did agree in the end as I knew it would be impossible to care for her on my own. I did find a home - there were not that many to choose from - and she was admitted from hospital. That's another story though. I have now taken her out of the Nursing Home and am caring for her myself. Or trying to anyway.
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