Chair Again
In general I have been happy with her purple reclining chair despite its mass and poor maneuverability, but over the last few weeks we have had some problems: she is slipping down a lot. Whether it is agitation or just restlessness was difficult to tell, but once she starts to wriggle she slips down, then folds herself into an S shape in an apparent attempt to get comfortable. She really need lifting back into a proper upright sitting position about every half hour. The alternative is to tilt the chair so far back that she is basically lying down.
When the chair was first supplied I really wanted the Croydon OT, who had been so helpful, to have a look at it before I said Yes, but was bounced into a decision because the attitude of the Home was that the OT did not have a veto because Croydon was not paying.
I did ask her to come and look at it after the event since the Home had not bought either the chair or the sling she had specified, and she agreed, but one thing or another got in the way and she never made it.
On 20th September I got a very apologetic call from the OT saying how guilty she felt about not visiting and offering to come on the Friday. This was perfect timing because I was starting to get concerned and would value her input. We settled on 3.30 and she confirmed with the Care Home.
She arrived late but that worked well because Rosemarie was quite tired and slipping badly.
She was not impressed. The chair, she said, was far too big and provided no support. Dementia patients like to feel the reassurance of firm support and the chair did not provide it. The torso support pads could not be adjusted inwards enough to keep her upright, and the head supports were too high.
Rosemarie had slipped down the sling to such an extent that when the care workers came to hoist her into bed they had such difficulty with the leg straps that she was lifted like a crab. The look on the OT's face would have cut through steel.
We left them to it and retired to a small room called the Quiet Lounge to discuss what to do.
We discussed the shortcomings of the chair, the inappropriateness of the sling, and the obvious pressures on the Care Workers. We agreed that the Salesman who had provided the chair had behaved very unprofessionally. Either he had not measured Rosemarie or he ignored her needs in order to sell the chair he had brought with him. In any case he must have realised it was too big.
I suggested we ask for a meeting to include the Care Home Manager, the Salesman (or a representative of the company), the OT and me. The OT would challenge the rep to agree that the chair was unsuitable as it was and together they could assess whether it could be adjusted to fit her or if it needed to be replaced. Once this had been established the rep and the Manager could discuss who was going to pay for it.
She said she would write a sharp and detailed report within a few days.
And she did. And it was. New Nurse opened the letter and read it and immediately realised it was a hot potato. The Care Home Manager was on holiday and her deputy, the Care Manager, clearly did not want to deal with it. I was assured it would be dealt with promptly when the boss was back.
That was well over three weeks ago and on the 19th October I got a call from the OT saying she had not even had an acknowledgement of her letter. In her opinion the Home's tardiness in dealing with an important problem that had been brought to their attention constituted neglect and she was ready to raise the issue with Croydon Safeguarding Team, which would bring all kinds of pain down on the Manager's head.
I was reluctant to implement this nuclear option without giving them a chance to comply and said I would call the home and find out if anything was happening. (This was obviously the OT's purpose in calling me.)
Well things appear to be moving albeit slowly. The Manager had read the report and written to the rep (or his company) asking when he would be available for a meeting. She sounded less than happy with me, particularly when I advised her to email or call the OT asap.
And in the meantime Rosemarie continues to slide down in the chair.
I am taking plenty of pictures.
When the chair was first supplied I really wanted the Croydon OT, who had been so helpful, to have a look at it before I said Yes, but was bounced into a decision because the attitude of the Home was that the OT did not have a veto because Croydon was not paying.
I did ask her to come and look at it after the event since the Home had not bought either the chair or the sling she had specified, and she agreed, but one thing or another got in the way and she never made it.
On 20th September I got a very apologetic call from the OT saying how guilty she felt about not visiting and offering to come on the Friday. This was perfect timing because I was starting to get concerned and would value her input. We settled on 3.30 and she confirmed with the Care Home.
She arrived late but that worked well because Rosemarie was quite tired and slipping badly.
She was not impressed. The chair, she said, was far too big and provided no support. Dementia patients like to feel the reassurance of firm support and the chair did not provide it. The torso support pads could not be adjusted inwards enough to keep her upright, and the head supports were too high.
Rosemarie had slipped down the sling to such an extent that when the care workers came to hoist her into bed they had such difficulty with the leg straps that she was lifted like a crab. The look on the OT's face would have cut through steel.
We left them to it and retired to a small room called the Quiet Lounge to discuss what to do.
We discussed the shortcomings of the chair, the inappropriateness of the sling, and the obvious pressures on the Care Workers. We agreed that the Salesman who had provided the chair had behaved very unprofessionally. Either he had not measured Rosemarie or he ignored her needs in order to sell the chair he had brought with him. In any case he must have realised it was too big.
I suggested we ask for a meeting to include the Care Home Manager, the Salesman (or a representative of the company), the OT and me. The OT would challenge the rep to agree that the chair was unsuitable as it was and together they could assess whether it could be adjusted to fit her or if it needed to be replaced. Once this had been established the rep and the Manager could discuss who was going to pay for it.
She said she would write a sharp and detailed report within a few days.
And she did. And it was. New Nurse opened the letter and read it and immediately realised it was a hot potato. The Care Home Manager was on holiday and her deputy, the Care Manager, clearly did not want to deal with it. I was assured it would be dealt with promptly when the boss was back.
That was well over three weeks ago and on the 19th October I got a call from the OT saying she had not even had an acknowledgement of her letter. In her opinion the Home's tardiness in dealing with an important problem that had been brought to their attention constituted neglect and she was ready to raise the issue with Croydon Safeguarding Team, which would bring all kinds of pain down on the Manager's head.
I was reluctant to implement this nuclear option without giving them a chance to comply and said I would call the home and find out if anything was happening. (This was obviously the OT's purpose in calling me.)
Well things appear to be moving albeit slowly. The Manager had read the report and written to the rep (or his company) asking when he would be available for a meeting. She sounded less than happy with me, particularly when I advised her to email or call the OT asap.
And in the meantime Rosemarie continues to slide down in the chair.
I am taking plenty of pictures.
posted by Other Kosh at 9:14 pm
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