On Thursday I attended a meeting to reassess mum's care needs at Bowles Lodge. This was instigated by Beverley, the manager of Bowles Lodge. She had highlighted several areas of increased need which she felt could be best met in a nursing home and not at Bowles Lodge.
Mum's health and welfare are my and mum's legal team's prime concern yet we feel that any move to a nursing home presents a significant risk to her life due to a stroke or heart attack because of her heart failure, stroke and recent bout of pneumonia and ventricular tachycardia.
I took a day off work and expected the appropriate professionals with the required experience and expertise to be present. They were not present. Margaret, mum's excellent care manager, was there who completed an assessment only 8 weeks ago which concluded that mum required residential care, which Bowles Lodge provides, and not nursing care. She did not lead this assessment - instead her line manager Jackie did. This undermined Margaret.
Jackie took three hours and 20 minutes drilling into detail on the same topics that Margaret had covered only 8 weeks earlier. I had to ask for a break for comfort and to make everyone a drink. At the start I suggested that we just focus on the areas of perceived change since the last assessment but was ignored. I suggested that we discuss the topics that require the district nurse's input first (she had to leave to go to a clinic to treat a person with cancer at 2.30pm). I was ignored again and the nurse was one hour late. I felt for that person waiting needlessly for one hour.
Lisa, the district nurse present was clear, concise and professional. She made helpful contributions about mum's skin integrity and that her healing capacity is good. These are very positive indicators that rule out the need for nursing home care.
Apart from the nurse there was no-one who could provide an expert view concerning the other areas highlighted by Beverley. This is unprofessional and a waste of time. At least three experts' opinions now need to be sought so no recommendation could be made.
They were quick to say this assessment had nothing to do with the home closure or mum's High Court case. This is hard to believe and I think Kent County Council are pulling the strings from above to get mum re-categorised and moved out of the nursing home - particularly as I have been informed by Margaret Terry that they wish to start decommissioning the home from mid-November!
Graham Gibbens, the Conservative councillor, who made the decision to close Bowles Lodge and Margaret Howard, a senior officer constantly used these words during the consultation process: RESPECT and DIGNITY. This reassessment meeting demonstrated disrespect to mum, to me, to Margaret, mum's care manager and to Lisa, the district nurse.
If you need further evidence Jackie thought it would be a good idea to see mum and have a chat. We left the room where we had been talking and approached mum. The TV was on loud and mum is very deaf and can only see outline shapes. Did Jackie suggest lowering the volume or asking to meet mum in a quieter place? No! Now this is a senior social worker who had just rewritten Margaret's assessment from 8 weeks ago. I think this is awful.
I have absolute confidence in Beverley and her expert team to care for mum. I trust Margaret's views and support as mum's care manager. However, nearly all about all my dealings with senior officers in Social Services at Kent County Council are in direct contrast. It is these people who have power and have been working so hard to close homes of frail elderly people across Kent and put their lives at risk as a consequence.
Every experience like this strengthens mum's case and fires me with determination to ensure they do nothing that will harm her. During the consultation process 6 permanent residents died. Sadly I have heard through a relative's network that a further 4 people have died since being moved to other homes from Bowles Lodge. At least one that was split up from a close friend is unhappy. Mum is very frail but her needs are being met we have no contrary views from appropriate experts. One expert view we do have is the report for the High Court we commissioned that says if mum is moved it will shorten her life.
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