Gran ‘may end up in A&E if care home won’t keep her’
‘Staff and residents at risk of injury’ ‘Ideal outcome is another home’
A GRANDMOTHER who suffers from dementia may end up in a hospital emergency department if she is forced from her nursing home, her family says.
The nursing home told the family of 79-year-old Nuala Kelly that she has to leave because of the risk of ‘serious injury’.
Her daughter, Kildare-based Fiona White, rang RTÉ’s Liveline radio show yesterday after the nursing home wrote to her family on November, 3 giving them a formal four weeks’ notification that their mother has to go.
The letter, seen by the Irish Daily Mail, told the family that the home can no longer meet their mother’s needs.
‘Further to the meeting held on Monday, October 19, 2018, I am writing to confirm the formal notice that was given to you and your sister regarding your mother Nuala,’ the letter states.
‘At this meeting, we unfortunately had to inform you that your mother Nuala Kelly could no longer reside here.
‘We feel that we cannot meet Nuala’s needs and over the last few months, Nuala’s condition has deteriorated and both staff and residents are at risk of serious injury. We do not take the termination of a resident’s contract lightly, but feel we have no other option. Should you require any assistance during this transition, please do not hesitate to contact us.’
Ms White said she fears what will happen to her mother if she is forced to leave the nursing home. She told the Mail: ‘I am very concerned for my mother’s health if she has to leave the nursing home. Many dementia sufferers have difficulties, and we cared for our mother at home for as long as possible.
‘My dad is now 82 so we made the decision as a family in May to seek help, and my mother was put into this nursing home in May. We do not want her to leave as we are not in a position to care for her at home.’
Ms White said that the ‘ideal outcome’ would be for another nursing home to accept their mother.
‘We do not want her to end up on a trolley in A&E this week. It’s not fair on her and it’s not fair that she should be forced out because of her symptoms,’ she said.
The family said they are now in ‘limbo’. Ms White revealed she fears that her mother will end up on an A&E trolley at Tallaght Hospital in Dublin.
She told the Mail that an assessment was carried out by the hospital on her mother when her health problems arose at the nursing home.
‘My mother had an assessment carried out on her by the psychiatric unit in Tallaght Hospital at the request of the nursing home. We now fear that she will be placed on an A&E trolley when she’s told to leave,’ she said.
‘We have no idea what will happen, we have never hidden the fact my mother can become agitated because of her condition, but it’s not fair that she is being forced to leave her secure environment.’
Ms White said that none of her siblings or extended family wanted to see their elderly mother back in a hospital.
‘We don’t not want to see her in a hospital bed at Christmas; my mother needs to be turned a few times in the day and it would be best that she is cared for in a hospital,’ she said.
‘We would appeal to anyone who could offer us an alternative to do so.’
Tallaght Hospital does not comment on individual cases. However, a spokeswoman explained the procedure when a patient arrives at the hospital.
‘Upon presentation to the emergency department, all patients are triaged in accordance with medical protocol. Emergency departments are for acutely unwell patients,’ said the spokeswoman.
The nursing home has not yet responded to queries made by this newspaper.
sean.dunne@dailymail.ie