Despite a dementia diagnosis, Ivy Evelyn Wilkinson, 90, has been sent home from hospital to a two-storey Gateshead home her daughter considers unsuitable and a risk to her health - and she even had her locks changed to get her back into the building.
Mrs Wilkinson has been diagnosed with dementia and had been in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead after being admitted suffering with delirium. Her daughter had been her carer for much of this year, but in August her mother's condition deteriorated had left her unable to cope.
She then spent almost two months in hospital - during which time daughter Cheryl Wilkinson raised concerns about the prospect of her mum being sent back home on her release. She herself has osteoarthritis and is no longer safely able to care for Ivy Evelyn. Her mum has been identified as a falls risk - she fell three times in a day before her hospital admission - while her home also has issues including exposed wiring.
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Despite Cheryl's fears - and despite Cheryl having lasting power of attorney for her mother - and her mum's own written objection to being returned home, that is what happened on Wednesday afternoon. Locksmiths changed the locks to access Ivy Evelyn's home. As she was discharged from hospital under what is known as a "pathway 1 discharge", this was based on the "trusted assessment" of her needs by hospital discharge staff.
In her discharge notes, hospital staff have written that "it was noted that Ivy's daughter had concerns about her safety at home", but that she had passed a "kitchen assessment" on the ward. Her discharge notes mentioned delirium and the fall on admission - but not the interim dementia diagnosis she had received in September, though there is reference to "mild cognitive disorder".
Carers have visited her at home, and Ivy Evelyn has had an "initial plan of care in place" - but this is not a formal care plan as she has yet to be subject to assessment under the provision of the Care Act. She is now under the care of the council's "reablement team" - and will be assessed subject to a care plan being completed.
Cheryl only found out her mum was being sent home when she arrived at the property. She said: "I couldn't believe what was happening. I went over to her house and when I got there there were two hospital staff there and my mum's neighbour had been trying to ring me. I don't think it's recognised that she does not have capacity.
"I was given no notification that she was being discharged."
Cheryl said that she was concerned about how carers would ensure her mum was fed and had shopping - but the council said that initial reports from carers had shown Ivy Evelyn had been able to prepare some food for herself.
"I'm very concerned that my mother living alone in a property overnight has to negotiate the stairs up to her bathroom and toilet. " she said. "These are steep stairs. My mother is 90, she's got dementia and she is a falls risk. I would like to know how this has been allowed to happen."
Before Ivy Evelyn was discharged, Gill Findley, chief nurse for the Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “While we cannot discuss the circumstances of an individual’s care due to patient confidentiality, we would like to strongly reassure patients, as well as their families and carers, that we have robust processes in place to ensure that all of our patients are discharged to the place that can provide the best possible health outcomes, and they are secure and supported once they leave our care.
"Our staff work extremely hard to ensure patients are discharged with a detailed and highly-personalised package of care and assistance, working closely with our colleagues in the local authority, as well as involving any family members or carers with every decision."
A Gateshead Council spokesperson said at the same time: "We are committed to providing the best community care as possible for our service users following discharge from hospital. While concerns around care plans are taken into account, discharging a patient as safely and efficiently as possible is our top priority, in consideration of the best outcomes for the service user."
Neither the Gateshead Health NHS trust nor Gateshead Council had anything further to add to their formal statements, but the council said Ivy Evelyn's situation was under review.
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