If you are a carer you have the added worry of thinking about what will happen to the person you care for if you go into hospital. If the person you care for goes into hospital you may intend to carry on providing some care whilst they are in hospital. Far from giving you a break from caring, there are often extra responsibilities you have to take on. However, it is worth bearing in mind that hospital visiting can be tiring and it may be good to have a break from visiting.
Some carers use the hospital admission as a break from caring so that they can recharge their batteries. If you need advice, information or emotional support during a hospital admission or discharge, please speak to our Hospital Liaison Workers. If you wish to make a complaint or raise a concern about a hospital admission or discharge, you can speak to the Patient Advisory and Liaison Service at the relevant NHS Trust:. What will happen to the person I care for if I have to go into hospital?
The person I care for is in hospital. Should I tell the staff that I am a carer? What support can I get as a carer? Help with car parking costs The person I care for has dementia and I am really worried about how being in hospital will affect them A sudden hospital admission What will happen after the person I care for is discharged The person I care for is in hospital as a result of their mental health Our Hospital Liaison Workers Our Hospital Admission Checklist.
Admission to hospital will usually either be in a planned way or as an emergency. They will discuss options open to you and can set up alternative care arrangements. If you are admitted as an emergency, tell someone in the hospital and they will contact the local council on your behalf. If you have a Carers Emergency card , this will inform ambulance or hospital staff that you are a carer.
They can alert the 24 hour Emergency Call Centre. If you, or the person you care for have not been asked, then tell staff you are a carer. As long as the person you care for consents you should be included in any meetings and planning about their care and discharge. If you have a Lasting Power of Attorney Health and Welfare , you will need to make ward staff aware of this and they will need to see the original.
The Carers Charter covers all hospitals in Bristol and South Gloucestershire and was developed in consultation with carers. I t sets out what you can expect from them as a carer. They provide one-to-one support for carers whilst they, or the person they care for, are in hospital. Southmead Hospital runs a Carers Support Scheme. If you spend a minimum of three hours per day of the equivalent of 20 hours or more over a seven day period providing support to a patient, you may be entitled to a complimentary car parking permit and access to the staff restaurant.
To find out more about this scheme ask on the ward or talk to a Carers Support Centre hospital liaison worker. A deputy can make decisions on health and welfare, as well as on financial matters. They'll come into action when the court needs to delegate an ongoing series of decisions, rather than one decision. No one can legally give consent on behalf of another adult who has capacity. But doctors may treat an adult without consent if they lack capacity, provided the treatment is necessary and in the person's best interests.
In this case, someone who knows the person best may be consulted by the doctor or another healthcare professional, particularly if they have Lasting Power of Attorney to help make medical decisions on the person's behalf or if they're their "deputy".
Young people or adults with a learning disability may never have had capacity and are therefore unable to agree to a Lasting Power of Attorney. If the person already has a Lasting Power of Attorney appointed, they normally will not need a deputy as well.
Read more about being a deputy on GOV. You may want to ask the following questions on behalf of the person you care for:. Read more about consenting to treatment and the Mental Capacity Act. UK also has more about making decisions on behalf of someone. Lots of people are afraid of needles, and needles may cause added distress for someone with a learning difficulty.
With blood tests, intravenous fluids and medication injections, needles can be hard to avoid in hospital. If the person you care for gets upset by needles, ask if the hospital has anaesthetic cream that can be used to numb the area where the needle will go in.
There should be a plan in place for when the person with a learning disability is discharged from hospital. It could include transport from the hospital and helping the person settle in once they arrive home. It may also include details of medication and an ongoing care plan — for example, from their GP or social services.
Read more about being discharged from hospital. Page last reviewed: 06 July Next review due: 06 July Going into hospital - Learning disabilities Contents Overview Annual health checks Living with a diagnosis Going into hospital. The following advice will help to make a hospital stay go smoothly. Preparing a person with a learning disability for hospital Before the hospital stay, make time to talk about what will happen so that you or the person you care for understands as much as possible.
Let the hospital know in advance Before going into hospital, make sure the hospital staff know about your disability and what reasonable adjustments you need. Check if there's a learning disability liaison nurse If you're being referred to hospital by your GP, you can ask the GP to check whether the hospital has a learning disability liaison nurse.
Healthcare passports A healthcare passport is a document about you and your health needs. Tell staff about any communication problems In , the Accessible Information Standard was brought in for health services to help people with a disability to communicate their needs. Perhaps you have your own health worries and put off going to appointments or for treatment as you worry what will happen to the person you care for.
Your local council is a good starting point. Search for your local council on Gov. You will probably need to talk to their adult social services department. The council should also offer the person you care for an assessment to work out what they need — this is often called a needs assessment.
You should have an assessment even if you, or the person you care for, will probably have to pay for any support you get. Your council will still be able to help work out what sort of support would be best and can help you find it.
Your local carer service may also be able to help. They will know exactly what is available where you live. Local carer services will also be able to help you in lots of ways, such as giving benefits advice and a chance to talk to someone about how you are getting on. Many carers find it helpful to meet other carers who are in a similar situation to themselves. Regular carer groups, and other social activities, are a great chance to take a short break and to share your experiences.
If the person you care for already gets support from a paid support worker, or personal assistant, see if this care can be extended whilst you are recovering from any treatment. As well as your local council or local carer service there are lots of care agencies that provide paid support workers. Many of these can offer short-term support and overnight care if needed.
It may be a good idea for the person you care for to stay in short-term residential care while you are in hospital, and to give you an opportunity to recuperate afterwards. The kind of support they will be able to offer depends on what the person you care for needs.
For example, nursing homes will be able to offer a very high level of nursing care as well as support with other tasks, such as personal care and help to get around.
If you are only having a short stay in hospital, or you just need to go for an appointment, perhaps a relative or friend could help. Make sure they know how important it is for you to get to your appointment.
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