The Compass continuing healthcare team were contacted by the spouse of a patient who was in hospital and suffering from severe issues with their mental wellbeing and behaviour as a result of dementia.
The hospital had advised the family that the patient would need to be discharged to a nursing home and that they would have to pay these costs in full. The family researched the point and contacted the Compass CHC team for advice.
Having reviewed the position in terms of the patient’s health needs, we were able to advise that they met the NHS criteria for continuing healthcare funding. We intervened on their behalf and took over dealing with the hospital team. The hospital discharge team had incorrectly applied the continuing healthcare funding process, for example the family were not involved or afforded an opportunity to contribute to the assessment process. We requested that a new assessment be carried out where the procedures were correctly adhered to and we drafted representations detailing what the scorings for the assessment should be based upon the needs of the patient.
We worked closely with the family ensuring that they were fully prepared for the assessment and armed with our representations when attending the meetings. NHS continuing healthcare funding was awarded and the patient was discharged to a nursing home with the full cost met by NHS continuing healthcare.
