By Mal Butler
A family fears a loved uncle will ‘die alone without people he knows around him’ after they were told he was to be moved from St Mary’s Hospital to a nursing home in Horsham.
David Cleaver, 88, a former St Helens parish councillor, fell at home last month breaking his hip and is currently immobile. Mr Cleaver has dementia, a history of stroke, suspected kidney cancer, suspected aortic aneurysm and is increasingly frail.
He has been in Compton Ward and the family were told this week that a placement at Horsham had been signed off and funding agreed.
They were also told that he is entitled to six weeks full funding before he must start contributing.
His nieces, Lucy Ballard and Sara McKie, have taken up the fight to prevent him from leaving the Island, and they have been backed by the IW Observer and East Wight MP, Joe Robertson. His family hope the furore with mean that he will remain on the Island, following his next appointment at a fracture clinic on Tuesday.
Lucy explained: “My aunt Jean, who married my uncle in her teens, hates driving and only goes short distances. She will not be able to see him; he will literally die alone without people he loves surrounding him.
“If someone lived in Horsham, a well-off area, and were told they were moving to the Island, there would be an onslaught.
“The Island is different to other areas of the country; the services and hospital are trying so hard but there is no money to support the elderly, particularly those with dementia in this situation.“
MP warns situation is ‘inhumane’
Their case has been taken up by Mr Robertson, who has already written to Stephen Kinnock the Minister of State for Care. In the letter he says: “The crisis in social care is a national problem but it is particularly acute on the Isle of Wight.
“We have an older population and small unitary authority which spends nearly two-thirds of its annual budget on social care.
“Earlier this year the Government cut our local council’s funding by £50 million over three years. As a result, the IW Council has now asked the Government for an emergency loan even though it has no obvious means to pay it back.
“The situation is inhumane and cannot be allowed to continue. Together with local GP, Dr Mouli Akundi, I am convening a local meeting of primary care and social care providers to see what can be done across the system.”
Speaking to the IW Observer, Mr Roberston added: “The Council should not be breaking up families by discharging older, frail patients to the mainland.
“Regardless of local pressures, it is inhumane and should not happen against the wishes of those people and their families.
“I am supporting Mr Cleaver’s family to find a resolution for him, but this situation will keep arising.
“We now need to see some local leadership in order to resolve our unique challenges that go beyond the national crisis in social care.”
Council and NHS explains decisions
A spokesman from the IW NHS Trust said: “The beds at St Mary’s are vital to ensure the continued safety and care of people being admitted from our emergency department and for planned treatment.
“We work in partnership with patients and the local authority to ensure patients are able to leave hospital as soon as it is safe. Local authorities retain responsibility for providing accommodation for patients requiring onward care in the community.”
An IW Council spokesman added: “We understand how upsetting it can be when a loved one has to move away from their local community and established support networks, especially for those living with dementia.
“We understand the distress it can cause and the emotional impact on both individuals and their families. We cannot comment on specific cases, but our focus remains on ensuring people receive safe, suitable care as close to home as possible.
“Like many areas, the IW faces considerable pressures in adult social care. In a limited number of situations, where appropriate care cannot be provided safely on the Island, it has been necessary to arrange placements on the mainland.
“Such decisions are made with great care, following thorough professional assessment, and with the individual’s safety and well-being as the top priority. When residents are out of area, they are supported through ongoing reviews to make sure their their needs are met. We work to identify opportunities for them to return to the Island when suitable provision becomes available.
“We will continue working with residents, relatives, and partners, to improve provision locally and reduce the need for out-of-area placements wherever we can.”
As we went to press last night, Mr Cleaver’s niece, Lucy, contacted us. She said a decision will be made about Mr Cleaver’s future next week, but he will not be moved off the Island. Lucy added: “I can’t thank you and Mr Robertson enough; we can’t allow this to happen and you have made such a big difference.”
Isle of Wight Observer