Named Care Co-ordinator

It sounds an excellent idea to me.

Perhaps it's not just tick-boxing to get more money but giving good care.

Which ever Gracesgran I hope your mum feels valued and it all works well for her.

This kind of system gets called many things over time its creating a single point of contact for all issues pertaining to that patient depending on need. Sometimes its a role taken by a Nurse in recent years has been called Community Matron or if a SW Case Manager. In this case its a GP hopefully it should smooth over any issues where boundaries cross e.g. hospital and community, NHS and Social Care. I hope this works well for you.

Oh POGS I do hope it is all I believe it could be. Just have one source of information would really help.

Teetime that would help so much. Thank you for the explanation. We have felt rather abandoned as they even forgot to give her the Flue jab last year even though I reminded them 3 times! Apparently that should happen on Friday too.

I know the doctor is talking about her "plan" for her on Friday and I am hoping we can get some appropriate help.

It is just a box ticking exercise for the over-75s. DDilL's mother received a letter from her practice telling her who her Named Care Coordinator was. Was it the GP she has been seeing for the last 25 years and knows her and her, few and minor, medical problems? No, of course it wasn't, it was doctor in the practice she had never heard of, never met and who knows nothing about her.

Yes, FlicketyB this is a new doctor to the practice. Mum's practice has recently amalgamated with another one so I have a feeling they have instigated this. I was actually quite pleased about this as she is younger and a women and I thought Mum might be happier talking to her.

It will be a shame if that is all it is as this could really be a good way of joining up the services and catching the vulnerable before anything means they have to go to hospital (my absolute dread after the last time).

I will report back on this after Friday but it is good to know what it has meant to others.

Gracesgran In your mother's case, this may be the start of a relaxed and happy relationship.

But if the doctor and patient do not know each other, and the patient regularly sees another doctor in the practice, and is unlikely to want to change, like DDiL's mother. I fail to see how a NCC, who has never seen the patient, knows nothing about them as they always see another member of the practice can possibly act effectively as ^ a single point of contact for all issues pertaining to that patient depending on need.^ or
smooth over any issues where boundaries cross e.g. hospital and community, NHS and Social Care.

In fact I find it worrying that a practice, any practice, should make decisions like this unilaterally without first discussing the issue with either the patient concerned or, where that is not practical due to mental impairment, a significant member of the family .

Do not know why first set of italic marks didn't work but these quotes are from Teetime's post

Gracesgran

It will be interesting to hear from you after the meeting. Please try and remember.

Gracesgran I do hope your meeting goes well but I hope your experience is more helpful than mine.I received an "invitation" to make an appointment to meet the NCC who would look after my DH. This morphed into a telephone call from an office staff member which after 2 months I am still waiting for.I do know that in our case it is merely a box ticking excercise.This is a common experience now from our Surgery which has been good for 40 years and now patients are leaving in droves.I find it so sad.

It will be interesting to hear from you after the meeting. Please try and remember.

POGS there is no point in me trying to remember. Sadly a morning with mum contains so many repetitions that my memory is often mush when I leave . I shall make notes!

Oh dear Annsixty. If it is I will be very annoyed as that will mean they are picking up the money while we continue the care. I am really sorry it hasn't meant anything positive for you.

Just to update anyone with this on the horizon. Firstly, the Care Co-ordinator is not a care co-ordinator she (in this case) is a medical co-ordinator. Every time I asked a question about Mum's care and even when she asked if Mum would consider a key safe to assist in medical help, she referred me to the Social Services, so no joined up care there.

She did a basic medical and some of that will help but, although she was pleasant she seemed to have little idea that as a dementia suffer Mum would not only not remember what she was saying but would not know where to find the information.

It was OK and I suppose is better than ignoring Mum which is what has happened up to now. She had forgotten the flu jab so that's another two weeks to wait and knocks my confidence in the surgery once again as they forgot completely last year even though I reminded them four times! She kept on ploughing through the form and reminded me of people in a call centre determined to stick to the script.

My conclusion - not bad but yet again heaven help anyone without a relative nearby.

I know when I worked for a Head Injury Service we would designate one member of the team as a point of contact for the family to try and make it easier for them - but it was always someone who had met the patient and been involved.

That certainly would come under the heading of "best practice" for me Mishap.

Gracesgran

Oh dear it sounds as though she was just of training

My experience with care and Social Services was excellent when my father was going through problems.

Sorry it didn't work out as hoped.

Love to your mum. Keep your chin up.

Thank you POGS. I must admit I was sad that they are so hard pressed that the young doctor could not have been sent out with the lovely community nurse as she could learn a lot from her.

SS have always been very good. I am just getting the energy to ring them .

Thank you for thinking of Mum.