| Joined: | Fri Feb 8th, 2019 |
| Location: | Leigh On Sea, Essex , United Kingdom |
| Posts: | 1426 |
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Cottage hospitals for 'care in the community' rather than 'forced care' at home or as the alternative is a hospital bed is hugely preferable.
People in cottage hospitals get trained nurses to look after them and it can be used as a training place for student and new nurses. It also provides a training place where people who wish to work in the geriatric area can go an learn in a supervised setting, rather than working for minimum wages in a private company who may or may not provide them with additional training.
Vital hospital beds are not taken up for people who are largely just in need of care and attention rather than medical help. Of course medical help can be easily called for as and when it is required.
The people there also get an opportunity to socialise in a safer environment. Those older and able patients that wish to stay at home can do so but the movement of elderly people into a safe environment also has the benefit of freeing up housing stock.
There are numerous advantages but unfortunately accountants only understand balances and spreadsheets.
Best not get me started on this as I feel very strongly having seen the situation in the latter years of my father's life.
You and I both!
We have seen not only cottage hospitals but care homes closed due to government cuts - now all we have are private nursing homes and people waiting to get out of hospital that are medically fit but lack a care package.
My mother went in for a routine check up which took minutes to do and then we had to wait for hours for the social services lady to arrive to "assess" her care package before we could leave and she wasn't able to grasp the simple fact that we had private care arranged for her!
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If it is broken it was probably me ....