Stroke patient, 80, could be placed in care 100 miles from home

The family of a man stuck in hospital for 16 months have been told he could be placed in a care home 100 miles away.

John Russell, from Oban, was admitted to the town's Lorn & Islands Hospital last year after he suffered a stroke.

His wife Teresa, 79, said she was prepared to care for him at home with some help, but his discharge from hospital was delayed and his health has deteriorated.

Teresa, who uses a wheelchair and a walking frame, said she had been told that because John needs 24-hour care he could be moved to a home in Edinburgh - which is about 93 miles away by train or 122 miles by road.

Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (ABHSCP) said it could be challenging to arrange care at home or find a suitable care home place in remote and rural communities, particularly for people who needed 24-hour support.

Teresa, a former nurse, said Oban had been the couple's home for 50 years and they marked their golden wedding anniversary in hospital.

"When you've been married for 50 years you don't want your husband in Edinburgh and you in Oban," she said.

She said local care homes were full and there were waiting lists for places.

"This talk about putting him in a nursing home in Edinburgh just wouldn't work for me," said Teresa.

"I would need to take two trains, taking my Zimmer frame and everything else I need. It just frightens me."

She added: "I just want to know he can stay in Oban somehow, even if that is in hospital."

John was admitted to hospital in April last year.

Teresa said his condition had deteriorated since then and he was having difficulty walking and, due to a feeding tube, struggles to talk.

"I think he is mentally deteriorating. He must be fed up."

Teresa said the situation was taking a toll on her.

"I'm beginning to feel the 16 months. That sounds selfish, but I'm tired and I miss John," she said.

"People forget he was my carer, so it's role reversal, although I'm not really looking after him. I'm just trying to keep his spirits up."

Teresa had nothing but praise for the hospital's staff, but described the care system as "broken".

Teresa said she had written to politicians in frustration, asking for help.

Scottish Conservative Highlands and Islands MSP, Tim Eagle, hopes to raise the case at Holyrood.

He said: "This is a desperately sad situation for John and Teresa to find themselves in through no fault of their own and it is completely unacceptable that it has gone on for so long.

"It is inconceivable that they should be asked to move away from the community they have lived in for over 50 years, all because local health bosses can't arrange a home care package for John."

ABHSCP said it understood how distressing a long stay in hospital was for patients and their families.

It said patient confidentiality meant it could not discuss specific cases publicly.

A spokesperson said: "When someone is ready to leave hospital, our aim is to support them to return home or, where that is not possible, to move to a care setting that meets their needs as close to home and family as we can.

"In remote and rural communities, arranging care at home or finding a suitable care home place, particularly for people who need 24-hour support, can be challenging as some needs that are specific in nature can only be met in certain establishments.

"Where no local option is available, alternatives are discussed with the person and their family."

The spokesperson added that ABHSCP welcomed the opportunity to meet any family with concerns about a discharge plan to talk through the options available.

Sadly, stories like John's are not uncommon.

The latest data tells us that in July, just over 2,000 people were stuck in hospital that were medically well enough to leave. Hundreds of them had been there for more than three months.

Two thousand patients is almost twice the capacity of Scotland's biggest hospital - so those beds could be used much more effectively.

And being stuck in a hospital bed is not good for a patient, often leading to a decline in physical health rather than aiding their recovery.

But finding appropriate social care or space in a care home is challenging, particularly in rural areas.

Ask anyone in healthcare, and they will say if you improve social care it would take the pressure of hospitals and allow people a better quality of life.

But attracting staff into a profession where pay does not match that of NHS workers is a big barrier for the sector.

Experts and politicians agree that social care needs fundamental reform, but efforts to create a National Care Service for Scotland fell apart last year.

It's partly because the delivery of care is so fragmented and complicated, with local authorities and the NHS working alongside charities and private companies.

Now Scottish ministers are starting a consultation process to simplify the delivery of social care, with the NHS taking the lead.

But with so many bodies involved such negotiations will never be straight forward.