Mr Clark had been living at home and cared for by his family. He was admitted to hospital with a severe infection and in what was described as an extremely neglected state. After several weeks in hospital his condition had improved enough for him to be discharged, but he was assessed as needing 24-hour care and lacking capacity to make decisions relevant to his future welfare. Family members wanted to take Mr Clark home, saying they would manage all his care.
A safeguarding inquiry started as there were concerns that the family would be unable to provide sufficient care for his needs. The relationship between family members and health professionals became extremely difficult, with high levels of distrust on both sides.
The family agreed to take part in a Daybreak FGC, which was facilitated by a neutral coordinator. Extensive preparation with all participants ensured that the meeting was held in a ‘no blame’ atmosphere, with the sole aim of agreeing a plan that would best meet Mr Clark’s needs. Mr Clark did not attend due to his health, but was represented by an Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA).
The family came to the meeting with a detailed plan of how they were intending to care for Mr Clark. However, they listened to reports explaining the extent of the care that Mr Clark would require and asked pertinent questions. It became clear that all the family cared deeply about Mr Clark, and wanted to do as much as they could for him.
The private family time was quite long and emotional as family members considered the options. They acknowledged that their original plan for full-time care of Mr Clark at home was not feasible, and that he would need to be accommodated in a nursing home. However, they wanted to be involved in his care as much as possible and, when his health improved sufficiently, to care for him at home for 1-2 days per week. They were prepared to undertake training and supervision and make all necessary adaptations to the home to enable this to happen. The family wanted to be involved in the choice of a nursing home and expressed a wish to work with all the professionals involved.
