For some years (over a decade) I've had a bee in my bonnet about the impact of relative-ly sudden house moves that older adults often make following sudden bereavement.
This prompted a first and no longer maintained website 'Beware Reflex Moves'.
This rather silent issue still stands and is arguably growing in volume.
There are surely a series of studies to be made here. Like most forms of life, the patient-nurse encounters of all those years ago have evolved: the ability of Jo(e) Public and their families to independently visit, select and move their relative into residential care is a new factor.
Self-funding frees up valuable resources as people can essentially circumvent the formal assessment processes of social services (and health), negotiating directly with the home of their choice for a place. This place may be many, many miles away from what was home. Amid increasing demand this arrangement works well much of the time. When it fails though, the impact is a personal and social catastrophe that can also reverberate across two health and social care economies. The person's original social services and their new location - that of their family.
Here the 'diagnosis' may not just be bereavement reaction / depression, but dementia too.
So, the advice remains beware of reflex moves.
Wish those bees had stayed in that bonnet - they might be safe now.....
Image source with thanks: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lelonopo/2378726643/
