Family's heartbreak at lack of dementia care homes

The family of a man with dementia have spoken of their frustration at failing to find him a place in a care facility nearer home.

Hubert Dodds, 79, from Stakeford, in Northumberland, has vascular dementia and a year ago he became aggressive and left his wife needing hospital treatment.

His daughter Katherine Wylam said her previously "mild mannered" father was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and had been a patient at Castleside Ward in Newcastle since May.

She has no criticism of his care, but said he would be better off closer to his family. Northumberland County Council said it was aware of the case and had been in touch with the family.

Hubert's daughter said her father, a former long-distance lorry driver, was a "very quiet, reserved, just very polite definitely mild mannered, not aggressive in any way, just a lovely family man".

But a year into his diagnosis, the 42-year-old said he pushed her mother, Maureen, and she fell against the fireplace, breaking her rib.

Maureen Dodds, 77, said her husband "couldn't believe he had done it".

"It just wasn't him, he was just so apologetic," she said.

Staff at the in-patient Castleside Ward are trained in prevention and management of violence and aggression (PMVA) to deal with his needs.

The family said it had spent the past nine months searching for a care home place with PMVA-trained staff to look after him, but had been unable to find anywhere.

There are 71 care homes in Northumberland that can provide support for people with dementia and they can apply for extra payments to support residents with more complex needs.

Hubert's granddaughter, Sophie Blackburn, 32, said the strain of trying to find a suitable care place was impacting the family.

"To be told again and again no it's not going to happen because of this reason, that reason, then you're back to square one, it's horrible," she said.

"He's not a monster, he's just someone that's been dealt a bad hand of cards in life, he doesn't deserve it."

Maureen Dodds said her husband had worked since he was 15, paid his taxes and was a "wonderful family man".

"He needs help there is none and you think what is it all for?" she said.

"It's just sad, it's heartbreaking to be honest."

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Castleside Ward said it could not comment on an individual's care.

However, it said it worked closely with partner organisations to arrange appropriate discharges.

The Alzheimer's Society said that while there were beds for dementia patients in care homes across the country there was an ongoing staffing issue.

Spokesman Tim Bavestock said: "What we're not so clear about is whether those care homes have the right skills, the right levels of staff to deal with people living with dementia.

"Sometimes they can have quite complex needs and those needs vary on a day-to-day basis."

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