19 hours ago
Wrexham: Heartbreak as father moved 140 miles for treatment
Danny Mendoza from Gresford fears his father might pass away almost three-hours-away and there's absolutely nothing he can do.
Bernard Mendoza has dementia, and despite his son's best efforts to care for him, he was moved to the White House Care Home, Wrexham, in February this year.
"Taking care of him sent me to breaking point in the end which is why he eventually went into a home", Danny says. "I couldn't do it anymore."
Bernard, 83, settled in well to begin with, and his son was able to visit him every day. But eventually, he became aggressive towards members of staff.
"Sadly, it's a common trait for those with the condition", Danny explains.
After several incidents, Bernard was eventually sectioned under the Mental Health Act and last week he was transferred to the nearest bed in a mental health hospital - St Andrew's Healthcare in Northampton.
Danny was distraught with the decision to move him so far away, and claims there's something 'seriously wrong' with the healthcare system if that is his father's best option.
"I feel powerless", he said. "How is it that there isn't a single bed available for him in North Wales?
"Seeing him for the first time once he'd been moved away from his home and family was heart-breaking.
"He's all alone there, and right now he needs the love and support of his family.
"And when I first saw him once he'd been moved, he looked like he'd been knocked for six. I was heartbroken. He just didn't look like dad. He could barely walk or hold a conversation with me. It was just so upsetting.
"I place so much blame on myself and feel so guilty that this has happened. But now it's all out of my control."
Danny says caring for his father since receiving the diagnosis four-years ago is 'the hardest thing' he's ever done. But now he fears he's losing what little time he has left with him, and the complications of transferring him have only made the situation worse.
Currently, Danny is able to visit once or twice a week. Travel expenses have imposed further challenges, with a cost of £40 for fuel per trip.
"I simply can't afford that", Danny says. "Plus it takes approximately two hours 40 minutes each way in the car. I can get free accommodation once I'm there but this can't be a long term solution."
Teresa Owen, executive director of Allied Health Professions and Health Science, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said: 'I am extremely sorry for the situation Mr Mendoza and his son find themselves in.
'Unfortunately, we work in an extremely pressured system and sometimes we do not have the capacity to admit to our own facilities in complex cases like these. This means we seek appropriate care from private providers.
"Sadly, there was no one available to us to provide the type of care Mr Mendoza needed closer to his home, at the time he needed help.
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'We are in constant contact with those treating Mr Mendoza and are assessing our own capacity daily. We are focused on him receiving the best care and bringing him back home as quickly as possible.
'The Health Board's Mental Health and Learning Disability team in the east currently has four patients placed at St Andrews in Northampton. The number of these types of placements has reduced over the past 12 months but there is still more work to do.
'You can be assured this is a priority for us, as we want people to be closer to their homes and their families.'
Danny remains hopeful that his father will return home to Wrexham soon to receive the appropriate care he requires.
