Emergency Community Care for Older People: A Personal Story that might help you, too.

Today, we are all exhausted after what has been the most amazing whirlwind of support from the Social Care & Health Services. 

I am writing this post as it may help you put into place the loving support that the Elders of your family deserve if you, like us, live a long way from them. At the very least, even if you have no older people in your family, perhaps this post will fill you with a glow, knowing that you live in a country with an amazing safety net of care for those that have loved and looked after us all our lives: -

Our Dad is unwell. He has been for most of this year. The Doctors can not work out what is wrong with him. We have been back and for to the hospital many times. Meanwhile, he losing weight, is unable to breathe, or eat or talk properly or walk steady. Things came to head this week.

We made an emergency dash to stay with him. The Senior Partner at the GP Surgery called out and galvanised a remarkable team who have showered care upon us. I am so glad we were able to be there because I'm not sure Dad would have coped with it on his own, but by putting in place this incredible care program, we now feel that he is safe and being looked after in his own home.

Here's who called to Dad's. This gives you an idea of the help that is available once you contact the Health & Social Care team :-

9.30 am The District Nurse came to give Dad an enema

10.30 am The Sister of the Community Team called for an extensive 3 hour assessment of care to devise a package around his needs. 

She measured him for a zimmer frame which she she had in her car and adjusted it to fit his height, there and then. Straight away he was more able to get about.

2.00 pm A District Nurse called to take blood.

2.30 pm 2 members of the tele team called to fit a temporary key safe for the carers to let themselves in and out and have arranged for a permanent one to come later in the week along with a key fob that links Dad directly into the emergency services.

3.00 pm a District Nurse called to take samples, leaving a 24 hour helpline telephone number of the call out team.

3.30 pm The Community Sister re-called to drop off a commode and a pressure sore pillow. She gave us an update about his bloods.

4.00 pm The Senior Practitioner phoned and wrote a follow on prescription for antibiotics which we picked up so he had tablets over the weekend.

4.30 pm  A District Nurse called to see how the enema had worked. It hadn't so she booked him in for an evening visit and another try, also leaving a box of laxative drink sachets.

5.00 pm the Cleaner called in to see how he was doing and schedule.

6.00 pm A carer came to introduce herself before tomorrow's visits started & explain what would happen.

7.00 pm The District nurse returned to give an enema and a 2nd nurse with her to take extensive notes.

The long and the short of it is that our lovely Dad has 2 carers going in morning and evening over the weekend, the Community Sister is going back Monday to re-do his bloods and look at his ongoing care package. He has emergency numbers to the District Team. All of these people have our telephone number and will call immediately if there is any change.

We phoned Dad this morning and he told us about his visit from the carers. They had helped him wash, emptied the commode, made his breakfast and even made him a spot of lunch to put in the fridge and will be back to do the same at teatime.

We are sharing this with you because we had no idea that this level of support was even available. We have been beside ourselves with worry because we live so far away but now in our hearts, even though we can't be there all the time, at least we know that Dad is being cared for.

I hope you find the support you need in your family to take care of your loved ones, too.