Our winter arrangements for visitors

A wet old morning that didn’t get much better until late afternoon when we had a glimpse of the sun as it was setting.

A frustrating day for Susan who spent most of it caring for Doreen. The carers rang at around 9.00 am to say that a very sore spot in her heal needed attention. Susan rang the district nurse to ask if someone could come out to treat it but could they come to our house as Doreen was going for a diabetic eye test appointment and was coming back to us for the rest of the day.

Well, this went down like a lead balloon. Susan was told they only come to patients who are housebound and as she was out of the house then an appointment would have to be made with her doctor. Susan was very upset and not a little angry at this news. Doreen can only go out if Susan takes her and it adds yet another task for her to do. Yet they’ve been out many times before for various reasons.

She did ring the doctor who asked for Doreen to come to the surgery. Another wet journey dodging all the inconsiderate school traffic. The doctor dressed the wound which was quite bad and asked that Doreen to come back on Monday to have the dressing changed.

This is just not acceptable. The doctor was frustrated, the district nurses receptionist was sympathetic but it couldn’t help. Why have they decided not to come out for a 95 year old lady with little mobility and complex needs and impose another unnecessary burden on the carer? I’m trying to find out who is accountable for this decision so we can impress on them the need for a service based on patient need rather than the criteria they are currently applying.

To get Doreen to the doctors in the rain entailed putting wheelchair into the boot, helping Doreen into the car. Parking, getting her out and into the wheelchair and repeating the operation to get her home and repeating it all again on Monday. It’s not the fault of the people on the ground, they’re generally marvellous. Someone has made this decision and not considered the implications.

As it is we also had to go to Doreen’s house this afternoon to change mattresses on her bed to prevent pressure sores, change bedding, do a load of washing that the carers had left in the machine and move furniture ready for a chair to be delivered tomorrow.

Susan has just taken her mum back so that the carer can help her to bed. That was 50 minutes ago. So today has been a washout in more ways than one and we’re both up there again tomorrow sorting out and tidying up the bedrooms that were partly done when a bedroom was decorated in September.

I’ve written to our MP but hold little hope despite her being a Minister for Health. She’s about as much good as a chocolate fire guard.