The carers tell me that the occupational therapist will be making a visit next week,can anyone tell me if this is a routine thing making a visit to people being cared for at home,perhaps a yearly visit?
OT visit
- Thread starter witts1973
- Start date
I don't know if it's routine, but it should be. After an incident where my mother set off the smoke alarms, my mother's care agency put additional measures in place and then requested OT to attend to ensure everything was safe for her. I am sure carers just like to ensure everything necessary is in place, both for the safety of the PWD and to cover their backs.
I live at home with my mum as her carer and she has 4 care visits and a hoist is used,I have a vague recollection that she said there would be a visit once a year when I spoke to her when she made her first visit,I was just a bit surprised when the girls told me,we haven't ever had any problems with the hoist
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I don't think it is routine @witts1973 My dad is having the OT coming soon but that is because he has just come out of hospital after a bout of pneumonia and a couple of falls in hospital.
OTs check all aspects of a property to find out where help can be given - bed levers, grab rails, raised toilet seats, shower boards... It's not a reflection on the work of the carers or anything.
My mum is bed bound so I suppose it's just to see if she is being rolled safely and she probably wants to see the hoist being used,I hope the care company isn't trying to raise the length of any of the calls as there has been ample time,but we have had a new carer that has slowed down things so that a lot of carers have refused to work with her on the double up round but that's carer related rather than my mum being the reason for any calls appearing to be longer
I have fairly recently moved the call that the hoisting has done to a call that is done by somebody that likes to get out of the door very quickly,maybe they have said something as they are hoping to not do it,it hasn't been a problem for anybody,yes the hoist does have to be pushed over a short fibre carpet but that has always been the way and the ot's have always been happy with it,what would happen if they said my mum couldn't be hoisted,she would still be ok to stay at home wouldnt she?There are other people that the care company visits that live alone and have so stay in their beds full time
I know very little about hoisting @witts1973 , but I believe there's a variety of types....could you ask the OT if it could be swapped for a more suitable one? I'm guessing that people who are fully bedbound never need to be moved so they don't need a hoist. Have you talked to the carer? Is the hoisting something that needs to be done by 2 people? I'm sure others will be along later in the morning with better advice.....
I'm sure the OT did say that they would visit once a year and that's just to see if there is any changes,it's just my mind wondering if a carer has decided it's a pain for them,I have met carers like that before as I said the hoisting has recently been done by somebody that didn't have to do it before and she would rather be out of the door in a hurry,according to a carer a few of the people that are fully bed bound are those that live alone and so aren't safe to be transferred to a chair and left there as nobody is there unlike me to see they don't fall out of a chair.
So it's just the cynical side of me thinking that somebody would rather not hoist,we had this 18 months ago and that person was moved off the job.
I had an nurse visit before that said to me some carers will do anything they can to avoid having to bother using a hoist if they can
We have an OT team coming this week too as my husband has just come home from hospital. I can't wait! I know there must be changes I could make to make life easier and safer and I just want someone to tell me what they are and how to do it. Already a member of the discharge team showed me how to manage the walker indoors instead of the two sticks John previously used.
Anything which improves the handling of a PWD is grist to the mill
Anything which improves the handling of a PWD is grist to the mill
it's just the anticipation and wondering if a carer is creating waves,it would have been nice if the OT had rang me to tell me she was coming,it's probably nothing though she would have had to ring the care company so she could co-ordinate and be there at the same time as the breakfast call carers which is what they have done
I hosted one last Tuesday for my OH as he was expected to be discharged on Monday, (not happening now due yet another infection).
They just look at room available for a bed, any steps to negociate, what and where any facilities are, if the patience needs assistance, then draw up a list of any equipment that will make his and your life easier, as well as suggesting what amount of care from an outside agency may be needed.
They just look at room available for a bed, any steps to negociate, what and where any facilities are, if the patience needs assistance, then draw up a list of any equipment that will make his and your life easier, as well as suggesting what amount of care from an outside agency may be needed.
I have just had our favourite carer visit this morning by chance as she wasn't expected this morning,she informs me that she has bumped in to OT's twice this week and they are doing the reviews of hoist users and checking they have the right equiptment,I'm relieved now,thanks everyone
Just had our visit from the OT as recommended by the hospital. On a Saturday! Brilliant! Apart from showing me better ways to hold John when helping him she went over every move around the house to see what equipment would help and watched him going to the loo with his walker to see how he manoeuvred. I feel much more confident that I can improve his present state without wrecking my own health.
Technicians due on Wednesday to fit what is needed.
God bless Alison the OT!
Technicians due on Wednesday to fit what is needed.
God bless Alison the OT!
That's great,it works well at home,I sometimes think about those poor folks in poor countries that haven't got the support and resources that we have to keep people safe and well
