Phew! What a couple of weeks it's been.
Had initial visit from the RBL Admiral Nurse who'll be coming back again in three weeks. She mentioned she'd contact the OT's and Physios (more of that later) and try and gee up the Care Needs Assessment I'm waiting on. I found it rather sad that for her purposes she judged my OH to be without capacity.
The Mental Health nurse from the memory clinic has visited and we've spoken several times on the phone for updates in the ever changing situation and to agree changes to my OH's medication for Olanzapine. Today, it was decided to stick with lower dose so the Memory Clinic emailed a script to my local Pharmacy.
My OH has been quite poorly since Friday. His mobility has declined and tonight (Wednesday/early Thursday am) will be our third night sleeping on the sofas downstairs. (Thank the stars for waterproof mattress covers, puppy pads, pull ups plus a spare pack of microfibre cloths as morning clean ups have to take place in the kitchen. Not best but needs must.) I sat up all night Monday, but last night (Tuesday) was better prepped and had the best night's sleep in an age. All curled up, fully dressed, under an old blanket off cut. Funny ol' world, innit. I'm spoiling myself tonight with a proper blanket, a pillow and a real nightie.
Called doctors' surgery yesterday and Duty GP made a home visit. She could find no signs of any underlying infection causing the mobilty problems and very reduced responses but said she'd make an urgent referral to the OT's and Physio. Well, knock me down with a feather! Both services contacted me today. Physio is calling Friday and we're 'on the list' for OT's. That GP is surely a force to be contended with! She managed to convince me to accept some 'happy pills' to help me chill out a bit and has also referred to the local Social Prescribers. Today I got a text from them saying they'd contact shortly. I'll try and get the happy pills tomorrow if possible. Also discussed DNR for OH and, bless her, she's arranging the requisite forms for me to collect when I go for my regular blood test next week. Like the Admiral Nurse she judged my OH to be without capacity. That's two people in a week with the same opinion. Knocked me back a bit to be honest but it needs an objective and informed view, neither of which I have.
This morning, after a night of little cough-coughs, my OH was a bit chesty (nasty green stuff that I won't bore you with). Following a quick telephone conversation with the Respiratory Nurse at the GP surgery I started my OH on his rescue pack antibiotics. She said she's send another script to the Pharmacy so I'd still have a pack in hand.
This evening my good neighbour, who works in the Pharmacy, delivered the Olanzapine AND the antibiotics. Considering the scripts were only received by them today this left me amazed. I'd say gobsmacked but that's not a pleasant expression, is it?
Anyway, there's been other stuff as well, including yet another visit from the boys and girls in blue, flat refusal to accept meds, food and drink, then much spitting out of half chewed meds and quite a bit of ducking and diving but on the whole ... it's manageable.
I'm considering changing the 2 x 2 hour sitter visits to 2 x 3 hour visits as two hours a time isn't really useful. Our fairly regular sitter won't be available to us once school term starts. Unless we get a new 'regular' (preferably with Dementia care experience) I have to try to introduce them to my OH then spend time updating them on the latest before dashing out to the shops. The two hours quickly reduces to an hour and a half and I'm under pressure to return ASAP - you get the picture. Just to add to the mix my OH's needs have changed so dramatically over the last 12 months I'm not even sure the Agency would consider it a simple 'sit' any longer.
There's a little bugbear and that's the fact the GP suggested a bed downstairs for my OH and that's what the Physios think they're looking at. Well, there IS a bed downstairs, cunningly disguised as a three seater leather sofa on which he's currently flat out and snoring his head off. The whole downstairs of our home is open - no little spare room that can be converted to a bedroom and the bathroom's upstairs anyway with no chance of building a toilet/wetroom facility downstairs due to bizarre drainage and a myriad of other things that go with this old gaff. And anyway - if he slept downstairs who'd be there for him if he decided to get up in the night? But that's for another day. Until then, or until he decides he can conquer the stairs (he did this morning despite the fact that once in the bathroom he refused to use the loo) we'll fluff along as we are and make the best of it.
As always - onward and upward. Although it's the upward that's causing the downward right now.
Had initial visit from the RBL Admiral Nurse who'll be coming back again in three weeks. She mentioned she'd contact the OT's and Physios (more of that later) and try and gee up the Care Needs Assessment I'm waiting on. I found it rather sad that for her purposes she judged my OH to be without capacity.
The Mental Health nurse from the memory clinic has visited and we've spoken several times on the phone for updates in the ever changing situation and to agree changes to my OH's medication for Olanzapine. Today, it was decided to stick with lower dose so the Memory Clinic emailed a script to my local Pharmacy.
My OH has been quite poorly since Friday. His mobility has declined and tonight (Wednesday/early Thursday am) will be our third night sleeping on the sofas downstairs. (Thank the stars for waterproof mattress covers, puppy pads, pull ups plus a spare pack of microfibre cloths as morning clean ups have to take place in the kitchen. Not best but needs must.) I sat up all night Monday, but last night (Tuesday) was better prepped and had the best night's sleep in an age. All curled up, fully dressed, under an old blanket off cut. Funny ol' world, innit. I'm spoiling myself tonight with a proper blanket, a pillow and a real nightie.
Called doctors' surgery yesterday and Duty GP made a home visit. She could find no signs of any underlying infection causing the mobilty problems and very reduced responses but said she'd make an urgent referral to the OT's and Physio. Well, knock me down with a feather! Both services contacted me today. Physio is calling Friday and we're 'on the list' for OT's. That GP is surely a force to be contended with! She managed to convince me to accept some 'happy pills' to help me chill out a bit and has also referred to the local Social Prescribers. Today I got a text from them saying they'd contact shortly. I'll try and get the happy pills tomorrow if possible. Also discussed DNR for OH and, bless her, she's arranging the requisite forms for me to collect when I go for my regular blood test next week. Like the Admiral Nurse she judged my OH to be without capacity. That's two people in a week with the same opinion. Knocked me back a bit to be honest but it needs an objective and informed view, neither of which I have.
This morning, after a night of little cough-coughs, my OH was a bit chesty (nasty green stuff that I won't bore you with). Following a quick telephone conversation with the Respiratory Nurse at the GP surgery I started my OH on his rescue pack antibiotics. She said she's send another script to the Pharmacy so I'd still have a pack in hand.
This evening my good neighbour, who works in the Pharmacy, delivered the Olanzapine AND the antibiotics. Considering the scripts were only received by them today this left me amazed. I'd say gobsmacked but that's not a pleasant expression, is it?
Anyway, there's been other stuff as well, including yet another visit from the boys and girls in blue, flat refusal to accept meds, food and drink, then much spitting out of half chewed meds and quite a bit of ducking and diving but on the whole ... it's manageable.
I'm considering changing the 2 x 2 hour sitter visits to 2 x 3 hour visits as two hours a time isn't really useful. Our fairly regular sitter won't be available to us once school term starts. Unless we get a new 'regular' (preferably with Dementia care experience) I have to try to introduce them to my OH then spend time updating them on the latest before dashing out to the shops. The two hours quickly reduces to an hour and a half and I'm under pressure to return ASAP - you get the picture. Just to add to the mix my OH's needs have changed so dramatically over the last 12 months I'm not even sure the Agency would consider it a simple 'sit' any longer.
There's a little bugbear and that's the fact the GP suggested a bed downstairs for my OH and that's what the Physios think they're looking at. Well, there IS a bed downstairs, cunningly disguised as a three seater leather sofa on which he's currently flat out and snoring his head off. The whole downstairs of our home is open - no little spare room that can be converted to a bedroom and the bathroom's upstairs anyway with no chance of building a toilet/wetroom facility downstairs due to bizarre drainage and a myriad of other things that go with this old gaff. And anyway - if he slept downstairs who'd be there for him if he decided to get up in the night? But that's for another day. Until then, or until he decides he can conquer the stairs (he did this morning despite the fact that once in the bathroom he refused to use the loo) we'll fluff along as we are and make the best of it.
As always - onward and upward. Although it's the upward that's causing the downward right now.
