Hello and thank you all for your kind words and I hope you are all doing okay in the current situation.
My husband is just going into his second week in hospital. I was told by the hospital team on Friday that his mobility hasn’t really improved since he was brought in and everyone has to constantly watch him and be by his side when using his zimmer, as he is at risk of falling. I asked if a stair assessment had been done, she states it wouldn’t be safe to do that.
His MS and MS Dementia is affecting him more than usual, along with the water infection.
He is very confused and sometimes agitated and doesn’t know where he is. Yesterday he called me 32 times and has had telephone conversations with other people too.
He won’t use the downstairs toilet, as there’s no heat in there and I know if he came home he would tire himself out trying to get to the upstairs bathroom. For many years he refused the advice of O.T.’s and physios and myself to have a stair lift.
Previously, before he went into hospital for the second time, an O.T. rang and said, “What about a profiling bed, wheeled commode and sit and lift chair in the lounge?” We don’t have any room for those and in any case, he wouldn’t be able to stand for longer than a few seconds and he wouldn’t use the items. A call from a social worker mentioned a hoist, but I said, surely you need training and two people for that?
He called again today, very distraught and is constantly wanting to come home to see me, as he is lonely. I want nothing more than for him to be home. However, he had 18 collapses to the floor in two and a half weeks and I was constantly trying to lift him up, but my Osteoarthritis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Cervical Spondylosis in my neck and spine were putting a stop to that. The GP has said that he needs a placement in a care facility.
I only wish we’d moved to a bungalow with a wet room many years ago, but again, he needs to go for a poo numerous times day and night, so how will I manage that now, if he remains unable to do the stairs and what if he starts falling again.
Thank goodness he has an indwelling catheter because I can look after that, but he doesn’t always remember he has one.
I don’t know what to do.
He has been assessed at not having Mental Capacity now. I asked for the NHS Healthcare funding checklist to be done, but I’ve been told it doesn’t trigger. I have asked for a letter advising why not.
I just want to bring him home, as it is all too sad, but I don’t know how we would manage those stairs for the bathroom/bedroom. At this moment in time I wouldn’t be able to leave him alone ever and I am doing elderly relatives shopping.
At the moment, the hospital are trying to find some respite care for him temporarily, and they have all been wonderful and very kind, but I’m really worried about him picking up this virus.
He keeps calling to ask when he’s coming home...