Bad news - and a "take care out there peeps" message

[nickdub]

Hi All,
as some may have gathered already I have a small cottage where I live with my wife Irina, and also my father-in-law who lives with us and is Lithuanian.

This morning there was crash from Dad's room and when I went to check he was scrunched up half sitting on the floor with his back to the wall, having fallen over ( his balance is poor).


He is in poor health generally, but gets around OK usually ( he's 84) - the paramedics say he has probably broken his hip.

My wife went off with him in the Ambulance to the A&E at Gloucester hospital about midday.

So watch out out there you oldsters ( I'm 64) - lots of slippery paths and steps about. And one other thing both Irina and I have had this flu bug with a bad cough which seems to be doing the rounds - but my Dad who has had a flu jab this year didn't get it - so if you haven't had a jab this time, I'd advise giving your GP a ring - I'm still not well, and its over a month since I got the virus :-(

All the best, Nick

[Bigmallly]

Hope he has a speedy recovery Nick.

[bramble]

So sorry to hear about your father Nickl
Hope there will be a good outcome.

[veggiechicken]

Sorry to hear about your Dad, it happens so easily.
A year or so ago, my neighbour lost her balance in the kitchen and broke her hip. I kept her company while she was admitted to hospital. Amazingly, she was home again within a few days with a hip replacement but needed to rearrange the house so that she could sleep downstairs until she was more mobile. Don't know how your house is organised but it may be worth thinking about this now, before he's discharged home.

[Snoop Puss]

Really sorry to hear your news, Nick. It's my worst fear for my mum.

Hope you manage to get over the flu soon.

Best wishes to you all.

[nickdub]

Sorry to hear about your Dad, it happens so easily.
A year or so ago, my neighbour lost her balance in the kitchen and broke her hip. I kept her company while she was admitted to hospital. Amazingly, she was home again within a few days with a hip replacement but needed to rearrange the house so that she could sleep downstairs until she was more mobile. Don't know how your house is organised but it may be worth thinking about this now, before he's discharged home.

Thanks VC, definitely best to get practical. my cottage is an old stone box shape one with 1 bedroom upstairs and a living room down. The extension on the back is single story with rectangular foot-print - kitchen at one end where the doors are to the garden and Dad's room at the other with bathroom and separate WC off the connecting corridor, so he has it all on one level and we have a walk-in shower . Might need some grab handles I guess - Out side the access is OK but I reckon it might be best to put in a hand rail where the path is on the steep side

[burnie]

Hope you and Dad in law fully recover soon

[veggiechicken]

You may be able to get some of the aids fitted by the hospital social care team - or whatever they're called - before he's discharged.
Raised toilet seat with frame around perhaps?

[MyWifesBrassicas]

Hi Nick,

Hope everything is ok with your Dad.
When your dad returns, try to access the "hospital at home, falls and reablement teams that are likely to be available in your area. They're very good with assisting "respite" at home as well as offering potential care and equipment such as hand rails and walking aids and if needed, increased access to intermediate care. I work as a paramedic in Manchester, we have this access here, it's worth looking into.

[chillithyme]

Bless you Nick
Hope that dad has a quick and easy recovery. Hope that you all fell better asap. I'm not sure how it works where you are, but around here you have to say pretty early on that your home needs improvements to make it safe. That is if you need equipment to help etc. It can take a while, but hopefully its better where you are.
MyWifesBrassicas do the council need to be contacted? The reason I ask is because somebody from social services visited a neighbours home on the day of her return to check that her home was safe. Is the reablement team within the hospital or from the local council?

[roitelet]

Do hope your Father in Law recovers quickly. If you ask in the Hospital I am sure they will point you in the right direction. Hope you feel better as well.

[nickdub]

You may be able to get some of the aids fitted by the hospital social care team - or whatever they're called - before he's discharged.
Raised toilet seat with frame around perhaps?

Thanks for that - you're right of course been round this block once already as my first wife Sue who died from lung cancer over 20 years ago, spent all but her last 3 weeks of life living here.

I'm a self-help believer to, on the basis of "don't be stupid Nick ask an expert first, but get stuck in too" so an approx plan of campaign is first to get some idea of when Dad is likely to discharged back home and then while he is still in hospital try to get the nursing staff to hook us up hospital social care team people you mention. Assuming whoever is sent out to do the on site recce is OK with it - I hope they sling me a few grab bars and rails and we mark up where they are best installed and then I get on and do it myself from there.

Also the path from the back door slopes up to the road entrance and is about 80 meters long - so I hope to bend their ear on some ideas of rail height etc although as it happens our local GP surgery has a steep bit of path from their car park down to the entrance - so I might just nip by there one afternoon and measure up what they have installed for handrails and install a version of that with my go to worker's help - he charges me £10 per hour for manual help - probably do the outside bit for £50 as I have all the tools already and a half 1 ton bag of sand and I scavenged some galvanised iron poles a bit like scaffolding bars which had been chucked on a waste site about 2 years ago - might have to buy half bag of cement - loads of natural wood poles aka branches too about 3 or 4 years seasoned which I could use for the hand hold part damson, plum , yew etc be easier to work, have a natural bends in them and will look better

Figure if I help myself that leaves more time money in the kitty for the state to fund help for people who can't DIY it and don't have any spare cash either.

PS I spoke with Irina at the Hospital on her mobile a bit earlier and her Dad is due to be assessed by the specialist surgeon tomorrow morning - my guess is the surgeon might say best go for a hip replacement but we'll see - Irina will have to be there to translate as her Dad only has two words of English and there aren't many fluent Russian or Lithuanian speakers who the hospital can shake lose on a s 12 hour notice basis - bit of luck there'll be a Polish speaking nurse around the wards somewhere - Dad speaks Polish too pretty well.

Thanks for all the messages of support people BTW

[MyWifesBrassicas]

Bless you Nick
Hope that dad has a quick and easy recovery. Hope that you all fell better asap. I'm not sure how it works where you are, but around here you have to say pretty early on that your home needs improvements to make it safe. That is if you need equipment to help etc. It can take a while, but hopefully its better where you are.
MyWifesBrassicas do the council need to be contacted? The reason I ask is because somebody from social services visited a neighbours home on the day of her return to check that her home was safe. Is the reablement team within the hospital or from the local council?

The hospital are the a good first starting point for potential help as well the local councils. The paramedics may have started the "ball rolling" with falls referral, although they would have needed consent from yourselves for that to have been arranged.
Council is also a great source potential help and advice to appropriate services, they recognised that frail and elderly deteriorate rapidly in hospital and improve better at home, so services are set up for this service.
Nick, there is help, they maybe able to assist you with all the rails, walkways, walking aids, etc

[Ms-T]

Hope all go's well for your dad in law.

[lottie dolly]

Sorry to hear your news Nick,hope all goes well for you all,the hospital usualy ask about home,but you can also ring adult social services of yor own back,round here they do take a while to respond,buy are good when they do,when MR need a larger platform/step plus hand rail to get out the back,he was visited at home by a professional,then a man came and did the work as was requested,plus they go through all things with you,there might be an aid that you not thought about,plus no charge,so that is excelent,round our area it's know as the lightbulb project,you can only ask,all the best to you all.