Palliative care at home advice

We are fortunate enough to live in an area with excellent hospice at home care and I volunteer for them on a daily basis. The hospice reckons to care for the whole family, not just the patient, and is there afterwards with support, counselling and groups as needed. Sad that this all has to be provided by donations though.

grandMattie

I had my DH at home for his last three months. The District nurses were beyond kind. The hospice was very helpful too. DH had three separate stays in the hospice; one nurse listened to me and had a catheter put in. He had about two litres in his near exploding bladder poor thing! I dealt with that, his pills and fentanyl patches; the district nurses did the pump syringe thingy. Until the last week, I washed him and did all the nursing (including the enema). The hospice care at home was beyond reproach too..
I had ZERO help from the supposedly supportive McMillan nurses. In fact. I was more or less told to bug..r off! Not a fan now!

So sorry to hear that grandMattie. I was going to keep quiet because some people think all nurses and carers are angels but they are not.

My late MIL was in a lovely hospice just a couple of miles from her home. All the family were impressed with it but she insisted she wanted to die at home. She was brought home and had McMillan nurses coming in and carers sleeping over in the spare room.

My SIL lived close by and did all the washing, shopping, admin etc but she was a cancer patient herself. She said the McMillan nurses seemed uninterested and unhelpful. She popped in one evening to find her Mum in bed as usual with all the contents of the carers handbag tipped over her. She thought it was acceptable to clear out her handbag on top of a dying woman!

My husband died at home with palliative care at home provided by a hospice. They arranged a hospital bed with air mattress, commode, meds and were at the end of the phone 24/7. I had carers 4 times a day for the last few weeks and I could ring Marie Curie nurses to arrange an overnight nurse so I could get some sleep when needed. The were had delivered OH a driver pump when he couldn’t take his meds orally but never had the chance to attach it.
It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done but it meant he slipped away peacefully holding my hand while it was just the two of us together.
I’m sorry to hear your husband is ill.

My friend wanted to die at home. She and her partner spoke with Macmillan nurses and the local hospice who provided at home care. Health care workers came in every day to make her comfortable. Nurses came in every day to administer painkillers. The hospice responded to calls if her partner needed help.
However friends and family lifted her in between times and that was difficult for both sides.
A small group of us sat with her to ease the pressure on her partner and that helped.

I wish you all the best, and fight for everything that you might need. 🫂

I had my DH at home for his last three months. The District nurses were beyond kind. The hospice was very helpful too. DH had three separate stays in the hospice; one nurse listened to me and had a catheter put in. He had about two litres in his near exploding bladder poor thing! I dealt with that, his pills and fentanyl patches; the district nurses did the pump syringe thingy. Until the last week, I washed him and did all the nursing (including the enema). The hospice care at home was beyond reproach too..
I had ZERO help from the supposedly supportive McMillan nurses. In fact. I was more or less told to bug..r off! Not a fan now!

Definitely get the ball rolling to get him home, being in hospital is not the place to live out your last ... he'll be much more comfortable at home.

So sorry to find yourself in this situation.

Please just double check that they’re enough community teams to ensure he gets the best, consistent ongoing care.

That needs to be a combination of carers and medical staff.

Also check what you need to adapt in your home and if he needs a hospital bed.

I wish you the best x

Doodle I had my Mum here, we had carers who came in to bathe and dress her (when she could be dressed) along with GP every other day and the palliative care nurses when needed (we were given a direct phone number)

We were provided with a special anti-pressure sores mattress along with a chair cushion (when she could sit up), they were in the process of delivering a commode when her Consultant advised us that she needed for her own comfort to go into a hospice.

We took his advice and Mum went into a local hospice for her last days, a family member was able to be with her 24 hours a day, we took it in turns.

A hospital bed was set up at DD's home for all the above to happen.

When DD became so ill she needed to have her meds injected rather than taking them by mouth (even in liquid form), it was decided that she would be transferred to a hospice. As it happened she died at home the day before she was to be moved.

Thanks Baggs . I want my DH home too.
Georgesgran it’s called Palliative care here. Might not be end of life but could be

My son-out-law had this to deal with recently. Carers came in daily to bathe my dying daughter. She had a catheter arrangement for the collection of urine. S-o-l dealt with emptying that when necessary.

He also gave DD all her meds and helped her to eat.

When I was there he asked me to trim her nails.

District nurses were involved when an enema was required because, as s-o-l said, that was "above his pay grade".

These details aside, it was good that the children could see their mum right up to the end.

Best wishes ❤️

I’m not sure how to respond.
Sadly, do you mean end of life care? X