Why is it so difficult to get some rehab? After losing Comms with the Physio/PT we contacted them ourselves - they was a complication why we could not easily do so last week but I will spare you the details - call it logistics for want of a better term. Unfortunately the Occupational Therapist is away this week (half term?) so they cannot come out until next week.It is so frustrating. Mum just needs a decent period of rehab so she can make progress and consolidate it, and not have a period of weeks between appointments.
After leaving hospital, Mum spent most of her time sat in a chair and was able to stand with the aid of a ReTurn stand for washing, dressing, toileting, and transferring to the wheelchair to go outdoors. However we needed house modifications which took forever to arrange. She was having physiotherapy which included things like walking with some sort of aid - but the house modifications were the limiting point. She did enjoy going outdoors fit gardening, looking at the fish in the ponds, and barbecues.
A piece of nasty and unsuitable equipment caused cuts which led to infections, and that coupled with the stress from other things, contributed to a series of falls. As a consequence she has been in a bed ever since, far better in terms of posture, but at first she was very weak and there was no question of lifting her, then she had infections, the wound on her arse eventually became a hole like having a large chop cut out, etc.
That is all healed now, the wounds elsewhere have settled down, her blood pressure has stabilised, and she has been lifted into her wheelchair using an electric hoist. She also also eating pretty much normally now. As I am writing this Mum is complaining that she has run out of breakfast crumpets. She has also recently restarted eating bananas, which will help with Potassium and they are full of Protein.
However, as she has lost strength it would take quite a bit of work to get her to be able to use the ReTurn stand. If she could use that it would be a huge step forward, helping build up her strength and meaning that she dies not need two people to roll her for certain personal care things. This would be better for her, and a step towards being able to not only go into the garden but also an adapter car. I understand that a normal estate car can be adapted....
Not being needed so often would help me. Without wishing to sound selfish, trying to find part time employment that fits around bring needed every few hours has been a nightmare. Also it would help improve Mum's mood.
Also without wishing to sound selfish I would like to have some sort of social activity. I was doing something which counted as both work and social activity but that came to a grinding halt as a result of people losing records and doing nothing about malicious rumours. I do get a bit fed up about the lack of friends and not having someone to talk to. The last few years have been stressful. People love to believe a rumour, and they love to kick a man when he is down.
I get a bit frustrated when my brother moans and groans about not being able to get out on the moors at the weekend, or only being able to get away for two days during a Bank Holiday weekend, or only going to the pub. It has always been like that, even when we were children.
