Medical services
Addressing growing complex medical needs by getting the most out of the caring community
When and how do we talk with GPs and hospitals about dying choices?
By Kathy Lawrence Talking about the likelihood of a loved one dying in the near future is always going to be difficult. But if we want to give them the good death that we would like, we and their physicians need to know their preferences. But how can we know if anyone has asked, let […]
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Hospital discharge and getting the right services in place
We often see stories in the media about older people being discharged from hospital without enough care to support them at home. Aleisha White, an independent social worker and founder of The Care Advice Service, explains what services should be available and how you can make sure they are in place. Why patients are discharged […]
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How online pharmacies can help in elder healthcare
If it’s difficult for your older friends or family to get out of the house then using an online pharmacy for certain medications and to fulfil prescriptions can be a useful option. This article is provided by Doctor Fox, an online medical clinic and pharmacy registered with the Care Quality Commission. Sometimes bad weather or […]
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Who wants to listen to what you think?
Written by Kathy Lawrence Sometimes it can feel like we have no voice in eldercare. Yet there are opportunities to give your opinion to people who will listen and can act on your feedback. If not that, they will at least share your experiences for the benefit of others. Time-limited surveys and questionnaires At the […]
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How can I coordinate my parent’s care?
Written by Rebecca Lenton As our parents get older their health issues can become complex. At one level hospital consultants are experts in their field but can be focused on the one issue without reference to anything else your parent is being treated for. At the local level your parent may be seeing a variety […]
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What can a pharmacist do for your parent?
Written by Rebecca Lenton Pharmacists can do more for our parents now than ever. Whilst they don’t offer the same expertise as a doctor they can certainly ensure that our parents are living well and managing their medication successfully. We explore the ways in which pharmacists can help our parents with their pills and prescriptions. […]
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Will the “Friends and Family Test” make a difference to hospital care?
Written by Kathy Lawrence Patients now have the opportunity to rate their hospital experience. Kathy explains how the survey works and wonders if it will give the right answers to improve our parents’ experiences. At the beginning of 2013 the UK Government announced that it would be making more use of a “Friends and Family” […]
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In praise of district nurses
This week’s storyteller has chosen to be anonymous.When the chips are down, district nurses can be relied upon to take the time and effort to care for our elderly and ill parents at home. At 25 minutes to 1 on Monday we received a phone call from a district nurse to say that dad was […]
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Tips on extracting your parent from hospital
Written by Kathy Lawrence If you’re new to parents as in-patients in hospital, then here are a few tips from those who’ve learned from experience. Every hospital trust and private group has its own structures and systems, but here are some pointers to help you get out of the building calmly with most of the […]
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Walking the hospital corridors in dad’s shoes
This week’s storyteller has chosen to be anonymous.Our storyteller talks about their experience of life as a hospital in-patient and shares how they came to appreciate their dad’s perspective after seeing behind the curtain of NHS patient care. I’m not normally a hospital patient. I do spend a great deal of time as a visitor […]
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