Care after operation

seaweed5254

Hello,

I will be having a foot operation next month. And i won't be able to put weight on my right foot for a couple of months.

I live on my own, and i do not have relatives here, so i was wondering if there is a possibility of asking for help from the council for someone to assist me at home; e.g. on shopping or just to make sure i've not caught any infection, etc. ?

I was also told that i should make sure that i have somebody with me right after the operation. i have friends however, they all work full time too, so they advice me to seek advice re social services/care.

thanks a lot for your help in advance

kingfisherblue

Yopu may find that a social worker visits you in hospital, to see what needs to be put in place before you go home. That's what happened to my dad, but it is a few years ago now, and he was elderly. Your best bet is to ring Social Services or the hospital welfare department and ask.

Hope your op goes well x

MrsManda

Make sure the hospital staff are aware of your home situation. There should be an aftercare plan put into place before you are discharged.

seaweed5254

Thanks !

I am having it done privately. Would i be able to seek help from NHS ?

Oldernotwiser

Your best bet is to use the internet for shopping and to see if your practice's nurse can check you for infection.

viktory

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Your best bet is to use the internet for shopping and to see if your practice's nurse can check you for infection.

Indeed - and as it appears that OP is only on one foot, surely you'll be able to get around on crutches?

seaweed5254 wrote: »

I am having it done privately. Would i be able to seek help from NHS ?

If can afford to have the op done privately, have you not budgeted for aftercare?

sunnyone

seaweed5254 wrote: »

Hello,

I will be having a foot operation next month. And i won't be able to put weight on my right foot for a couple of months.

I live on my own, and i do not have relatives here, so i was wondering if there is a possibility of asking for help from the council for someone to assist me at home; e.g. on shopping or just to make sure i've not caught any infection, etc. ?

I was also told that i should make sure that i have somebody with me right after the operation. i have friends however, they all work full time too, so they advice me to seek advice re social services/care.

thanks a lot for your help in advance

The chances of you getting help from social services after a private Op and none existant especially since you will be mobile on crutches, even severely disabled people are having their care cut and the amount that they pay increased.

I dont think this belongs on this board as its not about benefits.

FBaby

I would imagine you will still be entitled for help. by going private, you are saving the NHS money, so don't see why this would prevent you from social care support. In any case, both are separate care, all they will assess is whether you can look after yourself afterwards. The difference is that indeed, you would normally be assessed as you go in for your operation if under the NHS which won't be the case private. Saying that, you won't the first in this situation. I would contact your private provider and ask them what they do in terms of linking with social care to insure you can be discharged safely.

clemmatis

I agree, sunnyone, this is not about benefits.

Just to add to the OP, first, that private hospitals do liaise with social services, at least, good ones do, second, that as you'd probably have to pay for care even if social services arranged it, you might as well ring a care agency and hire the help you need. And ONW's right, you can buy your groceries online, and your GPs can liaise with district nurses (even though you're a private patient), I assume.

dafyguy

Care after leaving hospital? Where?

I came out a week last Monday after having blood clots removed from both legs. No one came to assess me. I had to go searching at my GP after a week to find who was supposed to change the dressings! No one knew anything about my aftercare.
Then to top it all, I was kicked out of hospital with a bag of drugs to take and a box of syringes for me to inject myself in the stomach twice a day. Damn needles were nearly a inch long!

And they call it a caring society.

skintandscared_2

How do you know that the OP isn't having their private operation through a work-perk like BUPA?? I have BUPA, paid for by my employer, and if I needed an operation it would be private. That doesn't mean I have the means to pay for it myself, or would have the means to pay for private aftercare!!!