Help after husband hospital stay

whitewing

Could you not register with a Meals on Wheels type service? They seem pretty good value for money to me and I guess you would have some say on your dietary requirements.

Cuckooclock

I'll give it a go, but I have tried several & they don't cater for renal diet. x

elsien

Unfortunately telephone assessments are becoming more common as a way of saving money, and it's easy to get flustered and not say everything you need to say. If you have any further assessments once OH is home, insist on a home visit, citing this one as evidence that you were unable to clearly explain your needs on the phone.
Can you get back onto social services (although they may have put you off for life) and request information on the meals on wheels service and renal diets?
Alternatively see if there's an Age Uk branch near you who may have better information on locally available and suitable meals on wheels etc.

sunnyone

Asda have a lovely range of ready prepared salads for the summer, they also do diffrent selections of veg that are microwaved in the bag which means you get freshly steamed fresh veg in minutes. Jersey pots are in season and you can getthem in microwave ready packs.

Do you have a slow cooker?

We are having slow roasted beef and a selection of pre prepared veg for tea today and I had a chicken and bacon pasta salad for dinner, all traditonal cooking free and healthy delivered from Asda.

We get the joints when they are on special offer, normally half price to keep costs down and the prepared veg/salads from asda is very reasonable. the small salad I had for lunch was £1, the large chicken and mango salad I had yesterday was £1.50 (2 for £3, my husband also had a large salad for his lunch).

As above we also like jacket spuds with different fillings and other simple traditional cooking free meals along side our roast dinners and salads (its summer so we eat a lot of salads), we do eat the odd ready meals from wiltshire farm foods which are nutritionally balanced meals unlike many of the cheaper ready meals, they deliver and have a decent choice.

There are also healthy take aways, I like lamb kebabs which are just grilled lamb with pitta bread and salad, we dont have italian take aways around here which another poster suggested but if you look around you can find healthy take aways. Our kebab shop also sell jacket spuds etc.

We dont have a washing line, we have a huge american dryer and everything goes in their, we dont buy things that cant be tumbled dry and if you dont over fill the dryer and hang things up straight aftrt the dryer finishes they dont need ironing.

We are both disabled, me severely physically and my husband has kidney failure, heart failure and he has problems resulting from his stroke so we pay for help (not via social services, we found cheaper and better help on our own) and we manage the rest as best we can between us, you cope because you have too.

Cuckooclock

I didn't really know what was available locally, I have 3 Hospital appointments this week, I contacted the local volunteer service & they have stepped in for this.

Friends & neighbours have been bringing us shopping, ready prepared veggies etc., even the lovely pepole in our fish shop are dropping some shopping in tomorrow.

Thank You I have realised I do not need to get down, you will be pleased to hear my husband is recovering well, a long job but getting there. My needs are ongoing, but I'm sure I will feel better when this huge steroid dose reduces, it makes me feel weird. :beer:

kazzah60

PLEASE contact your local Age UK office - they have a wide variety of help available ( hopefully there is one in your area) from people who can take you shopping to befrienders to people who will clean for you - you do have to pay for some services - BUT the staff are all vetted and insured etc - I do understand the difference between low sodium and a renal diet and it is VERY complex - most people just assume it's low salt - perhaps if someone could take you shopping you could choose your best options for food. here is there website
https://www.ageuk.org.uk

teddysmum

The above mentioned Wiltshire Farm foods do special menus for special diets, including ingredients and textures (eg they do pures for people with eating difficulties).

SandraScarlett

I couldn't just read and run, and I sympathise with you loads. I use Ocado and pay £10 a month, and can have as many deliveries as I want, as long as it's a minimum of £40.


I make use of their special offers, and I find they are the best delivery service of them all. They also have a "no quibble" policy, so if, for example, you order peaches, described as ripe and ready to eat, and they're not, you just complete a simple "request refund" form, and the money's back in your account in a couple of days.


My DH is having respite in a care home, he has severe Alzheimer's, whilst I recover from a leg operation, though it looks as if he may be there for some time. I'm not used to cooking for one, and can't stand ready meals, so I cook several chicken and salmon portions at once, and then individually freeze them.


In the winter, I always cook 3 casseroles at once, saving on fuel, and portion them out and freeze them too. But the one thing I can't cope with is drying everything indoors. I have arthritis in my shoulder, and can't peg stuff out.


It's fine in the winter with the radiators on, but I still can't work out how to dry sheets in the summer! The other items are fine, on an airer, but how do others dry sheets indoors?


I know what you mean about needing help, as I will have to pay a fortune for DH's care, if it becomes permanent. I'm aware that the Social Security Cake has to be cut into zillions of slices, and it does appear that many get a large share, whilst others only get crumbs.


I wish you and your husband well for the future.


xx

Indie_Kid

SandraScarlett wrote: »

It's fine in the winter with the radiators on, but I still can't work out how to dry sheets in the summer! The other items are fine, on an airer, but how do others dry sheets indoors?

We put them over the bannister.

whodathunkit

SandraScarlett wrote: »

I couldn't just read and run, and I sympathise with you loads. I use Ocado and pay £10 a month, and can have as many deliveries as I want, as long as it's a minimum of £40.


I make use of their special offers, and I find they are the best delivery service of them all. They also have a "no quibble" policy, so if, for example, you order peaches, described as ripe and ready to eat, and they're not, you just complete a simple "request refund" form, and the money's back in your account in a couple of days.


My DH is having respite in a care home, he has severe Alzheimer's, whilst I recover from a leg operation, though it looks as if he may be there for some time. I'm not used to cooking for one, and can't stand ready meals, so I cook several chicken and salmon portions at once, and then individually freeze them.


In the winter, I always cook 3 casseroles at once, saving on fuel, and portion them out and freeze them too. But the one thing I can't cope with is drying everything indoors. I have arthritis in my shoulder, and can't peg stuff out.


It's fine in the winter with the radiators on, but I still can't work out how to dry sheets in the summer! The other items are fine, on an airer, but how do others dry sheets indoors?


I know what you mean about needing help, as I will have to pay a fortune for DH's care, if it becomes permanent. I'm aware that the Social Security Cake has to be cut into zillions of slices, and it does appear that many get a large share, whilst others only get crumbs.


I wish you and your husband well for the future.


xx

If you don't have room for a separate tumble dryer, a washer/dryer's a good option.