Recuperating

Mojisola

Try http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Health-and-social-care/Independent-living/Support-at-home

gettingtheresometime

sillyvixen wrote: »

If they are struggling with laundry, it may be more time effective to take it back to yours and do it overnight - rather than spend hours waiting for their washer to finish.

by us we have a washing / ironing service that will collect & deliver - do you have anything similar that could be used for bigger items?

Fireflyaway

Have you spoken to your workplace to see if you could take some dependant leave? However, as others are saying maybe just a bit of help with the heavy stuff is enough. A bit of cleaning and laundry and getting some food in. Do they have a microwave to make cooking easier?
Ensure your mum has an appointment for her wound dressing. sometimes communication is not great and the surgery might not know your mum needs her dressings done.

Jackieboy

cbrown372 wrote: »

Look into claiming Attendance Allowance which will give them money to pay for extra help?

AA is for people who have long term personal care needs, not for people recovering from operations.

Spendless

Thanks for the further replies. I've taken the next few days off. I'm an agency worker (only employment I could find after losing my job last year) so there's no such thing as 'dependent leave' (I checked when my Dad went into hospital). Fortunately I'm not eating into AL as I can take unpaid time off a lot more easily (and we can afford to do this) but I can't take too much time as I'm still being trained.

No neighbours to help out. They live in a cul-de-sac of bungalows. Most are older with their own health issues. One or two are at work.

Savvy_Sue

I'm trying to remember how old your children are (and failing), and of course I don't know how close to your parents you are, or how easy it would be for your children to get there, but if a 'popping in to see how you are' visit would be enough on some days, are the children old enough to do it? While they're there they can also make a cup of tea and a sandwich, do a bit of washing up, and report back.

Obviously ignore this if they're not teenagers / not sensible / not on good terms with the grandparents.

My parents pottered around after each other - Dad wouldn't have coped without Mum, but she thought it best to keep him active and busy ... However, they had a gardener and a fortnightly cleaner. Shopping was done via the Age UK minibus trips to Sainsbury's and Lidl's. Actually the Age UK minibus was a fantastic resource, they went somewhere or other most days: a lunch club, a Knit'n'Natter group (yes Dad went to those too, to doze in a chair I think ...)

Can you find out if that kind of thing is available locally?

It's really a case of working out what's needed and getting it in place. Hopefully your parents will work with you and see the benefits.

bluebell13

Spendless wrote: »

They aren't both retired. They are past retirement age but are (were) still working, right up to the day they went into hospital. Dad is a school bus driver for a special needs school and went into hospital the first day of the Christmas holidays. Mum is a mobile hairdresser and fell outside a client's house and was taken to hospital by ambulance from there.

Obviously neither is currently working.

Mum isn't having any visits from a physio. Her dressing hasn't been looked at for over a week.

I think the request to call the surgery may be to get an appointment with the practice nurse to look at the wound/remove stitches. It's common practice where I live for those to be done at the GP surgery.

Spendless

Kids are teenagers at 16 and 13. Eldest has more spare time as he is at college 3 days a week and gets less homework than youngest, who also participates and takes exams in an after school activity. We can certainly ask them to call in on some days, but they are already helping out with the other set of Grandparents, who also have health issues. FIL is a stroke patient, MIL has also just had an op, as she had breast Cancer a couple of years ago.

I'm calling in shortly and will ask my parents what they are struggling with so far.

Savvy_Sue

Ah well, it was a thought ...

I just remember phoning DS1 after FIL had had a stroke and was in hospital. MIL was on her own at home because BIL who lives with them was on holiday. DH and I were both working and would have struggled to take time off.

As soon as I told DS1, he said "Would you like me to go and stay with Grandma for a little while?" Bless his cotton socks. Couple of days from him, overnight from me, we were then at the weekend so DH could get up there.

margaretclare

We get Tesco grocery delivery and they always bring it through to the kitchen and plonk the whole lot on the kitchen table. I've also discovered Oakhouse Foods, who do frozen meals for delivery. They also do mini-meals which are fine for people not very active.

Visit from district nurse to remove clips/stitches should have been arranged from the hospital before discharge. The patient should not have to arrange it.