Ongoing care

[slowworm]

Is there a term for ongoing medical care such as wound dressing, how to look after muscle strains and ever broken bones?

I'm currently looking after my mum after some rather appalling hospital treatment and she has meant to have a bad wound dressed daily but the district nurse just doesn't turn up and the GP can't help, the only option is another trip to A&E...

Anyway, it's made me realise rather than just a first aid course I could also do with some training in longer term care but don't really know where to start.

 

[gibson 175]

You are an unpaid carer by the sounds of it. I would advise trying to find support from a local organisation-such organisations exist across Britain to support carers. Just had a google of what is around in Devon and saw this organisation https://devoncarers.org.uk/support/
Apart from any hospital based Social services I would have thought there might have been an organisation in the hospital that supported carers. There must be an organisation in the community that supports carers. Best of luck.

 

[slowworm]

I'm not a long term carer, not at the moment anyway. I'm just staying with mum after she come home from hospital. (Well, out then back in, then out).

It's a more general question relating to my lack of knowledge in helping mum. If first aid is for treating fresh wounds what to you call the treatment of existing wounds?

 

[Toddy]

I have a copy of Care of Wounds; a guide for nurses, by Carol Dealey.

https://www.awesomebooks.com/book/9780632052370/care-of-wounds-a-guide-for-nurses/used?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2PSvBhDjARIsAKc2cgO4WCXOfJ6IpO9wH9su_uuFO_cpgsR_XxogctZNYb10qHOrBSbI_jYaAhNfEALw_wcB

It's not a new publication, but it's sound and practical.
I don't know of any other word to describe wound care/ management.
It's not palliative care but wound care in it's own right.

Clincial learning hub has a lot of good information though.

How to change wound dressings Clinical Learning Hub

This page aims to provide information for patients or carers who need to change a wound dressing at home. Even if you are looking after your wound at...

www.molnlycke.com

I hope Mum heals up well and quickly

 

[slowworm]

Thanks Toddy, I may well just end up with a book although if I knew what to look for I was considering going on a course.

I would look for a modern book as I think a lot has changed since I last did a first aid course. Mum has had some sort of silicone dressing (which looks a bit like the stuff supermarkets put under a joint of meat in their packs!), and even a manuka dressing. What I have no idea on is how long these dressings should be left on for, what they do and what's then current thoughts on covering wounds vs getting air onto them.

 

[Pattree]

Do District nurses or an equivalent still exist? As others have suggested, I think you need support if the wound isn’t healing. You’d probably gain more from being shown than by reading if it is just this one case that concerns you.
If you are looking at being your mother’s carer in a wider sense I hope that you can find a support group and set yourself up formally.

Hope the injury heals quickly. Good luck to both of you.

 

[Kepis]

Do District nurses or an equivalent still exist?

Yep, i have regular visits from the District Nurses and either they are getting younger, or im getting older

@slowworm think the term you're looking for is 'Wound Management'

 

[Toddy]

Thanks Toddy, I may well just end up with a book although if I knew what to look for I was considering going on a course.

I would look for a modern book as I think a lot has changed since I last did a first aid course. Mum has had some sort of silicone dressing (which looks a bit like the stuff supermarkets put under a joint of meat in their packs!), and even a manuka dressing. What I have no idea on is how long these dressings should be left on for, what they do and what's then current thoughts on covering wounds vs getting air onto them.

The link I added to the Clinical Learning Hub is pretty informative. I think it's worth a look through.

 

[slowworm]

Yes district nurses exist, one has visited today and was great. (Also said my dressing attempt was fine).

The problem we've had is not being informed or told the wrong stuff by the NHS and no department knowing what the other is doing. So referrals have not turned up or they've been promised next day when they've not been made for that. This worries mum and she's not able to negotiate the various phone numbers to sort it out.

Anyway, we now have a number and been told what to expect so hopefully all will be well.

 

[slowworm]

The link I added to the Clinical Learning Hub is pretty informative. I think it's worth a look through.

I missed that but thanks, it looks useful and worth a bookmark. 'Wound management' also throws up useful stuff as Kepis suggests, some a bit advanced but gives me something to search on.

 

[billycoen]

Depending on what the wound is,where it is and the severity of it will determine the treatment.The main thing is to keep it clean to reduce the risk of infection.If it's a simple flesh wound,just apply a dressing( not too tight),if it's an ulcerated wound,then you can get collagen dressings (from U.S.A)There is also oxygen therapy(blasting the wound with oxygen).The oxygen kills off all the bacteria in the wound,and really speeds up the healing process.But you would need a doctor or nurse to administer the oxygen.Hope this helps.

 

[bearbait]

I recall hearing recently that some Pharmacies can help with replacing wound dressings. Assuming, of course, that one can get to the Pharmacy.

 

[Paul_B]

Hospitals tend to have access to better dressing options than even gp practises / practise nurses and District nurses. There's a lot of new dressings out there and as a private individual they're simply not stocked by places you can get to like pharmacies.

I unsuccessfully tried to cut my finger off with a bandsaw once. I got told how to care for the wound and was sent away with a few dressings. I had to get regular changes at my gp nurse. I ran out of these dressings and my gp practice nurse had very little options to dress the awkward location. The dressing she put on didn't last long enough neither.

If the wound is difficult place or other issues I do wonder if a local hospital might have a better option. My nearest hospital doesn't have an A&E but a gp led minor injuries service. They'll have good dressings and I think you can get into them directly or through 111. My next nearest hospital is bigger and has an A&E but most non serious accidents get sent up to a new unit that has something like non serious injuries clinic. They deal with less serious wounds right up to broken bones, dislocations, sprains and wounds needing stitches or not. Perhaps if wound is bad and you don't have good dressings or other options then such units might be useful.

 

[Toddy]

I had surgery a fortnight before Christmas. It was impossible for my husband to find decent dressings in the shops.

In the end, I looked out the wrapping from the original spares that was given to me at the hospital, and googled that and bought them online from a sort of pharmacy supply; an online chemist shop sort of thing.
Perfect and not terribly expensive, but lots of choice available.
Not out of date stock, but fresh, new, sterile, etc., and in different sizes too.

 

[slowworm]

Funny you should mention 111 as mum rang them and they told us to go to our local Hospital to see the emergency Dr, told us to go to a certain room for a specific appointment. Got there and room was closed and it turned out said Dr had not been there for years and we should go to A&E. She was admitted after a painful 15hr wait and had to wait in the wrong ward for several days before being moved to correct ward. Hence her genuine horror about being forced back to A&E for a dressing change.

The visit was a result of a premature release from another hospital, but at least they did provide a bag of dressings for me to use.

I have made a note of them for future reference. The main one, which I have not seen before but is probably very common these days, is Silflex. Seems to keep the absorbent dressing from sticking to the wound.

But just to reiterate, the District Nurse is now turning up so Mum's wound is in better hands now.

 

[slowworm]

Well a little update. It seems I've done ok dressing my mums arm, no complaints when a nurse has redone it and my efforts have been better than others.

One observation is each nurse seems to have their own way of doing things, quite different to each other. One for example has ordered quite a few specialised dressings to be delivered to mum and the next one decided to not use them. Said dressings, along with quite a few others, can't go back so have been left or would be binned. Useful for me as they have been carefully stored in case mum has further use for them but surprising just how much waste there is still.