It has been a rather rubbish week for poor mum. Whenever I see the care home's number flashing up on my phone I get worried. They don't call unless something has happened or they need to report an incident to me and sure enough, mid-Monday morning the call comes in from the deputy manager and senior mental health nurse calls me to advise that mum has had another fall.
She has had a knock to the head again and it's quite right that she needs to be checked over by someone at the hospital, which means another trip to A&E - something I have been dreading ever since he first visit with mum a month ago. On this occasion however, she was taken straight to A&E by the paramedics, accompanied by one of the care home staff, while I followed in the car.
This visit wasn't anywhere near as difficult as the first, as they didn't pursue trying to get a blood or urine sample and didn't need to take any x-rays. Had they insisted on that, it would have been a far longer visit and caused mum a whole lot more distress. Instead, she was checked over by nurses and doctors and they were happy that there didn't appear to be any significant injuries.
The thing they mentioned which did strike a chord with me was that if they did go ahead with CT scan (even if they managed to do it at all, given mum's almost complete non-compliance now), and the staff found a bleed or some other problem, that they would not likely be able to do anything about it. This, along with the DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order we have to think about, has put things into perspective...
We managed to get back to the care home but not after another 4 hours or so in that blasted hospital again. Once she was in the car she was fine and actually enjoys the ride, but getting her there - and taking her through the A&E reception - was the hardest part. I can't imagine how scared and confused she must have been.
I visited her today and the bruise had indeed spread around her eye as expected. She looks a complete mess. The saddest part about today was her asking me, quite clearly and on two occasions, they she wanted to go and what she didn't want to stay there anymore. I don't know if it was just a part of her mostly incoherent and nonsensical ramblings nowadays or if there was a indeed a moment of clarity and understanding of where she was. My father had visited her early today too, and was probably home by the time I had arrived, but she mentioned him and asked me to take her out.
I took my leave back to work when one of the nurses came to take her to her to change her. I imagine that on my journey back to the office, she will have been wailing and crying and doing her best not to let the staff provide the personal care she needs.
The bruises and the crying and the confusion and the rejection of people's help is a horrible picture to paint, but it's the absolute and bitter truth about what she's going through.
No comments:
Post a Comment