Wound Dressings, Goodbyes and New Horizons

Well we got through Christmas. Christmas and Boxing Day was open visiting between 12:00-20:00 which was nice, the same applies tomorrow.

We were told they were moving my dad to a care home a long way away (30-40mins) originally it seemed ok but very far. Then 2 friends who know the home, one who had worked there another who dealt with them professionally said don’t touch it with a 10ft bargepole.
Told this bit of info the hospital pretty much said well he goes home, or you choose a place and you pay and had to move my dad pretty much now (this was 2 days ago) things got fired up, then an age concern friend said no you do not have to panic and the hospital have now given us 7 days.

A lot of ringing round, hell these places are expensive. Today the hospital social worker rang up and got the hint l was stressed, turns out that my folks should be able to get help towards the costs. I rang up about 10 homes over the last 2 days, we visited one today. It was the first home l rang and about 3miles from home so not to bad in distance.

The building is a bit battered but it appeared to be better than the starched clean place my dad was at before in respite. First time round they were great second time lots there was promised but never appeared. The lounges were empty, everyone sat in their rooms. Physio and baths did not seem to materialise etc.

I now have time off till the 15th assuming the cover l am doing while staff is looked for isn’t filled, back at the emergency place. I got a bit of a shock today from them. As l am not employed at the place although spend most of my life there. After our complaint signed by a load of night staff about the cancelled night staff Christmas dinner the regional director is holding a meeting to try and see how to improve things and also about the “not the Christmas dinner 09”
Mind you have been to a night staff meeting with the regional director before and l was one of the only ones that spoke up, after wards he asked me to stay and asked more questions, as usual lot of promises were made but zilch!. Still he does know that asking me to a meeting is setting a demon free who will speak up even if everyone around me is to shy to speak up… just as well he isn’t squeamish really.

Have finished at the small local surgery near my house, I will miss it, the staff are great and even better is that one of the libraries is nearby. My idea of heaven, books on tap.

We were treating a cat with a wound breakdown on it’s chest. This cat has to be one of the most chilled cats l have known. He sits there while you cut the old dressing off and remove the wound padding, which is stitched on top and bottom.
On the second dressing change the vet put a couple of tacking sutures across the wound to close it a bit while it healed naturally, stitches would have broken down again. Puss sat there for the tacking gazing into space.
Re dress is a pad smeared with treatment tacked top and bottom of the wound with one stitch to hold it on, then bandaged across his chest/shoulders/back to hold it all in place.
He gets stressed if you try to take him out his cat carrier via the door but we just take the top off and lift him out then he is fine. The he sits where he is put while he is lifted slightly to allow cleaning of the wound, can be a fair amount of time and picking to get the gunk off, and then the redress (as above) when done tell him ok done and he climbs back into his box and goes to sleep.
He is healing nicely another 3 weeks or so should be just a hairless patch.

At another practice l have spent the last couple of days at l was doing a bunny check. I told the owner we couldn’t do any operation for neutering before the new year. She looked at me very upset and said she wanted it done soon. Her friend and l awaited the penny dropping, finally her friend poked her in the ribs and said don’t be stupid it is in 2 days time and bunny is to small anyhow at the moment. The girl went a lovely shade of red, her friend and l had got bored of waiting though so the joke was flat and we both sighed.

Anyway off to try and get some food then good old hospital trip. Have a good new year tonight and all the best to everyone. I will post next year in 2010