My Father had vascular dementia for almost five years and successful lived at home with family support, before he had a minor stroke. This required his admission to Altnagevlin Area Hospital and then is health was further complicated by an unwitnessed fall and obtaining a subdural haematoma as result within 24hrs of admission to Altnagelvin Area Hospital. I have previously commented on his experience in both Altnagelvin Area Hsotpial and Waterside Hospital in earlier entries on Care Opinion.
Following his time in hospital my father was discharged to Owen Mor Care Home, where he received excellent nursing care. His overall health deteriorated as his condition progressed over several weeks and after my father having several admissions to the Emergency Department at Altnagelvin Area Hospital he was introduced to members of the Acute Care at Home team.
The support provided by the nurses and doctors in this team was excellent. They focused on my father as an individual and always sought to provide as much information to him as possible. They provided information on who they were and what their role was to family members and sensitively helped us recognise how ill my father was.
Introductions
Explanations
This team of nurses and doctors worked closely with staff in the nursing home and family members to ensure my father remained comfortable, not distressed and painfree in the last two weeks of his life. Their clinical and communication were clear to see.
Staff attitude
Staff skills
The nurses and doctors were accessible and very approachable throughout the time they cared for my father. Their care for my father and family members was truly person centred. Nothing was too much trouble and they made my father and family members feel that we were the focus on their attention when they were working with my father.
On occasions they has student nurses accompanying them and I am confident these students learnt a lot from the team members, both in relation to excellent communication skills and the real meaning for person centred care.
I will always be grateful for their role in making a distressing situation manageable. Thank you.
Responses
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