My mother is just coming up to her 96th birthday and has T2 and breast cancer. She also lives 2 hours plus away from me and even further from my brother. We phone her daily [she still lives alone] and I've been given the job of main problem solver, despite that my brother is a retired vet and therefore a medic.
The last few days mother has been telling me she's a bit breathless. I told her to phone the doctor. Of course they have to go to her. she has no transport and can't manage a bus.
A doctor called, took her blood pressure and without hardly saying a word except to say to call again if she doesn't feel better in 2 weeks, left. My mother, whose English is a second language and is not as good as she thinks it is, was left very confused.
I ended up writing to her GP practice. They asked me, yet again! to confirm I have my mother's permission to act for her. The doctor phoned and asked Mother about a pain in her back, still not addressing her breathlessness. I emailed again and the doctor is going to call in on Monday. This time, I hope the doctor will investigate and ask the right questions.
My mother can be cantankerous, but tends to get very submissive to people who she deems have authority, so without me behind her, i don't know what would be happening.
She only got her diabetes routine checks, because I took her to the surgery a few months back.
The practice can't have many patients older than my mother. They are likely to be confused or suffering from reduced mental faculties [Mother isn't!] and I wonder why they are not organised better in caring for people in extreme old age.
To me It's not good enough.
Hana
The last few days mother has been telling me she's a bit breathless. I told her to phone the doctor. Of course they have to go to her. she has no transport and can't manage a bus.
A doctor called, took her blood pressure and without hardly saying a word except to say to call again if she doesn't feel better in 2 weeks, left. My mother, whose English is a second language and is not as good as she thinks it is, was left very confused.
I ended up writing to her GP practice. They asked me, yet again! to confirm I have my mother's permission to act for her. The doctor phoned and asked Mother about a pain in her back, still not addressing her breathlessness. I emailed again and the doctor is going to call in on Monday. This time, I hope the doctor will investigate and ask the right questions.
My mother can be cantankerous, but tends to get very submissive to people who she deems have authority, so without me behind her, i don't know what would be happening.
She only got her diabetes routine checks, because I took her to the surgery a few months back.
The practice can't have many patients older than my mother. They are likely to be confused or suffering from reduced mental faculties [Mother isn't!] and I wonder why they are not organised better in caring for people in extreme old age.
To me It's not good enough.
Hana
