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[Ziggy]

I was wondering if anyone on here would have any idea or advice about to go about finding private nurses to help look after a terminally ill patient at home?

We have asked the hospital, but were just told to 'look in the phone book'... of course we will try that, but if anyone has any suggestion or experience of this kind of things, I'd love to hear about it... it's quite urgent too...

We are looking on the internet too, and calling around a few places, but not having much success...

[kannie]

Hi Ziggy. We recently used an agency called 'Consultus' for a live in carer for my inlaws. The woman they sent, Olivia, was absolutely fantastic. They specialise in 2 week placements though, so it needs to be for someone who can cope with changes in carer. It may be slightly different with nurses though - they do do nurses too. They specialise in quick placements, but I don't think their office is open at weekends.

 

I was also considering an organisation called Oxford Aunts for a longer period, as they do longer placements, and hence also do more of an assessment and matching of worker. They sounded good but don't do such quick placements, so weren't quite what I was looking for at that point. I'm not sure if they do nurses as well as care workers, but do you definately need a qualified nurse?

 

With Consultus the workers are self employed, whereas with Oxford Aunts they're the employing agency.

 

I'm assuming this is for an older person? There are other agencies who specialise in younger people. Whereabouts in the country is the person? And do you want someone to live in?

[Ziggy]

Hi Kannie,

Thanks for your reply... We were just looking at the consultus website actually and sent them an inquiry, we'll try to contact them on Monday, it's nice to hear of someone who used them and was happy with their service...

 

It is for an elderly person, and they live in yorkshire... I'm not too sure what we are looking for exactly, but thought a live in nurse would be a good option... it is unlikely to be for very long...

 

Thanks for your feedback, we'll definitely pursue our inquiry with consultus...

[Guest]

Sometimes the local hospice do a care at home package. Also its worth a visit to a hospice to see how lovely they are - it's not home but it's not like being "in a home".

 

My Dad was going to go to our local hospice and we thought it was a lovely place, unfortunately he never made it out of the hospital - where standards of care were abysmal (it was a BUPA hospital!)

[Cate in NZ]

This isn't something I know very much about I'm afraid, but I'd suggest a nursing agency. Do try to assess if you actually need a qualified nurse, it may be that actual nursing care can be delivered by a visiting District Nurse (NHS service) and then you provide a live in carer for basic needs, feeding, washing, helping to move, just being there etc. A carer will be expensive; a live in nurse will be extremely expensive.

 

I'd suggest speaking to "Help the Aged" in the relevant area, they are usually very good with their knowledge of services in the area and how best to get help.

 

Sometimes specific conditions (ie cancer) have some brilliant nurses employed by charities who offer great help and support, so if it is a specific illness that could be worth researching. Unfortunately however there is very limited help available for those who are simply nearing the end of their lives because of age

 

Good luck with arranging it.

[Ziggy]

It is cancer... there has been a nurse visiting, but nowhere near often enough, and although people have talked about macmillan nurses, nothing much seems to be happening on that front...

 

I didn't think of asking help the aged... not a bad idea at all, they would have knowledge of what is locally available...

 

Thanks

[TheGirlsMum]

My mother-in-law had mcmillam nurses and they were fantastic they stayed up with her sitting in a chair when she was too scared to go to bed.

Try contacting them direct.

[Charlottechicken]

I understand that MacMillan nurses deal with anyone with a diagnosis of cancer, but Marie Curie nurses deal with terminally ill patients. You could try them.

 

Hope you get something sorted soon.

 

Edited to add, www.mariecurie.org.uk

[kannie]

I think key questions are whether you need someone to live in or not, and whether you need a qualified nurse or not.

 

We got a live in carer for 2 weeks for my MIL and although she didn't need nearly that much care, she got a lot of piece of mind from having someone there. That was just what she needed when she was being discharged from hospital, and needed pampering to get her back on her feet. It also gave her the reassurance to know that it was possible to get and accept that level of care should she need it later.

 

Agencies like Consultus tend to cover the whole country, because by their very nature (staff who can be uprooted) they don't have/rely on local links. If you're looking for non-resident care, then you're also looking at more local agencies, which makes it harder to get non-local recommendations.

 

What you can do is to check out local agencies CSCI reports. This shows what inspectors thought of an agency, which can be useful. http://www.csci.org.uk/

 

My MIL has now had an assessment from her local social services department, which to my surprise* has allocated her a great care package (although it hasn't started yet). So I would recommend contacting your local social services department: they may provide just what is needed, and do all the co-ordination for you. And of course is money is an issue they may subsidise the cost.

 

(*I used to manage local authority care services, and then worked as an inspector of care services, so I know a little about it!)

[kannie]

I forgot - the other thing, Ziggy, if that if your person has just come out of hospital, some local authorities used to offer free services for up to 4 weeks. So its definately worth checking local authority services out.

 

Your hospital's response, of telling you to look in the phone book, is frankly awful. They should have contacted social services themselves, and if this person is going to rely on care, they're really quite negligent to consider sending them home without it.

[Lovemychooks]

We had Macmillan nurses for my Nan when she was ill and they did a fantastic job right up until the end.

 

I work in a Social Services team for older adults and would recommend ringing them and asking if they can recommend any care agencies.

 

I hope you find something soon.

[Ziggy]

I think the hospital's response of sending her home without organising the proper care is because she is not on her own, her husband is there to look after her, but he is finding difficult to provide so much care round the clock, not being particularly young himself, and not being used to having someone so heavily dependant on him... He seems to be at a loss about how to get more help, so we are trying to help find someone...

I will pass on all these ideas to my husband for us to look into and discuss with him... I'm sure something can be sorted, he doesn't need to be on his own.

[little chickadee]

Good luck with this Ziggy. thinking of you

[Lesley]

Good luck with this Ziggy. thinking of you

 

The same from me as well Ziggy - I hope you manage to sort out the care you need.

[Ziggy]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for offering advice and good wishes... We did contact consultus, and they were very helpful in their advice on the phone, listened to circumstances and to what we were hoping to sort, rather than impose 'readymade solutions', they were not cheap, but very quickly got to confirm that someone would be available at short notice should we decide to go ahead...

Things in the meantime got to move a bit fast, and my MIL was taken to a hospice that same day for some 24hrs care, and her condition went on deteriorating very fast and it was decided she shouldn't be moved back home. She passed away last night...

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Consultus to anyone though, they were very professional and approachable, and mostly seemed very efficient, telling us straightaway about the actual person who would be available to come to help, along with general information about her background and relevant experience and so on, which really surprised me, it was nice to be given so much information straightaway, made things feel much less impersonal, should we have had to go ahead with it...

We didn't get to investigate all other options suggested here, but thanks everybody, we didn't think we had much time, which is why we went straight for the consultus option as they seemed able to organise something very quickly...

Again thanks everyone, this forum is such a good place, the wealth of knowledge and friendliness on here is wonderful...

[Goosey Lucy]

So sorry to hear the sad news about your MIL.

[Egluntyne]

Deepest sympathy Ziggy.

[Treekeeper]

Sorry for your loss

[lisa33]

So Sorry Ziggy.

[little chickadee]

Sorry to hear about your MIL Ziggy.

[Ziggy]

Thanks everybody...

[kannie]

Sorry to hear about your MIL Ziggy.

 

Glad Consultus were helpful. The forum is pretty amazing, isn't it!