Hi Trisha - If I remember right, you managed to get your husband discharged for home care with some form of care package?
How is the care package working or not working and has there been any follow-up reviews to see how you are getting on?
What are you able to do in terms of rehab?
Do you get any help with OT and PT?
Does the care package get anywhere neat meeting his care needs?
Good memory! yes after 3 months in hospital he came home on ESD. That part of the NHS service was very good. We had all the equipment we needed supplied and the physios and OTs came in several times a week including weekends.
It was supposed to be a 6 week service but as the therapy in the Stroke Unit (which we were promised would be very good) was almost non existent due to staff shortages, we complained and managed to get a further 6 weeks therapy at home.
When that ended we were referred for community therapy but had about 6 weeks with nothing before that started. We now have a physio for one hour a week who says she can only do 6 sessions.
We have had a 6 monthly review which was more about a chance for him to say how he feels. Other than that, nothing although we both feel left a bit high and dry.
I think the service would have been adequate if his stroke had not affected him so badly but he is really struggling.
Unfortunately, things are not so good when it comes to getting things via the NHS or CHC due to funding and staffing issues, not to mention ageism or other forms of discrimination. The service is stretched and there is no consistency across the country even though it is called National Health Service.
I don’t understand exactly what can be done to help your husband to come to terms with his current situation and what he himself can do to help himself. It may be he needs to a neuropsychologist or some other specialist.
Have you talked to the GP? I think they are meant to be the contact point from the care package perspective.
Also, have you met our David Hearden who is a member of this community and who currently works as a Social Worker helping people like your husband and you (and me). David is a stroke survivor himself and has much experience on both fronts. I am sure that if you and your husband were to “meet” with him, he might be able to help.
I will name tag David here and he will likely respond - he always seems to but he does work full-time and so it may be a while. You can however contact him yourself via this forum and he will likely respond sooner.
@DavidHearnden - Hi David, I am not sure if you might already have met Trisha @Trisha2 but thought you might be able to help her and her husband.
Happy to help in any way I can. Trying to establish how I can talk to people directly to talk through the difficulties they are in and suggest options and how they can be pursued.