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Home visits ?

12 years ago•19 Replies

I read on here that quite a lot of you have COPD nurse home visits and some also have physio visits. Is this to do with the severity of the COPD or just common practice in some parts of the country ?

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Puffthemagicdragon

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19 Replies

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darceynjo12 years ago

Hi Puff, When I was in hospital it was part of the early release scheme, they are suppose to come for 2 weeks but mine have been coming now for 4 weeks due to recurring chest infections take care Julia

valm12 years ago

Hi the community 02 nurses started to visit me at home when started using oxygen. They don't come very often 3 - 6 months she doesn't really do much checks my sats ask how you are. Val

gocat12 years ago

COPD nurse comes to visit husband about every 5 to 6 months and phones up sometimes to ask how he is. Not on 02 yet but I wish he was at times.

12 years ago

Same here - specialist respiratory nurse visits six monthly to check 02 sats, few questions about how i'm coping, checks my puffy ankles etc. plus the usual six month checks with the copd nurse at my local surgery for spirometry and general check up.

smokless12 years ago

I do have home visits ,I live in an area that is lucky to have comuity Matrons she comes every 4 weeks ,but can come daily if I am so unwell bless her she a phone call away .she can keep me from needing to go in to hospital and I have not seen my GP for my breathing in 3 years as she can sort out meds ,has sorted out my oxygen with hospital ,

libbygood12 years ago

Nobody comes to see me! I'm on oxygen 24 hours and have severe COPD, I go to the surgery once every six months to see the nurse and thats it.

Libby

valm in reply to libbygood12 years ago

Hi Libby would ask next time you see the nurse at your surgery, when I was first given oxygen the nurse at the hospital said they would be calling Val x

smokless in reply to libbygood12 years ago

I wo.uld ask ,as Libby said feeling that your on your own can make you feel fearful and that not very helpful with a breathing problem . your GPs may know what you have near you

libbygood12 years ago

Unfortunately I'm a sit back and don't ask sort of person, but I will ask next time I'm at the surgery. It would make me feel better being seen occasionally in my own environment.

Libby

smokless in reply to libbygood12 years ago

I have found that if you keep saying ,what can I do to get my life back ,the more help seems to come .I just keep asking to go to lung clinic ,and then keep on asking what could be done ,I made a point of going to every appointment ,pulamary rehab twice as I had to miss a few with an infection .I have 20% lung capabilty and am on oxygen to live . I keeped asking if I could go to papworth for a lung tranplant , Today I have now got an 17 sept three day stay for last assement before going on transplant list .If you want please keep asking what ,why and when go girl .x

loda12 years ago

When I was released from hospital, I was having a nurse call three times a week, also a physio came to help me with some excercises. I had this for 6 weeks also saw my GP as often as needed, had great care from all and the team were able to set up referrals to other specialists and chase up appointments, so reading others blogs I do feel lucky that Ive had good treatment. I live in Wales so dont know if its different here. Im also on waitng list to go on pulmonary rehab, the specialist put me on the list when I was in hospital, as there is a 2-6 month wait. I see my specialist now next month, Do hope that you will getmore help soon

Puffthemagicdragon12 years ago

It seems most of you are worse of than me and the reason you get visits. My sats do go under 88% sometimes and recently I have had to go to A&E twice and also my doctor 2 or 3 times to get some Pred and antibiotics for what seems to be a reoccurring infection. I am due for my first ( after a year ) appointment with a proper pulmonary doctor at my local hospital in early August and I hope I can get a proper diagnosis. I had a lung function test a year ago at my doctors surgery with the practice nurse and that's it. 43% apparently.

12 years ago

Seems to be a geographical thing. I have very severe COPD and have been an oxygen user (24/7) for five years and have NEVER had a home visit. But I do seem to have more frequent hospital appointments than others I have spoken to, tending to see my consultant about every 3 months and sometimes a respiratory nurse inbetween those appointments.

I have only met a physio at PR. My aids and adaptatons were provided after a referal was made to Social Services by my consultant and a worker from there consulted with me over the telephone, asking what I needed. All I asked for was supplied though so I am not complaining!

Auntymary xx

12 years ago

Puff and Libby if you are finding things difficult at home do ask your doctor if you can access the Community Matron Service.

At other times you may want to ask the GP if you can access the OT service if you think you will benefit from aids such as across the bath seat or shower seat, grab rails, bed wedges and more, just to make things easier for you at home. The Occupational Therapist can come and assess patients in their own homes where difficulty is being experienced.

If your GP surgery has a website you might be able to find more information there too.

Puffthemagicdragon12 years ago

Thanks Zoee. Most of the time I can get around reasonably ok without much problem and don't really have any difficulty getting around and don't really need any help with everyday things. Maybe a little stop here and there to catch my breath. I do get light headed sometimes though. Although, when I'm having an exacerbation, it may take 3 or 4 stops to walk from my sitting room to the loo ( Planning needed ! ) On a good day I can walk down to my local town without stopping which is about 3/4 mile. If it was like that all the time It wouldn't bother me too much. I'll probably get moaned at but I push myself to go that one step further and will not let this get the better of me. I want to die of old age not COPD !

TheOtherDragon12 years ago

Puff!!!!!!!!!!! You need to rest in this heat, and not go round trying to "push it". (Nag, nag, nag)

TheOtherDragon12 years ago

By the way, I am not at home at the moment until next weekend, hence the use of the dongle, and so I can't keep an eye on Puff! I phone him and nag him about resting and eating properly, whether he listens is another story.

Puffthemagicdragon in reply to TheOtherDragon12 years ago

I do listen but . . . .

libbygood12 years ago

Thanks all for your concern and suggestions, one of the reasons I don't push for extra I suppose is because I don't really need anything, I can still get upstairs reasonably well, have an excellent cook, etc. (husband). I still dust, iron and on a good day mop floors, but I will mention home visits to the surgery nurse.

Libby x

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