It's Big And Purple
I was working in Rusholme, which I think is part of Greater Manchester, this morning. I didn't like it much. After a while even Normanton was beginning to seem rather attractive in comparison, and that's saying something, believe me.
Sorry, any Normanton or Rusholme readers. Sorry that you live in such horrible places.
Anyway, back I came, and then it was very busy in the office, and Mum came over to say hello, and I said I'd go over when things had quietened down a bit.
So I went over and looked at the arm with the broken shoulder - the right arm - and a very strange thing had happened to her hand. Whereas before it had looked much as usual, ie tiny, it now was hugely swollen and nearly the size of a usually-sized person's hand. My mother, of course, is tiny with size two and a half feet and tiny hands too.
Anyway, her hand was now huge. And purple. I didn't like the look of it.
I rang the Intermediate Care Team to see if the hand was expected to look like a purple ball. They said they'd send someone to look at it.
The Intermediate Care Team are great - they came to see The Communist for a while before he became too ill. They've been helping my mother get washed and dressed, and prepare meals, and get undressed again. They are all warm and friendly, with excellent communication skills, and they make you feel very cared-for.
So tonight they sent a nurse along with the usual helper, and the nurse explained that this swelling was because of having to keep the arm still, and she showed Mum how to move the arm to exercise it and to stop the elbow from stiffening, whilst not allowing the shoulder to move, as that needs to be kept still in order to heal.
They were patient and kind and Mum loves having them there.
The NHS gets a lot of stick and yes, there are lots of things that could be improved. But this service is excellent and not as well-known as it should be. Hurrah for the Intermediate Care Team.
Sorry, any Normanton or Rusholme readers. Sorry that you live in such horrible places.
Anyway, back I came, and then it was very busy in the office, and Mum came over to say hello, and I said I'd go over when things had quietened down a bit.
So I went over and looked at the arm with the broken shoulder - the right arm - and a very strange thing had happened to her hand. Whereas before it had looked much as usual, ie tiny, it now was hugely swollen and nearly the size of a usually-sized person's hand. My mother, of course, is tiny with size two and a half feet and tiny hands too.
Anyway, her hand was now huge. And purple. I didn't like the look of it.
I rang the Intermediate Care Team to see if the hand was expected to look like a purple ball. They said they'd send someone to look at it.
The Intermediate Care Team are great - they came to see The Communist for a while before he became too ill. They've been helping my mother get washed and dressed, and prepare meals, and get undressed again. They are all warm and friendly, with excellent communication skills, and they make you feel very cared-for.
So tonight they sent a nurse along with the usual helper, and the nurse explained that this swelling was because of having to keep the arm still, and she showed Mum how to move the arm to exercise it and to stop the elbow from stiffening, whilst not allowing the shoulder to move, as that needs to be kept still in order to heal.
They were patient and kind and Mum loves having them there.
The NHS gets a lot of stick and yes, there are lots of things that could be improved. But this service is excellent and not as well-known as it should be. Hurrah for the Intermediate Care Team.
posted by Daphne at 9:01 pm
3 Comments:
Hurrah for the ICT and the great job they do.Hope the hand is shrinking back to normal and all will be well.
Normanton and Rusholme, such pleasant names!
Thank goodness the care team are able to attend to your mother. I am a huge fan of the NHS and have benefitted greatly from its services. However, I do think the hospital that put her arm in a sling should have advised about exercise then as hand swelling must have been a predictable possible outcome.
Goosebreeder - lots of people have rushed forward to tell me that there's lots of good stuff in Rusholme, especially curry - - but I just hated the look of it - inner-city desolation.
Ruth - sadly the staff in Swansea didn't get a chance to tell my mother anything, she was too busy telling THEM that she wasn't going to stay for a moment longer!
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