My Nan, the hospital doger!

[suzieq86]

Hello all
My beloved nanny is so important to me, my mum for all intents and purposes. She has been my constant and I try to do my best to keep her healthy.
She has a very valid and long-standing fear of hospitals having lost a baby, after being in a bomb blast and having my Grandad die in one. She thinking she goes in she will not come out and getting her to agree to any type of medical attention is very taxing work!

Her leg after the bomb blast, was severed at the calf muscle. Over the last few years the scar area has become infected a few times. Only oral antibiotics has cleared it. Now the patch of infection has spread to the no injured leg. 2 weeks ago I took a photo whilst on antibiotics. Then I took a photo today and the leg look, well awful. Not red and swollen, or sore but odd! She did tell me that clear water filled her shoes the other day, nothing since. She has some heart issues, and liver issues. No diabetes.

The thing is, I can only convince her to accept help if I can be really clear with her so I don't highlight much if there is no need for medical support. What I am asking is, is this something that needs that? She has real communication issues, if she was a child born today I have no doubt she would be referred for autism assessment. I am largely the only person she will listen to, bar maybe my uncle.

Photos attached, the crippled skin one is the latest. Tia x

@Trethew 🎩

Her legs have been on the stool with the pillow on top. Also how n pic.

I had just arrived. I see the similarities with blanket and leg! Perhaps she had her leg on it before, when I got there her leg was on her pillow on top of the stool as normal 🤦good spot!

Most GP's and some A+E depts will do a video or phone consultation with photos.
Then you can get a medical consultation without Nan leaving the house.
If she needs IV antibiotics these can be arranged by the hospital or GP to be given by the district nursing team.

Many elderly people are hospital dodgers, I recently had to take my Mum to A+E for getting part of her hearing aid stuck, she didn't tell me for a month! and was so worried about going she couldn't eat her tea the night before.

Tell your Nan she's precious ❤️

If you haven’t got a walk-in centre near you to take her to today, I’d ring 111. Looks infected, and likely to need antibiotics. If she’s also got pitting oedema, her heart meds need review, and her renal function. 111can get a doctor to call, her, and can also get a doctor to visit.
My mother is a nightmare to get medical review, she puts it off and makes excuses! The only way I can get her to call sometimes is to tell her that by calling now, she can nip the problem in the bud, and hopefully avoid a bigger issue that may need hospitalisation.

Sepsis is a real danger. You could try asking your Nan if you can do one of the above, as you want to avoid her getting sicker, and needing more long term treatment, or a hospital stay.
She sounds wonderful, by the way!

are you in the uk?
google your local rapid response team. Their role to to treat people at home and avoid wherever possible hospital admission
they can come out within two hours and do a full assessment.
They have advanced nurse practitioner s who can take bloods prescribe put a treatment plan in place whilst liaising with her GP
she looks like she needs bloods and diuretics to offload some fluid from her legs possibly antibiotics as well.
honestly they can sort it out fir her no problem