Enema

[shrumps]

DFIL has to have an investigative procedure in a few days time which requires him to have an enema in advance. They have told him he will need to do this at home before he goes into hospital and are no longer able to send a nurse to assist (as they have previously) due to service cuts.

He is 75 and will not be able to do this alone, and is extremely distressed about it. There is no one able to help him - his DD has just had major surgery and is physically unable to help and neither he nor I would be comfortable doing this - can I somehow help him by insisting they send someone or he gets admitted first? I'm not sure what to do to help but I am very worried and would appreciate any advice.

Who else is there in the family?

I've done one of these. It's not extremely gruelling, if you do it close to a loo. A key part is going through the instructions carefully the first time, and having a big towel handy.

Is he completely alone at home? Frail?

Sorry I meant to say, I can advise more when I know a bit more context iyswim.

Hi thanks for replying - it's only me and my SIL (my Dh is away and she is single) only other family is his equally elderly brother. He isn't frail in that he is able bodied but I think he would struggle to manage it by himself.

Phone his gp and ask for a district nurse one off visit.

Have you seen the instructions? (They're online.) Could you see them yourself and then talk them through with him, or would you both just curl up with embarrassment?

My dad and I would end up laughing about stuff like this and get a bit Billy Connolly about it all; but I appreciate that this is your FIL.

If course your DH could easily google the info and talk to him about what to do. It really is surprisingly simple.

(Actually I've done two, come to think about of it; and I've got severe arthritis and gut disease. And I'm not young!)

It genuinely sounds worse than it is, but he will need to be close to a loo for a while.

Many thanks for the replies, really appreciate it. I'll call the GP surgery tomorrow and see if they will be able provide some help for him.

Good luck with it all.

I know my GP surgery would be of limited help at the present but hopefully yours will be able to assist. They're all different right now.

Please report back!

We managed to get the practice to send a community nurse out so all's well - many thanks for your advice everyone, was very stressed!

That's good news, I'm glad you're getting help from the practice.