Heart failure,copd,diabetes advice needed.

Bm68 6 years ago

1 reply

Hello my mum is 72 and has heart failure,copd,diabetes to name a few since jan she has gone down hill she sleeps a lot is not eating much I tried her on complan she cant even drink a bottle ,she looks so pale and has no energy ,her g.p told me she would not see christmas just gone but she is hanging on in there basically is she at end stage ,she wants to stay at home I work part time and visit everyday but worry if she will manage she also is incontinent which is worse when she takes her water tablets .

Support 6 years ago

Hello Bm68

I am sorry to hear about your mum’s illnesses and the effects these conditions are having on her.

You mentioned that you were concerned about mum’s incontinence worsening when she takes her water tablets and her health deteriorating. Here on our Support Line unfortunately we aren’t medically trained, so if you are concerned about any of this we would suggest for you to go back to mum's GP to raise these concerns.

Do you mind us asking, what support does mum currently have in place to help her at home? You may already be aware of how to get social care and support however we have some information that you may find useful on our website here: https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/help/support/benefits-entitlements/getting-social-care-and-support/social-care

Here at Marie Curie, we provide free of charge nursing care in the home often overnight for people that are living with a terminal illness during the end of life stage. If you feel that these services would be appropriate for your mum in her situation, we would suggest that you talk to her GP or District Nurse about this. Either of those professionals would be able to make a referral to our nursing service. Further information about this can be found here: https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/help/nursing-services/what-marie-curie-nurses-do

Has anybody spoken to you or helped you to prepare for what end of life for your mum may look like? Some people say being informed helps them to prepare. If you feel ready to find out more about this, we have some information on our website that can be accessed here: https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/help/support/terminal-illness/preparing/what-to-expect

Carrying on with everyday life such as working whilst a loved one has a serious illness can be difficult, it is understandable that you are concerned about how she is managing in her situation. If you would like to talk about things in more detail or just need a listening ear, please call our Freephone Support Line on 0800 090 2309, or you can get in touch with us via Web chat: https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/help/support/marie-curie-support-line

Best Wishes

Sam

Marie Curie Support Line