Night care in Nursing Home

CORAL 1 year ago

1 reply

Edited by CORAL 1 year ago

My mum is at End of Life and is in a nursing home which although do their best for residents they just do not have time to assist mum who is having problems clearing her chest of phlegm and getting into problems breathing which is very distressing for her.  When we visit he which is about 8 hours a day we can help her sit up and not choke, get her fluids and generally calm her.  Sometimes she can't get her breath for about 15 seconds. However through the night she is very much on her own with less staff and those that are there are looking after the many dementia patients.  It leaves us in a real dilemma.  We feel it would be an awful way for her to die by choking to death in the middle of the night.  We are desperately trying to think of solutions like trying to find someone to sit with her through the night.  We don't know where to start and would appreciate any ideas  you could give.

David 1 year ago

Hi Coral,

Welcome to the Marie Curie community and we are sorry to hear about your mum’s condition. Understandably you want to ensure she is getting the right support and we recognise you have concerns around your mum’s breathing and care through the night.

Have you addressed these worries to the nursing home? As they are responsible for her care needs, it may be helpful to speak with them about these worries first and discuss your concerns about maintaining the right level of care overnight. You can also ask her GP or district nurse about her breathing symptoms and how they can be best managed in the nursing home.

If you would like to speak with a nurse on our Support Line for information, they are available on Freephone 0800 090 2309.

Take care, 

David - Support Line Officer