Going Out With Friends Or Relatives

Providing your relative is well enough and the matron has given permission, you will be able to take them out. If you are going to be out for several hours, ask the nurse in charge to supply the medications your relative will need to take during the time they are out with you.

If they are incontinent you will need to ask for a supply of incontinence pads for them and it might be sensible to discreetly protect the seat of your car in case leakage occurs.

Whatever the weather, take a warm jacket or cardigan and a car blanket for them, because elderly people can feel cold even on the hottest of days.

Shopping

Your relative may ask you to take them shopping. If you agree to this make sure they don’t wander off or get too tired. Some elderly people become disorientated in places like shopping malls and can get lost. To help you see them in a crowd get them to wear something bright, a scarf, belt or hat.

Make sure they have some form of identification attached to them, with their name and address and the home’s phone number. If you own a mobile and have it with you, add your mobile number and make sure your mobile is ready to receive calls – just in case. If they get lost, somebody might read their details and identification and phone you with their whereabouts.

If they need a wheelchair, take their own with you.

Taking Your Relative On Holiday

This is quite a big undertaking but is a very worthwhile thing to do.

• First you must write to the matron one month before the proposed holiday in order to:
• Obtain permission from the doctor.
• Inform the proprietors.
• Ensure sufficient supplies of medications have been ordered for your relative’s holiday.

 

Give details of the proposed dates of absence, the holiday address and phone number.

If you are thinking of taking your relative abroad, ask their doctor if they are fit enough and if they need any vaccinations.

Ask for written permission from the matron to take your relative on holiday and ask for a sufficient supply of all your relative’s current medications for the holiday period.

Please note:

• Even though your relative will not be in the home for a period of time the whole or part of the fees will still be payable in most homes.
• You need to take out holiday insurance for your relative as well as yourself.

 

If you propose travelling abroad you will need to:

• Ensure the air line will allow your relative to travel, with regards to health and age.
• Get a form El 11 from the post office to cover health expenses in an emergency.
• Check with your travel agent if there is anything else you need to do.

 

Remember you will be taking full responsibility for your relative, from the time they leave the home to when they arrive back into the care of the nurse in charge again.

After The Outing Or Holiday

Your relative may find it difficult to settle down again after a period of absence from the home, but if they are told they can go out or on holiday again, subject to their health, they will find it easier to slip back into the happy atmosphere of the home again.

The Proprietor

Some proprietors visit the home at intervals, others on a regular basis which may be daily, weekly or monthly. However, many proprietors like to take an active role. If they are a Registered Nurse they may choose to become the matron of the home subject to a police check and the approval of the local Inspectors of Nursing Homes. Some proprietors prefer to be the manager, whilst others employ a firm of managers to control all aspects of the home.