Palliative Care

Hello Pootle36 and thank you for contacting the online community.

Your dad’s GP has overall responsibility for his care while he’s at home. They can

• assess your dad’s health and do home visits if needed
• help him manage side effects and symptoms
• prescribe medicines and repeat prescriptions
• give information and support
• organise district nurses or specialist palliative care nurses if needed
• refer him to other healthcare professionals, such as a physiotherapist or occupational therapist (OT)
• arrange for your dad to go into hospital if he needs to be admitted, or a hospice or nursing home if your mum needs a break from caring (respite care).

It’s unfortunate that there has been limited contact from the GP, but I would encourage your parents to call the surgery to discuss how your dad is and what kind of support they can provide if they haven’t already. Our publication Looking After Someone With Cancer gives tips on how carers can look after themselves while supporting and looking after someone with cancer.

 I’m sorry to hear about your dad Pootle36, how are you just now? I appreciate this can’t be an easy time for you and your family. We’re here for you all through this difficult time, so please stay in touch if it helps to talk or if you have any further questions. We have nurses here on the support line as well as financial teams.

 Take care.

Thank you for the reply. Dad has gone down hill rapidly in the last couple of days. We are back to where he was four weeks ago pre hospital admission, diagnosis, and intravenous steroids. 

I have booked a day off so contacted the GP surgery today, and insisted we need support now. They are supposed to be calling back - we will see. Though I will call again mid afternoon and make more of a fuss if needed. Mum just cannot manage anymore as his mobility is going and he falls regularly. 

My brother has called the Macmillan helpline, so we now know what should have been done and what to insist happens quickly.