Notes from a Family Meeting

This morning we had an initial family meeting at the Mornington Centre with Mum’s Allied Health Team. The meeting was productive and we’re all feeling more comfortable with her care and that effort is being made to prepare her medically for transfer.

We were glad to hear from the Nurse Unit Manager that contact had been made with Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane. This is the sub-acute unit to which we’re hoping Mum can be transferred. So far we’ve had good feedback on the unit (and on its Brighton counterpart), including from Mum’s much-loved and trusted general practitioner, but if anyone has any other feedback we’d be grateful to hear it.

The good news is that, according to Mum’s allied health team, she is progressing well. She originally found it frustrating that the physio and OT would ask her to do things she couldn’t do but. Both the family and her physios have explained that creating new neural pathways and training other areas of the nervous system to do tasks is as much about visualising an activity as doing it and so she’s more positive about her rehab now.

In terms of her transfer, Mum is being treated for her infection and has been started on Warfarin. One of the dangers of Warfarin following a stroke is bleeding on the brain so they won’t give it to stroke patients until two weeks after the stroke and need to monitor them for a day or two to make sure there aren’t any complications. Once the doctors are satisfied she’s tolerating the drug, they’ll clear her medically for transfer and we’ll go from there.

Following the family meeting, Mum’s speech pathologist, Emma, came around for an assessment and Mum was cleared to be upgraded from puréed to minced food; a decision that means there is an improvement in her swallowing.

Mum was a bit tired today after her two big days of family visits and we’re going to try to give her some more space to rest so she can concentrate on her rehab. Her brother Bill flies back to the Sunshine Coast tomorrow and Doug leaves the Peninsula on Saturday for his Sunday flight home. At that point, Dad and I will move to the Rosebud house and stay on until she’s transferred. We’re still hoping this will be next week.

Keep well, everyone and, from the entire family, thank you for all your best wishes and all your support. I’ll post again when there’s news.