"Lack of communication from district nursing care team"

Despite numerous requests for them to contact me if there are any problems with my mum, who is now in a care home. The District Nurses continue to ignore this request until it gets to critical point.

It is easier for me to explain things to mum and to encourage her to have her bloods done or her dressing changed. Nine times out of ten, when the District Nurses visit to take bloods or give mum her B12, she refuses. This last time, I insisted I was in attendance, as after three months unsuccessful attempts for mum's bloods (which I was unaware of them going and therefore that the bloods needed to be taken).

I was so concerned about mum's state of health, I insisted that a Doctor (Clee Medical Centre) was called and arranged to be there when he came. He immediately requested mum's bloods be done and the district nurse came the next day. Because I was aware of this, I made sure I was there and encouraged mum to have them done. She confirmed she was happy with this and then instead of getting it done the district nurses started to ask her again if she would let them take blood despite her already having done so. This resulted in a definite no, if I hadn't been there, this would have been another occasion where they went away without the blood test being done. Fortunately, I was there and explained again simply what needed to be done and why and was fortunate that mum consented again.

The bloods were taken and it turns out that there are problems with the results and mum has an emergency appointment at the hospital. This should have been done three months ago, but because they don't let me know or involve me in the care, they were not successful in getting it previously.

Again today the care home rang me to advise that they went on Friday to give mum her B12 but she refused. They apparently turned up again today and again mum refused. How hard would it have been to tell me that they were going? I could then have encouraged mum to have the B12, which she needs even more at the moment.

It just seems that they don't care and that it is some kind of insult to them for the family to be there even though they are not successful in their own attempts. I have tried to find out who is in charge of the District Nurses but have been unable to do so, which is when I came upon this site.