"Care partnership with District Nurses"

We are on a journey since March 2020 following the degloving of my husband’s foot after a motorbike incident.

Given the onset of Covid19 pandemic his release from RVH was premature and we were handed over to the Neighbourhood Nursing Team in Limavady. We soon got to know many members of the team due to daily visits 7 days a week and during that time they were keen for me to be the ‘second’ pair of hands as this reduced the number of nurses at each visit. On shadowing the team I soon learned how to have sterile conditions; how to clean the wound; look for infection markers (smell/redness/temp checks); wound sizing and changing treatments to promote healing. Over the months I gained confidence and the nurses in turn were taking their direction from the consultants in the RVH via myself. Each time the treatment plan changed (weekly) I rang the nursing team to let them know and order the prescription. Between us all we gave my husband the reassurance that his serious injury was being well managed and he has always been grateful for the professional and friendly relationship he has with the neighbourhood nursing team.

My husband has gone through numerous changes of treatment plans and to this date his wound is still not fully closed over but since January 2021 I now do all the dressings at home, I change out treatments when I notice no change and continually check for infection always safe in the knowledge that Leeanne and her team are only a phone call away.

This has been a long journey but one that has been managed well by all involved and as the external activity reduced coming into our home the more normality resumed for us

Please know you are all our earth angels