Care Conference

Yesterday I went to the care conference at the nursing home where my husband is a patient. I have mixed feelings about care conferences. I go to all of them. It is important to me that the staff know I care, but I think most of the families don't go. I understand why.

This one was pretty typical. I was there. The head nurse on the floor was there and the hospice nurse was there. This is the first time I've ever seen a hospice nurse at one of these meetings. I got some pretty good information about how Joe is doing from both nurses.

As usual most of the people who should have been there, were not. I've gone to care conferences where the only people present were the social worker and me. This time the social worker was absent. It is rare for someone from the dietician's office to be present. Someone from activities will come to the occasional meeting, but very rarely. With Joe's current condition, it wasn't surprising that activities was not at this meeting. I doubt if they are doing anything with Joe at this time. One of these days I'll be the only one who shows up.

It is all hit and miss. This care conference was about 3 weeks after the last one. They used to be every three months. I've told them there is no reason for me to go to care conferences every month especially if Joe goes into another plateau where nothing is changing. I know they will keep on keeping on with his care, and that if something changes someone will notice and call me and, if appropriate, call in the doctor or the hospice nurse. I know that, because that is what has happened in the past.

We are all doing the best we can in the current situation. And it is all good enough.