Long-term carer Maureen Gillespie is looking forward to the benefits rolling out from the Dorset Care Record as she continues to look after her older sister Chrissie Rylands.
Chrissie, who spent time living in Bahrain, Kuwait, Kenya and Tanzania, moved to Poole in 1991 and suffered a serious brain haemorrhage in 1995 which kept her in hospitals along the south coast for nearly six months.
“We were told she was unlikely to go through the night but the operation at Southampton was successful and she went to Bournemouth for a few weeks before going on to the Christchurch Stroke Unit where she spent time recovering,” said Maureen.
Chrissie needed a clip in the brain but recovered sufficiently to live in her own accommodation with her husband, but after he passed away at the end of 2000, she was unable to cope with day to day life. She lived and was looked after by Maureen between 2000-2003 before becoming a resident at Melton Court, Poole, where she has lived for the last dozen years under Maureen’s watchful eye.
Chrissie suffered a stroke in 2011 and had another suspected one earlier this year, and has been diagnosed as having front-lobal dementia.
Her most recent treatment has concerned Maureen, who said she was concerned that clinicians and doctors didn’t seem to have full details or understanding of her original haemorrhage and that Chrissie was being asked questions that because of her health wasn’t able to answer.
“We were getting inconsistent information and I was concerned that as her carer, power of attorney and next of kin I wasn’t being kept up to speed with developments.”
Under the new Dorset Care Record, patient contact details and care needs and a list of diagnosed conditions will be shared so health and social care professionals will have a complete record of a patient’s care.
The Dorset Care Record will also have details of medications, so everyone treating the patient knows the medicines that have been prescribed. Test results, referrals, clinic letters and discharge information will also be available so that the people caring and have all the information they need.
Maureen said she hoped the DCR will enable health and social care workers to make safer decisions about her sister’s care: “If it works it will be incredible and we’ll be able to see seamless, joined-up care.
“It will be important that the DCR has the most up to date important information as a summary on the home page of my sister’s record,” she added.