Citation

Griffith R. Br. J. Community Nurs. 2006; 11(11): 494-497.

Affiliation

School of Health Science, Swansea University. richard.griffith@swan.ac.uk

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Mark Allen Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

17170651

Abstract

District nurse Mary Thomas has had concerns about one of her older patients for some time. The lady, Miss Oates, is in her 80s and she lives alone in a bungalow with 30 cats. Her physical frailty is such that she is unable to care properly for herself or her cats. She has refused all offers of help from the social services authorities and only allows the district nurse in to dress an ulcer on her leg. The bungalow is filthy and stinks of urine. There is no heating or electricity. There is cat excrement and uneaten pet food everywhere. Today Sister Thomas has found her patient lying at the foot of her bed after falling the night before. She refuses to be helped into bed and seems determined to stay on the floor. Despite the urging of the district nurse and GP the patient has consistently refused to leave her bungalow. Both sister Thomas and the GP accept that the patient has no signs of a mental disorder or of mental incapacity, nevertheless they both consider that care and attention in a care home, even for a short period to allow her bungalow to be cleaned, would be of great benefit and wonder if the law could be used to compel Miss Oates to move to a care home.

Language: en