"Not sure the health plan was followed."

I am the carer for my partner who has dementia. After recent surgery in Albany Health Campus, a plan was made with myself, the hospital social worker (who is familiar with my partner and the many health problems) & the Pioneer Health team (2 of whom are our regular GPs).  The plan was that after the surgery & after 2 or 3 days, to be transferred to the Pioneer Health team & to be transferred to the Sub-acute ward to ensure that my partner did not remove the stitches - there is a history of this. There is also a history of my partner being very prone to severe infections, some of which have been treated by the Hospital In The Home nurses over the past few years.

Two days after surgery, I was informed my partner was being discharged & I was to do a pickup ASAP. I was not told exactly what the results of the surgery were, what had been removed & what post-discharge treatment was to be conducted. My partner may have been informed but would have retained this in the memory for about 2 minutes.

During the following week, my partner removed several stitches, resulting in a gaping wound. We went to A & E where the wound was re-stitched to the best of the ability of the doctor.

On a follow-up visit to the surgeon, the stitches were all removed, including the new ones as they had not held. The surgeon organised for a Silver Chain wound care nurse to visit us at home but no-one was available for a few days. I did the best I could over the weekend to treat the open wound to prevent infection. Subsequently, wound care nurses have visited every second day but my partner removes the dressing within an hour of them leaving. We have now arranged for them not to dress the wound but to inspect to make sure there is no infection. During these inspections it has been noted that one stitch remains in the skin but has proven too difficult for the wound care nurse to remove.