FORMER miner Jackie Harrison is determined not to let his chronic respiratory disease get the better of him.
Although he is housebound and needs regular oxygen to help his breathing, he is always ready for a chat and joke with the district nurses who visit regularly to check on his condition.
And for Jackie and his wife, Jean, the visits not only give them the specialist help they need, but are a break in the routine and mean Jackie is less likely to have to be admitted to hospital as an emergency.
“You have to be determined. I’m not going to let this win and I have to be strong-willed,” said Jackie, 65, who lives in Prudhoe and was an opencast miner for 23 years before retiring 10 years ago through ill health.
“The nurses are very good. They don’t just come in and check medication and so on, they always have a good chat and it helps break the routine. They are my lifeline. I wouldn’t be here now if they hadn’t come in and looked after me. When I was in hospital I was taking up a bed that someone else might have needed.
“Now I know I can ask the nurses any questions I have and they help keep my tablets right.”
And for Jean, having the nurses visit regularly gives her the support she needs and helps boost Jackie’s confidence.
“They have a lot of patience and are very good,” she said. “I think it’s quite possible he would have been in hospital more without them as there have been times when I haven’t been able to cope.”
The team of nine skilled district nurses, led by community matron Lorraine Jackson and district nursing sister Shirley Gair, are part of the district nursing service run by Northumberland Care Trust.
They are based in Prudhoe, cover three GP practices and work with the county-wide out of hours service to provide round the clock care.
“We support patients like Jackie with chronic conditions,” said Lorraine who has been a nurse for 32 years.
“We work proactively with them and look at the management of their condition to prevent emergencies.
“This helps prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and makes life more comfortable for patients. We work closely with GPs and link up with other agencies to make sure our patients have the help they need.”
(c) 2008 The Journal – Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.
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