The nurse pulled a chair and kept it near the bed. I sat on the chair and introduced myself to Begum Saeb. She had a flat affect (no emotions and unresponsiveness).
the nurse and Gull Kak told me everything about her diseases and medications. For the last two years, she was not in a good mood and for the last 6 months she was bed-ridden and was on an adult diaper.
She was taking a lot of medicines. I educated the nurse and Gull Kak about Palliative care for senior citizens at home and reframed their medication according to the Exclusive Geriatric Treatment Protocol. I shared my number with the nurse to update me about the patient through telemedicine. Gull Kak assured that I had tea before leaving.
A week later, I received a call from an unknown number. “Sir, I am Kirman, I wanted to say that we are exactly following your prescription, however, there is no improvement in the condition of my mother and she doesn’t even smile or give any expression”. I paused for a few seconds and replied, “There are certain things that are not written on the prescription and these things are more important than any medicine for the mental and physical wellbeing of the elderly”. “Sir, I have kept a full-time nurse, all the facilities and everything that doctors have been prescribing for my mother”, Kirman replied and added, “Anything else you suggest, I will procure that”.