URGENT - can anyone help please?

Do you have a query on how to get things done in Andalucia, where to find things, who to call? Find out by posting and hear about others experiences.
Bugsbunny
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URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby Bugsbunny » Wed Jan 21, 2009 7:55 pm

I am so sorry to bother you all but I am in a predicament. My elderly father who lives in Torremolinos feels very ill and says he needs medical attention - I am in the UK. I read on here that the emergency number in Spain is 112. I have passed on this info to dad and I think he plans to make the call this evening but he speaks no Spanish! Stupid I know but that's another story for another time. Hopefully there will be an English speaker who can help my dad but if not, is there anyone reading this in Spain who could make the call on his behalf if necessary?

Once again I am sorry for this inconvenience but I don't know what else to do! Thank you.

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gerryh
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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby gerryh » Wed Jan 21, 2009 8:20 pm

My understanding is that 112 is an European wide emergency number, you can use it it the UK.
It is staffed by multi lingual speakers, so speaking to an English operator is not a problem.
They pass the message onto the relevant emergency service.
You can, if you speak Spanish, get a faster response by phoning the appropriate emergency service direct.

Cheers
Gerry
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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby Scot » Wed Jan 21, 2009 8:23 pm

Has your dad made the call? I'm assuming there will be an English speaker in the call centre but let me know if not.

Bugsbunny
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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby Bugsbunny » Wed Jan 21, 2009 8:31 pm

Thank you Scot. I am waiting to hear from him. Will contact you if necessary. I do appreciate this.

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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby Jool » Wed Jan 21, 2009 8:49 pm

112 is definitely multi-lingual........and you can call a BT operator and ask them to connect you to the nearest 112 centre to Torremolinos for your peace of mind........or can you phone your Dad direct yourself?

Bugsbunny
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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby Bugsbunny » Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:00 pm

Dad has just called me - the emergency services are with him right now and they are taking him to hospital (hopefully just for tests and maybe an overnight stay but we will obviously have to see).

Thanks for your help though folks. And my apologies for sounding so desperate!

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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby Scot » Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:19 pm

Glad you got it sorted - didn't like to tell you how bad my Spanish is - your dad may have got a Chinese takeaway :lol:

Bugsbunny
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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby Bugsbunny » Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:23 pm

Very funny - thanks for making me smile :lol:

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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby Jennifer » Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:27 pm

Hi,
Guess we remember emgin from 2007 when she got a bit of a pasting from someone on the Forum.
Good to hear we responded well this time.
Hope all turns out well with your Father.
J

Bugsbunny
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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby Bugsbunny » Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:49 pm

Jennifer hola! Yes it's me and I'm still having near heart attacks over worrying about my dad although as you rightly say, the response this time is a lot more favourable. To be honest it was only one individual that laid into me but it did hurt and is something that I still think about to this day.

This time last year dad was in a terrible state. He had a very nasty chest infection which affected him mentally as well as physically. He became very confused and was having a hard time just functioning. He had cataracts in both eyes (you may recall) and his vision was VERY bad. We had no idea how far up or down the waiting list he was. He got in a very bad place in his head and I actually took a month off work unpaid and spent the whole of April with him. In that month, apart from obviously spending time together, he had one of his cataract ops done, I fed him up, bought him a slow cooker (my partner's idea) so he can make himself easy stews - which he loves, I introduced him to loads of different and easy meals - he was pretty much living on cooked chicken and mashed spud - I tried (without success) to get him to go down to the British Legion and spend once a week with people of his own age, AND I contacted Age Concern Espana and introduced dad to a lovely English lady from there who was very willing to help him! She suggested he register with the Spanish Social Services so that he would be 'in the system' should the time arise when he needed their assistance but of course as soon as he started feeling better (and he was fine until about 2 weeks ago - we were with him in December), he said he didn't need any help! He has since had his other eye done and his eyesight now is probably better than mine! And that's where we are now! I'm hoping that I've convinced him that now is the time he MUST register - I think even he realises that he's getting too old to cope on his own.

He was at the doctors on Tuesday who basically said that physically there is nothing wrong with him. I think at this moment in time he's got himself into panic mode again. Thank goodness for 112. I only read about it yesterday from this site (thank you). I plan to visit him again in March and am hoping that by then he is once again on the mend and has started the ball rolling with Social Sevices - fingers crossed :?

PS, I'm currently learning Spanish at evening class but have a long way to go yet....

gente
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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby gente » Wed Jan 21, 2009 11:04 pm

This is a great service http://www.helicopterossanitarios.com/i ... embership/ it would be a good idea to sign your dad up to give you some peace of mind,a 24 hour service, they speak English,and not too expensive

Bugsbunny
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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby Bugsbunny » Thu Jan 22, 2009 7:38 am

Thank you Gente - I will look into that as well :)

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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby pigs-might-fly » Thu Jan 22, 2009 7:44 pm

gente wrote:This is a great service http://www.helicopterossanitarios.com/i ... embership/ it would be a good idea to sign your dad up to give you some peace of mind,a 24 hour service, they speak English,and not too expensive
I cannot recommend Helicopteras Sanitarios enough.
It is a wonderful service and we have been members for nearly eight years now. We would hate to be without it.
Location: The Dukeries.

Bugsbunny
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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby Bugsbunny » Thu Jan 22, 2009 7:55 pm

Thanks. I did actually contact them this morning and they got straight back to me. Of course I will need to speak to dad about it but it's not possible at the moment - see my new post 'Clinico Malaga?' Hopefully things will sort themselves out .....

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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby geegee » Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:38 pm

You must worry so about your father, very glad it turned out to be nothing but there is always the risk it may not be next time...so I do hope he registers and gets himself sorted for your sake as much as his! The helicopterio sanitarias scheme looks fantastic - wish it operated as far as the Antequera area!

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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby Bugsbunny » Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:14 pm

Dad's taken a downturn in health I'm afraid. His translator (Linda) called me to say that the doctor called her and said I should ring her directly as things were very serious but she could only talk to me due to Data Protection etc etc. I tried to call but couldn't understand what the lady on the switchboard was saying. I called the British Consulate and spoke to Dominique who called on my behalf but he was told the doctor I should be speaking to went off duty at 8pm! He then asked to speak to another doctor in the ward but was told there were non on duty! I'm so confused - the doctor who called dad's translator and wanted to talk to me said she was on until tomorrow morning! Now I can't find out what's happening and I'm going out my mind! Dominique will call again in the morning but until then I'm just going to have to sit here!

I can get a flight out tomorrow but it doesn't land until 8.15pm. What if things really are that bad and I don't get there in time??

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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby Paula » Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:23 pm

What a terrible worry for you. Easier said than done, but remember that it could really mean any amount of things.. I hope when you get to speak to the Doctor that it all seems more positive than you are anticipating. They must have you down as your Dads next of Kin? If things were very serious they would contact you or make sure that someone did.

Bugsbunny
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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby Bugsbunny » Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:49 pm

This is the thing. The doctor obviously needed to tell me something but won't give the info to Linda - I asked if the doctor could call me but she was unauthorised to call outside Spain. All I can do is sit and wait now - and get my stuff ready for a hasty get away tomorrow.

Thanks for your kind words.

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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby oliveview01 » Fri Jan 23, 2009 9:00 pm

I hope you find things ok tomorrow when you arrive here. My MIL was very ´confused´ when we talked to her on the phone about a year ago, seeing strange animals etc. Hubby got a flight straight back to Scotland, had to go via London. Tuurned out MIL had had a bad fall, the police were called but did not call us and MIL refused to go to hospital. MIL was in dreadful pain from a broken kneecap- she was fine, after 9 weeks of hubby staying with her. But since then we worry all the time about MIL, she too says she does not need help at all, she is a frail 82 years old.

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Re: URGENT - can anyone help please?

Postby Scot » Fri Jan 23, 2009 9:03 pm

Surely there must be a doctor on duty? What a nightmare! You'll be glad when tomorrow comes and you are on your way - I hope all is ok x


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