My dear wife has been in a nursing home since the end of September and seemed to be getting on okay. However, early on Sunday morning, I got a call to say she was unwell, with very high BP and temperature so they had called 111 and waiting for paramedics. They later told me she was on route to A&E.area
I arrived at A&E about 10 am and they were just starting her triage, so I filled them in about her dementia etc. Her BP was not as high as the NH's monitor had shown, however, her heart rate was high (135 bpm) and she was really zonked out (well, more than normal). The staff were very attentive and the doctor on duty said it was most likely a urinary infection and she was given IV fluids and IV antibiotics and then moved into the main A&E area.
After many hours, they were concerned that her heart rate was still high so gave her another high dose of antibiotics via her drip and it started to reduce. Around 4 pm, they at least moved her onto a hospital type bed but said that they couldn't say when she'd be moved to a ward.
At around 9 pm, I said I needed to go home, but that I was concerned that without me being there when transferred, they wouldn't know about how her dementia affected her abilities. The sister gave me a pen and pad to jot down any pertinent information.
So I went home and eventually got to sleep, only for the phone to go at 2:30 am!! It was the Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) who said my wife was now with them and could I fill them in about her dementia etc!!! No - the notes I'd jotted down hadn't made it.
Anyhow, the re-hydration, antibiotics etc seemed to be working and she was discharged back to the NH yesterday - took an extra day as they mucked about so much taking follow-up blood tests and getting the doctors to review them, that it was too late to organise the hospital transport in time for the home to accept her.
Let's hope she continues to recover - one good thing is that the hospital now have a community GP process where they follow up discharged patients such as my wife for a week or so. When I visited this morning, one of their team was there to check her BP, HR etc. She said she'd be back on Saturday to do a follow-up blood test to make sure the antibiotics (given in liquid form for the next 4 days) are working.
Fingers crossed.
I arrived at A&E about 10 am and they were just starting her triage, so I filled them in about her dementia etc. Her BP was not as high as the NH's monitor had shown, however, her heart rate was high (135 bpm) and she was really zonked out (well, more than normal). The staff were very attentive and the doctor on duty said it was most likely a urinary infection and she was given IV fluids and IV antibiotics and then moved into the main A&E area.
After many hours, they were concerned that her heart rate was still high so gave her another high dose of antibiotics via her drip and it started to reduce. Around 4 pm, they at least moved her onto a hospital type bed but said that they couldn't say when she'd be moved to a ward.
At around 9 pm, I said I needed to go home, but that I was concerned that without me being there when transferred, they wouldn't know about how her dementia affected her abilities. The sister gave me a pen and pad to jot down any pertinent information.
So I went home and eventually got to sleep, only for the phone to go at 2:30 am!! It was the Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) who said my wife was now with them and could I fill them in about her dementia etc!!! No - the notes I'd jotted down hadn't made it.
Anyhow, the re-hydration, antibiotics etc seemed to be working and she was discharged back to the NH yesterday - took an extra day as they mucked about so much taking follow-up blood tests and getting the doctors to review them, that it was too late to organise the hospital transport in time for the home to accept her.
Let's hope she continues to recover - one good thing is that the hospital now have a community GP process where they follow up discharged patients such as my wife for a week or so. When I visited this morning, one of their team was there to check her BP, HR etc. She said she'd be back on Saturday to do a follow-up blood test to make sure the antibiotics (given in liquid form for the next 4 days) are working.
Fingers crossed.