Can our Hospitals cope with dementia patients?

[frederickgt]

we have an older growing population increasingly more sufferes with dementia,yet we still hear stories about hospitals inadequatsy,Hospitals are underfunded,understaffed,undertrained(for dementia)and increasingly overwhelmed.
A senior Consultant told me that if my wife Anna,went into a coma,she would not be resusitated.Is this not a form of euthanasia? We hear through TP of patients not being fed or given water,I know this is true of my own experience,I still regret that I was not able to bring Anna home again,instead I hear that very few dementia patients ever are able to return home,in hospital they do not have the loving care and patience that is needed.I know how difficult it is to care for someone who no longer knows who you are,but thinks of you as a stranger,or reverts back to their childhood.Dementia is a terrible desease,thank God for the Alzheimers Society who at least are trying to find a cure.My thanks to all at TP and my
gratitudealso .At least someone is trying to do something.
Are hospitals able to cope? Not at the moment,but there is hope
for the future,pressurise your M.P. and the Government
with the approaching General Elections they will be looking for your votes. Do something.

 

[hazytron]

I am concerned for my Mum. Soon, Mum is going to require breast surgery, how the ward staff will deal with her dementia is a worry.
Hazel

 

[Norrms]

This is very important to me

As an Ad sufferer myself i am interested to know what, "dementia Paitients are not allowed home" means or why someone would be told that they could not go home when they are quite clearly not cared well enough for in hospital (alledgedlly). Am i being naieve? The thought of being mistreated or not dying at home with my loved ones fills me with so much
fear i am actually shaking now at the thought of it. Could someone please clear this up? best wishes, Norrms and family xxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Vonny]

Dear Norms, please try not to worry. Yes, there are cases as we know from TP where the carer has a struggle to get the patient home again due to a variety of reasons or failed to do so, but there are also cases where hospitals have been tremendously supportive and the patient has returned home none the worse for wear.

Unfortunately, as with anything negative, the cases of poor care are highlighted more than the good care, and also it sticks in people's minds more. Frederick is quite correct in that an aging population with AD becoming more rife will require new strategies in hospital care.

In the meantime, please don't worry

Vonny xx

 

[Brymar]

Hi,

To a certain extent I agree wholeheartedly with what you say.
Understaffed...most definately but that still does'nt excuse the fact that the actual standard of care has declined and is not just confined to dementia patients.

A water jug (no glass) is no good to anyone when it is on a table 3 feet away from your bed. Likewise a meal left on that same table and later cleared away un-eaten by another member of staff. That is just plain bad nursing.

That is the reason that Mary was sent home to me 50% lighter than when she was\admitted and why she is still confined to bed, and hardly able to talk.

Nursing used to be a vocation... now it seems its just another job. Sadly it is another area of our society that is becoming increasingly lacking in care. Where is Health and Safety in all of this ? Surely it is only right that a hard-hat and two weeks Red Cross rations should be compulsary on admission.

Regards
Bryan

 

[Helen33]

Dear Norrms

You are a brilliant example of excellent care in a hospital setting Norrms because you have been in, had major surgery, and returned home - and that against all the odds Your Elaine will never be brow-beaten in any case

My Alan has had excellent hospital care when he had the hernia operation and both cataracts dealt with.

Love

 

[Skye]

I do think things are improving in our hospitals -- and I put that down to the publicity given to cases of neglect. Nurses are now demending more training. Until recently, genera l nurses, as opposed to mental health nurses, received little training in dementia, and had no idea of their patients' needs. Now that excuse won't wash, they should all know that patients with demenia may become disturbed and agitated, may need feeding, changing, etc.

If our loved ones aren't cared for, it's up to us to let the Director of Nursing know. They don't want bad publicity.

As for 'not being allowed home', I suppose this may happen where adequate care and support is not available. After all, the hospital shouldn't send someone home if they are going to be at risk.

But where there is a family who want their loved one at home, it's more likely to be a recommendation.

I was strongly advised not to bring John home, because his size and lack of balance and mobility meant that I wouldn't be able to handle him. Also, repeated infections would have meant repeated admissions. If I had insisted, I could have brought him home, but I had to concede that bringing him home would not have been in the best interests of either of us. Not an easy decision, one that still bothers me, but ultimately it was mine.

It's hard, Frederick, but not necessarily as bad as you fear.

 

[Sam Iam]

Hazel,
you are so correct in what you have written, usually the decision as to wether a patient stays in long term care or goes home is made in conjuction with the patients family and medical staff, every aspect of the person's care is taken into account before any desicion is made.

Bryan,
oh yes you are so right about understaffed, there are far to many "chief's" and not enough "indians" and many of the chief's are overpaid and underworked, I am not going to stay on my soap box Bryan but I am angry at the staffing situation and the lack of practical training for Nurses and auxilliaries.
Nurses used to be judged on how well they performed in the ward now it is how good they are at essays exam's etc, Theory not practice
How hard is it take to give a patient a drink of water,cut food up and make sure a person can eat it, wipe their face,or (one of my biggest bugbears) clean a person well after they have been to the toilet or brush their hair, these are all easy things to do and make people happy. Lack of basic training
Sorry for the rant but these are my annoyances.

 

[frederickgt]

Can our Hosptals cope/

I had to make a point of being at the hospital at meal times,first because she was being offered unsuitable meals,steak and kidney pudding when she could not use a knife and fork,got that changed to cottage pie,then she had difficulty swallowing,had to use a syringe to feed her,nurses refused to do that.found her crying ,she had a sopping wet nappy between her legs,the tops of which were red raw. "Is this caring?" I asked the comsultant,"We will give her ointment for that " he replied.To my dying day,I will regret that I did not bring her home then.At least she would have been where she would have loving care,how ever difficult it may have been for me,an 81 year old disabled pensioner.She died January 14th one week after her 74th birthday.Those memories will never leave me,I am waiting to be called home myself,when I hope to meet her again and beg her forgivness,for I feel that I let her down.
One thing for sure,I will never go to that hospital again.
Sorry for being morbid,I really hope that things are improving,but it is only by raising our concerns that things may get better.Did you see my interview on ITN Last Week 1:30 and 6:30?

 

[Sam Iam]

Frederick,
you are not to blame for what happend to Anna, you were there to see that she got proper care and attention and spoke up for her when she was not able to. Your love for her is still shining Frederick, do not blame yourself, cherish your memories of Anna before this horrible disease took hold.
Best wishes.xxx

 

[frederickgt]

Skye Not as bad as I fear?In today's Daily Mail,In Basildon Essex,University hospitals trust,358 needless deaths,In Barking and District Hospitals trust( which included the hosptal where Anna died)175 needless deaths, all down to "filthy wards and appalling nursing care"In comment we read that Doctors,nurses and cleaners work not as one,but as isolated box-ticking units,
the dead hand of central Government is ruining the NHS.And the patients are paying with their lives.Not so bad Skye?

 

[Christin]

I would just like to add please that FIL has been in hospital twice this year and we have brought him home on both occcasions. I have no doubt it depends on many different circumstances but he is at home

 

[KenC]

I share your views about hospitals, as they scare me even though I worked in an Accident and Emergency hospital years ago, but I am terrified of these places now.

However there are measures in place through the National Dementia Strategy to ensure that all staff from doctors to nurses are trained in dementia care, but this will take time to set up.

But many hospitals now have a key person who should oversee the care and dignity in General Hospitals etc in the future.

We are still in the early stages of this strategy so we may have to be patient a bit longer, but at least we are now heading in the right direction.

Ken

 

[larivy]

mum was in the one that has been on the news so was my brother the staff where my mum was were good mind you i did everything for her the ward where my brother was was terrible i was in another hospital and i cant praise them enough they were also very good with a couple of elderly patients who needed feeding.

 

[KenC]

Dear Larivy

I am so sorry, but did not know about that. I have read the comments in the papers and I just don't understand how things like that are allowed to happen these days.

It was upsetting for me, but I really can not start to imagine how you felt about it.

I sincerely hope that these things are not allowed to happen again

Best Wishes

Ken