dad broken hip whilst in accident and emergency department

[solarcruiser]

Hello everyone, im new here and hope im doing this right . My dad has dementia, he had a stroke 8 years ago which has left him with very little speech, mobility problems and vascular dementia , it has become progressively worse over time . 4 weeks ago he was admitted to hospital with a suspected u.t.i , confirmed on his admission to A and E. No one from the family could be with him , my mum has mobility problems and i live 100 miles away. When i called the department to say i was on my way, they said all was well and dad was being put on antibiotics. Two hours later my mum phoned to say he had been left unattended and had fallen and broken his hip. You can imagine our horror, dad alone in a strange place and an incident such as this occurs.

After as partial hip replacement and a week on the trauma unit , he is now in a rehab unit . I have to be honest, i feel like they have given up on him and the physio seems intermitant and inadequate and they give very little hope in getting him on his feet again. Thus, he is left staring into space, not really comprehending what has happened until we visit and remind him. OK , so he is 90 ( he had his birthday recovering on the trauma unit), but do we have to just give up on him? When i go to visit him he is willing to do excercise to " get his legs going", but it appears that only basic needs are being met.

I have asked 5 times if dad can sit in the tv lounge just for a change of scenery and at least a bit of stimulation, this has not happened to date.

Can anyone advise me as to what to do next ? I would be so grateful if anyone can help. Thankyou.

 

[Mrsbusy]

Ask to speak to a senior member of staff and mention your concerns. Ask them why he isn't getting more stimulation and visits to TV lounge etc. can he do anything on the hospital ward eg small jigsaw, listen to music, look at magazines etc? I would ask about therapists visit for keeping him mobile, as muscle wastage will have very bad effects on him. Are they getting him to sit in a chair each day as this is important to.

I would mention numerous times that as he ell out if bed whilst in their care they could be more helpful than they appear to be, as you could take this further . Has he it a social worker or anyone who can keep you up dated on anything if you aren't available each day. Phone the ward daily, so they know you aren't going to go away and ignore the issue. Ask how he is, what has he been doing, has he been visited by Occupational therapists, been out of bed etc?

Hope he feels better soon.

 

[Mrsbusy]

Maybe you could ask physio to leave a sheet of exercises that you can help him do when you visit and when he gets home eventually.

Whilst staying in hospital myself a physio told me it was vital to take deep breaths at least three times a day as this helps to stave off catching pneumonia, which is why lots of older people get whilst laying in bed immobile. So encourage him to do this too please.

Have you asked if Dad would be better off in a nursing home where it's not so busy, and he may have more one to one care or does he have to stay there for medical reasons?

 

[Spiro]

Sorry to read about your dad's unfortunate accident. Sadly, these things do happen in the NHS. I hope he makes a good recovery.

I would seriously consider making a formal complaint - you usually have one year after the event to do so.

 

[fizzie]

I too would make a formal complaint, it is quite unacceptable that they had been informed he needed to be supported, they ignored it and now he has had to suffer. Do the NHS never learn - not enough money is no excuse, this is basic care!

I would also be very clear with the rehab unit that you expect them to get him mobile again and that this setback is the fault of the NHS.

You are right they give up on people and with his previous history it is likely that they are not taking rehab very seriously. The problem with him being discharged to a home is that he won't get ANY rehab there at all so I would be a bit wary of that.

Can you get friends to visit and do some exercises with him to take the pressure off you? When my mum was in hospital following hip replacement I had to go in and walk her three times a day just to get her confidence up and her mobility back - she would never have walked again if it had been left to them.

Sorry you are having such a stressful time