Hi everyone.
I visited dad in Scotland having made the king trip from Kent sims 500 miles away. I had a list as long as my arm of things I needed to do during this visit as I was only there for 6 days. I also had meetings arranged with social services, dementia support, community mental health nurse for elderly and jobs set up for a diy man to do. Right in the middle of all this dad started bleeding lots and lots and lots from his penis. It was pure blood. Bright red and went everywhere. All over his hands, the bathrooms etc. I’d never witnessed so much blood from somewhere like this. Ambulance took him to hospital, not his local one. So I found myself having to drive 35 mins each direction when visiting him in hospital each day. His catheters filled up bag after bag after bag with bright red blood. Nobody could tell me why. No doctors there when I was there so I’d ask the nursing team. They said he had no infection and they wanted the blood to stop before they did any further tests such as ct scan. That was done in my last day in Scotland and I was with dad as he went for his scan. I was told results might be in later that day Friday but might not be til Saturday. I called the hospital the following day as I’d been travelling all day back home. All I got told was that they couldn’t give me the results over the phine. I explained who I was. That I also had power of attorney. That is visited every day and spoken with nurses and my contact details were on file. I also pointed out I lived some 500 miles away and was dads only family. So they said they’d get a doctor to call me either later that day Saturday or the next day Sunday. They also said they weren’t going to take dad to Theatre just yet!! I said oh, so they’ve found something operable? He may need an operation? And nurse said no that’s not what she said. And she repeated the same words. Ehhhhhhh. If there’s a thought he might be taken to Theatre then obviously it’s something that could be operated on! Anyway. They know dad has Alzheimer’s and he’s been quite confused whilst in hoslital. Asking me to bring in his piano to play when I asked if he wanted a magazine or book to relieve the boredom etc. or when the nhs staff didn’t have cappacino he’d say it’s ok you can get it out my kitchen cupboard. Etc. I’m worried now I’ve gone back to Kent that he will forget I’ve been visiting every day while I was there and it’s only because I’ve had to go hime that I’m not. I assured him I’d be calling hospital every day to find out what’s happening. I also set up his bedside phine so I could call him and speak with him which I’ve called 3 times now and he’s not answered. It’s difficult to reach but has a very loud ring so everyone would have heard it but clearly nobody’s thought to pull it round so he can reach it. I worry he thinks he’s on his own. And nobody is calling him when I’ve been trying. I just want a doctor to call me and tell me what they’ve found from the scan. Meantime they are just going to monitor dad before deciding whether to operate or not. I don’t know if they’ve told dad what they’ve found. I just worry he’s sat on his bed 24/7 unable to walk or stretch his legs. Get cold as he was only given a thin sheet and blanket fir through the night and a thin cape on. I worry he can’t reach his buzzer or get the attention of nurses. I just feel completely helpless and totally in the dark. He’s been in hospital almost a week now and I’ve still not spoken to a doctor. Hospital are recommending dad goes from 2 carer visits a day to 4. Social services had thought keep it at 2 visits but longer to give dad some company as he’s extremely lonely. I worry that hospital suggesting 4 visits (this means any increase after that will be in a care home), will impact their decision whether to operate or not. Dads 80. A healthy good looking 80 other than his dementia and what ever it is he’s got wrong with him right now. I don’t want hospital deciding not to operate because he’s old and will probably end up in a care home. I’m fed up being kept in the dark.
I visited dad in Scotland having made the king trip from Kent sims 500 miles away. I had a list as long as my arm of things I needed to do during this visit as I was only there for 6 days. I also had meetings arranged with social services, dementia support, community mental health nurse for elderly and jobs set up for a diy man to do. Right in the middle of all this dad started bleeding lots and lots and lots from his penis. It was pure blood. Bright red and went everywhere. All over his hands, the bathrooms etc. I’d never witnessed so much blood from somewhere like this. Ambulance took him to hospital, not his local one. So I found myself having to drive 35 mins each direction when visiting him in hospital each day. His catheters filled up bag after bag after bag with bright red blood. Nobody could tell me why. No doctors there when I was there so I’d ask the nursing team. They said he had no infection and they wanted the blood to stop before they did any further tests such as ct scan. That was done in my last day in Scotland and I was with dad as he went for his scan. I was told results might be in later that day Friday but might not be til Saturday. I called the hospital the following day as I’d been travelling all day back home. All I got told was that they couldn’t give me the results over the phine. I explained who I was. That I also had power of attorney. That is visited every day and spoken with nurses and my contact details were on file. I also pointed out I lived some 500 miles away and was dads only family. So they said they’d get a doctor to call me either later that day Saturday or the next day Sunday. They also said they weren’t going to take dad to Theatre just yet!! I said oh, so they’ve found something operable? He may need an operation? And nurse said no that’s not what she said. And she repeated the same words. Ehhhhhhh. If there’s a thought he might be taken to Theatre then obviously it’s something that could be operated on! Anyway. They know dad has Alzheimer’s and he’s been quite confused whilst in hoslital. Asking me to bring in his piano to play when I asked if he wanted a magazine or book to relieve the boredom etc. or when the nhs staff didn’t have cappacino he’d say it’s ok you can get it out my kitchen cupboard. Etc. I’m worried now I’ve gone back to Kent that he will forget I’ve been visiting every day while I was there and it’s only because I’ve had to go hime that I’m not. I assured him I’d be calling hospital every day to find out what’s happening. I also set up his bedside phine so I could call him and speak with him which I’ve called 3 times now and he’s not answered. It’s difficult to reach but has a very loud ring so everyone would have heard it but clearly nobody’s thought to pull it round so he can reach it. I worry he thinks he’s on his own. And nobody is calling him when I’ve been trying. I just want a doctor to call me and tell me what they’ve found from the scan. Meantime they are just going to monitor dad before deciding whether to operate or not. I don’t know if they’ve told dad what they’ve found. I just worry he’s sat on his bed 24/7 unable to walk or stretch his legs. Get cold as he was only given a thin sheet and blanket fir through the night and a thin cape on. I worry he can’t reach his buzzer or get the attention of nurses. I just feel completely helpless and totally in the dark. He’s been in hospital almost a week now and I’ve still not spoken to a doctor. Hospital are recommending dad goes from 2 carer visits a day to 4. Social services had thought keep it at 2 visits but longer to give dad some company as he’s extremely lonely. I worry that hospital suggesting 4 visits (this means any increase after that will be in a care home), will impact their decision whether to operate or not. Dads 80. A healthy good looking 80 other than his dementia and what ever it is he’s got wrong with him right now. I don’t want hospital deciding not to operate because he’s old and will probably end up in a care home. I’m fed up being kept in the dark.
