has something happened?

chip

Registered User
Jul 19, 2005
400
0
Scotland
I picked up my husband from his 3 week stay in hospital yesterday. His tracksuit bottoms he had on were ripped along the pocket and waist band quite extensively. He has been trying to tell me something and this morning he has been saying his hip is sore but its ok. Do you think i should contact the hospital to find out if something did happen? Nothing was said to me about anything on his discharge.
 

BeckyJan

Registered User
Nov 28, 2005
18,971
0
Derbyshire
Yes I do Chip - I am not sure that the hospital will tell you anything but you should certainly ask. Are there any bruises on his hip? - I suppose he could have just knocked against something (is he mobile?) and torn his bottoms if they were caught up. Hope you find out. Best wishes Beckyjan
 

DeborahBlythe

Registered User
Dec 1, 2006
9,222
0
I agree with BeckyJAn. Defninitely ask for an explanation and also reimbursement for the cost of the torn clothes. SOmetimes clothes get torn 'in the wash', and sometimes clothes get torn, especially around the waist because carers use the clothes as a 'handle' for moving the patient. They shouldn't but they do. ( I do too when my mum looks very uncomfortable and I don't think the prospect of quick professional remedies are on the horizon. I will tug at her nightie to change her position in bed slightly. )
 

janetruth

Registered User
Mar 20, 2007
563
0
nuneaton
Hi Chip

I agree with the others, you should ask for some sort of axplanation it's the not knowing and a sometimes overactive imagination that get to you.
No-one likes to think that their loved ones are being badly treated.
I'm sure there is a simple answer and hopefully you get one soon.
Hope Hubby is ok
Take care Bye for now
Janetruth x
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,452
0
Kent
I agree you should ask the hospital if they have an explanation, chip.

Often, when I am not looking where I am going, I catch my sleeve or pocket on protruding door handles. I have, in the past torn clothes this way. It`s because of my poor peripheral vision. It also happens with the kitchen unit door and drawer handles at my son`s house. This could be an innocent reason for the torn clothes.

But whatever the cause, the hospital should at least have the courtesy to let you know.

With love
 

twink

Registered User
Oct 28, 2005
265
0
71
Cambridgeshire UK
Hi Chip,

Glad to hear you are going to find out what's happened. Steve had three new pairs of jogging bottoms and I didn't have name tags so just put his initials on the labels in permanent marker. One pair he was wearing recently had a cigarette burn in them and he doesn't smoke so someone else has worn them obviously and another pair have gone missing so I have bought name tags now.

I had a phone call from a nurse at his home this morning to tell me he had fallen and she explained what had happened and apologized. Apparently he'd been sitting on his bed dozing at 11pm last night and refused to get in, got aggressive with the staff and then must have fallen asleep and fallen forward onto the floor so he's got a red forehead and bruises coming under his eyes. I've not seen him yet, I'm going shortly. I was very pleased that they rang to tell me and apologized.

Sue
 

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
0
SW Scotland
Chip, you're right. You deserve some answers.

Sue, hope Steve isn't too badly hurt. It was good that they rang and told you what had happened.

Good luck, both of you.
 

twink

Registered User
Oct 28, 2005
265
0
71
Cambridgeshire UK
Thanks Hazel,

I'll go and see him soon. They'll be having lunch about now and if he sees me he'll stop eating and leave the table so I'm leaving it till just after 2pm. I can understand what's happened, he used to sit forward in the chair at home and doze off and I had to wake him as he might have fallen forwards. He's only been in the home since 14th March but they have been wonderful, so friendly and kind. He had a photo of himself and our granddaughter which wasn't in a frame and someone had gone in his room and torn it up and the nurse came to tell me when I was there visiting and she kept saying how sorry she was. I said it's perfectly ok, I can print another one off the computer and put it in a frame. They don't know what they are doing, they wouldn't normally do that sort of thing if they were well.

Think I might take the camera today and get a pic of his face, just to keep at home with the things I kept when he was at home like the diary etc.

Sue
 

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
0
SW Scotland
Hi Sue

It's great that you've found a good NH for Steve. They sound very supportive. We hear so many horror stories, it's encouraging to hear the positive ones too.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,452
0
Kent
Dear chip, I hope you get some answers.

Dear Sue, Steve`s NH sounds brilliant. It must be such a relief for you to know his carers are so considerate.
 

twink

Registered User
Oct 28, 2005
265
0
71
Cambridgeshire UK
Hi Hazel,

I can't believe how 'lucky?' we have been. I didn't have to struggle for too long with Steve at home, the dementia was coming on slowly for a period of about 3 years but then he got much worse very quickly. He started going to a day centre and the manager said she couldn't believe how he had gone downhill so quickly and he was severely demented and didn't retain anything and he needed more than they could give him and soon after that he was taken into hospital to be assessed. He was there for 6 months as I've said before, the staff there were wonderful and now he's in a residential care home 2 miles away from our house, it's got a brand new unit for the early onset and the staff there are wonderful too. I didn't even have to find the home, I was asked to go and look at it before he went in and it was fabulous. I hardly dare say these things in case something goes wrong!!!

Sue
 

twink

Registered User
Oct 28, 2005
265
0
71
Cambridgeshire UK
Hi Sylvia,

I'm so happy with the hospital and the home, I haven't got any complaints at all. Our luck doesn't usually go this way so I'm worried!!! lol
 

twink

Registered User
Oct 28, 2005
265
0
71
Cambridgeshire UK
I went to see Steve, he's got three nasty carpet burns on his forehead. It seems also that he's been out in the garden and taken all SIX manhole covers off and poured lots of pebbles from the garden down them and blocked the whole system!!!! I had a chat with the manager and said that his ankles have been swollen for weeks now and she said she will get the GP out but it is heart failure and they've seen a rapid decline in him. She went to see him at the hospital in November and says he's really so much worse now. We are having a meeting with someone from Continuing Care in a couple of weeks and the manager is hoping he will get that.

Sue
 

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
0
SW Scotland
Oh dear Sue, sorry to hear of Steve's decline. I'm sure that's worrying you more than the carpet burns and challenging behaviour.

I hope the GP can suggest something to slow the slide.

Let's hope you get continuing care.

Love,
 

twink

Registered User
Oct 28, 2005
265
0
71
Cambridgeshire UK
Thanks Hazel,

He has a carer called Karen who he has a really good relationship with and she's off sick at the moment and I'm sure that's why he's being 'awkward'. He will do whatever she or I tell him but he is funny sometimes with the other girls at the home. I lost my Dad two years ago and he had swollen ankles and that was heart failure so I had my suspicions about Steve. His youngest daughter gets married on 30th May so I've decided not to tell her about all this till she's back from her honeymoon.

Steve had been on Exelon but only for a short time, it wasn't working so he was taken off it. Nor sure if they can do anything about the heart failure.

Love Sue
 

twink

Registered User
Oct 28, 2005
265
0
71
Cambridgeshire UK
Thanks again Hazel,

She lives about 70 miles away and she's very stressed with the wedding and upset her Dad can't go let alone give her away and her own Mum is being awkward and has refused to go so that means I'm the only 'parent' going. She works very hard too and just doesn't need to know any of this until she gets back from her honeymoon. She also has to go in hospital for surgery in a few months time.

I've never posted as much as I have today!!!!

Sue x
 

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