Hospital cuts and elderly neglect

[nocturne]

Mum has been in hoepital for 2 weeks now and almost every day seems to bring a new example of neglect and incompetence. Firstly she was admitted to a side ward because her care home had a couple of cases of noro virus ( she tested clear). Whilst there she was left sitting in a chair. Food and drink was brought and simply removed uneaten. She has a swallowing disorder and drinks have to be thickened. They put so much stuff in that it was impossible to drink her tea. It was the texture of thick custard. She became so dehydrated she nearly died. I got noro (no doubt from the home) and had 3 days unable to visit. In that time she went downhill fast. When I got there and insisted they put up a drip to rehydrate her it took over 6 hours to get this prescribed and fixed. Next day they were concerned about her and asked for a doctor to review her. It was the weekend. The message came back in my presence that they were "too busy"!
After much complaining by me they got Mum moved to a proper medical ward, where they are sorting out the infected mouth, throat and oesophagus which are themselves the result of allergy to the tablets she was put on following her hip operation 8 weeks ago.However having been left slumped in a very uncomfortable position in a chair for 3 days, legs down and not elevated as recommended by the physiotherapist and advised by me to the hospital, Mum now has very swollen painful legs and can hardly move without screaming in agony. On Friday the doctor said she would never get out of bed again and the best we could hope for was to get her moved to a nursing home for such time as she has left. Not long as far as he was concerned. He saw little point in a physiotherapist trying to do anything but said they could try. They did and got Mum out of bed into a chair. However teh staff were too busy to get her back again and there was nothing on which she could elevate her legs. Result - agonising pain and back in bed.
Today there were just 2 nurses copng with 15 patients half of whom are bedfast and unable to do anything for themselves. I have found myself having to go to feed Mum at lunch and tea or she would have nothing to eat or drink. Staff are too busy to help all of them. They care enough and are distressed. They just do not have enough people to do what is needed. I even have to fill in the chart which monitors what Mum eats and drinks! Today they asked me to give her some of her medicine! The lady in the next bed had dressings all over her body which need changing daily. The only way this happens is for her husband and sometimes her son to come in every day for about 3 hours to do it. The tea trolley did not come this afternoon. Mum is still short of liquids. I ended up going to the Costa Coffee shop in the hospital and buying her a cup of tea which she drank thirstily.
Tonight I overheard the nurses talking. They could not get enough night cover. It looks as if one nurse will be responsible for 2 wards, 30 people all together. There will be times when no one is on one of the wards to hear buzzers or calls for help.
Mum has had a catheter fixed up. She was extremely distressed yesterday and obviously in pain. Three times i went to beg a nurse to come and look. Three times I was told it was all in her mind and that it was the dementia. Eventually I saw wetness and tried again. They came at last. The catheter tube had a blockage. When Mum was trying to pass water she could not as the tube was not taking any more! The same thing happened today and it took an hour to get a nurse to look. I then had to be taught how to deal with it if it blocked again! What will happen tonight if it goes wrong is too dreadful to contemplate.
I also found that Mum had been put on diclofenac, one of the strongest anti inflammatory drugs that there is, despite wearing an allergy bracelet which says she is allergic to all anti inflammatory drugs! They had noticed and taken her off them but why on earth did they start them?
Is this what it has come to in the NHS? What happens to those with no relatives? I suppose they just die in pain and distress with no one to complain afterwards. I am signing up as a volunteer hospital visitor when Mum is out. Maybe I can save some poor soul that fate.
Sorry this is long. I had to get it all off my chest. I am so angry.
Jan

 

[jayne-b]

Jan so sorry for your poor Mum and you trying to get decent care for her.

My heart goes out to you I know from experience how heartbreaking it is to try and try and get seemingly nowhere, watching as the one you love and want to protect gets daily more fragile, but you have to keep trying and I know you will.

I wish you strength to carry on fighting for your dear Mum.

Hugs for you both is all I can send you are doing all the right things.

Take care
jaynexx

 

[Tender Face]

Jan .... where to start and how to help? Except ... my mother’s stay in hospital was well documented on TP more than two years ago – much like you – sometimes I just ‘had to get it off my chest’ and appreciated being able to come to TP and just ‘rant’ sometimes ..... and as you have mentioned in your title things seem to be getting worse instead of better – in spite of all the championing of dementia training, access to help dementia patients at mealtimes, use of volunteers etc etc ..... at the end of the day if there are not enough nurses – appropriately trained or not ....and with more cuts looming ......

All I can offer as some hope, when I did eventually ‘get mum out of there’ she DID recover a lot of what was lost even if only temporarily ...... once upon a time hospitals were places you felt secure and confident about to deliver care .... now sad to say, nothing in your post surprises me ....

I can only hope mum is able to be discharged quickly and into a care environment where her needs will be met ... and not rely on those of us who are not trained nurses (!) just concerned family or friends who are expected to suddenly take on responsibilities without medical training that trained NHS staff should be providing (and no fault to the brilliant nurses just stretched beyond limits and unable to do so). One day there will be a lawsuit, or several – or maybe hundreds ........ and the NHS might wake up ......

Sorry, maybe not much help – just bucketloads of empathy and best wishes for mum’s speediest recovery from this particular hurdle.

Love, Karen, x

 

[sleepless]

Jan, I feel angry with you.
When my Dad was in hospital earlier this year it was an eye-opener. In fact, I found the place (brand new wing) quite surreal -- wide open spaces, lifts that never shut up telling you what they were doing, but staff? rare as hens' teeth. I would never have believed until it happened to us as family visiting, that it could be impossible to find a member of staff who could explain to us what was happening.
So sadly, your experience doesn't surprise me, but it does depress me.
You are doing a marvellous job of looking out for your mum, you can be proud of that. But you shouldn't have to be doing all this, there should be nurses there.
My grandparents' generation had a real fear of going into hospital -- they remembered the old workhouses -- our generation couldn't understand their fear. Now we are developing the same fear, for different reasons. Not for the young, able to shout out if they're short-changed on care, but for the old, especially those with dementia.
When my Dad suffered a fractured wrist soon after going into the care home, he was put on a ward after having his plaster applied. They kept us hanging on and hanging on, I had to keep reminding them to do things -- at 10.30 pm they said he might as well be admitted as it was getting so late, but I said no, I wanted to return him to the care home, and reluctantly they let us take him. Because I didn't trust them to look after him.
Where will it all lead?
Just carry on Jan, it's all you can do.
You and your mum will be in my prayers still.
sleepless x

 

[maryw]

Jan, almost 2 years ago my Mum experienced similar neglect in hospital, again well documented on TP. The circumstances almost identical to yours. I too was asked to give my Mum her medication, even fit her breathing mask. My Mum was also in a side room and was severely visually impaired on top of everything else so she was extremely frightened. All efforts on my part to get her moved failed. The one thing I know in hindsight is I would have moved her to somewhere more compassionate, caring and with more staff for her to end her days in dignified peace.

I would certainly approach PALS with your concerns and I would also probably make your MP aware of this appalling state of affairs. I am so sorry you have this on top of the worry about your mother's health.

 

[DeborahBlythe]

Dear Jan, this standard of care is totally unacceptable. Are you able to get hold of the hospital's PALS officer? And/or you should print off this post and send a copy of it to the hospital's Chief Exec and a formal complaint.

So sorry for your mum, but strangely I am no longer as shocked as I should be, having worked in the NHS for many years. I hope you manage to fight your way through this experience, on your mum's behalf, and come out the other side having achieved comfort and good care for her.

Love Deborah. x

 

[grove]

Dear Jan , Very sorry to read about you & your Mum its not right and should not happen. Thought are local Hospt Bad ( N Yorks) but yours is worse .

Agree with what others put ( not an Expert ) helper in kitchen e m i N Home/ Dad has Dementia

Just wanted to show my support thats all

Take care and hope things improve for your Mum

Lots of Love from Grove x x x x

 

[sistermillicent]

That's dreadful, I sincerely hope your mum is comfortable now. Hospitals are short of decent nurses.

When my sister worked on a childrens ward a couple of years ago she went on duty one night to find yet again the place was dangerously understaffed, having been assured that management had sorted it all out. She refused to take over and went home, for which she was disciplined. But it never happened again, she had brought the dilemma to the attention of all around by that one act.

Don't listen to excuses, your mum's physical needs are what nurses are there to sort out, not paperwork and computer stuff.

 

[BeckyJan]

I believe you should write to Chief Executive, MP and PALS - unless they know they cannot do anything about it.

A friend of ours was once Chief Exec of a Health Authority and when I had issues with our hospital he stressed the importance of such complaints.

 

[Izzy]

Jan what a dreadful dreadful situation. I agree with others. Can you get PALS to help? This is so wrong. Your poor mum. x

 

[Amber 5]

Hi,
I'm so sorry you and your mum are having to go through this. It sounds terrifying. I am lucky that my mum has only had to spend one morning in A&E in a hospital - I dread the day if she ever has to be admitted for longer.

It doesn't seem right to have to complain, but I think it is necessary as otherwise, the authorities won't know and things will carry on in the same way. What a disgusting state of affairs - I know the nurses are understaffed, but they should be doing their own complaining and getting the priorities right.

I also hope that your mum is transferred to a nursing home with the right sort of care for her needs.

Kind regards,
Gill x

 

[PamD]

Dear Jan

What a horror story. I hope your Mum will soon get over her hospital experience.

As others have said, complain in writing - with as much detail of dates, times, etc as you can remember. Complain to the chief executive, and to your MP (yours, mother's, the one who covers the hospital - all 3 if they are different! find them here: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/). It's piles of complaints from individuals which matter, and which might help push priorities more towards caring for vulnerable patients.

And, again as others have said, it's terrifying to think what happens to the patients who don't have relatives to look after them. Especially as a childless 50-something!

I have to hope to go like my father did: he was singing in choir concerts, doing his garden, etc, till Mother found him dead on the floor one morning at 92. Only ever in hospital 3 times: tonsils out in 1927, cut his head falling while walking in Snowdonia in his 80s and was kept in overnight, had a funny turn at his sister's golden wedding and one night in hospital. Lucky man!

I hope Mother is as lucky: though she's had the unluck of Alzheimers she still gets a lot of pleasure from snowy views, nice food, etc and is physically tough as ... let's say a rather worn out pair of old boots. I pray that something swift and merciful gets to her before her Alzheimers affects more than her memory (she's been on Aricept 8 years, is pretty stable), and that she never has to go into hospital. (Though A&E were pretty good with her when she scraped her leg badly).

Pam

 

[maryw]

Dear Jan



As others have said, complain in writing - with as much detail of dates, times, etc as you can remember. Complain to the chief executive, and to your MP (yours, mother's, the one who covers the hospital - all 3 if they are different! find them here: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/).


Pam

I would also copy your Mum's GP on all correspondence so it goes into her file.... that's what I did.

 

[Heather777]

Jan, how sad that your experience is so bad and that it is not uncommon. I am sure that it isn't the nurses faults but they are not always doing anything to complain about it! My mum broke her hip Christmas eve 2008 and the issues you have had mirror our experience. In the end we had to contact PALS. They do give you pat answers but unless you complain they won't do anything. I also know that this situation makes you so exhausted that you haven't always got the energy to fight the system.

Thank goodness you care enough to support your mum, I am sure that there are lots of ill, elderly people who don't have that experience.

I hope that you get some respite in this and feel that you are able to get support from writing on TP.

Heather x

 

[Resigned]

Dear Jan

This is so shameful. I was so shocked to read your post about your poor mum's hospital experience. It really is completely unacceptable but reading what the others have said, all too common. My mother hasn't been in hospital but I know I will be very frightened for her if she had to go.

I do hope you will bring this state of affairs to all who are in a position to change things. The more people who complain and the louder, has got to be a good way of addressing this.

As has been said, what happens to those elderly people with no family to speak out for them. As if having dementia wasn't enough...

I hope that the care has improved and your mother is feeling a bit better and can be taken out of there as soon as possible.

Wishing you all the luck in the world in your battle with the NHS.

R

 

[nocturne]

Had a row with the staff nurse today. Mum's mouth was really sore. Her lips were bleeding. Not the nurses fault. Mum had been picking at them. Her hands were covered in blood. I was told to get her to use the mouthwash. This is really hard for a dementia sufferer. They don't understand the principle. Also she was not at an angle in her bed to be able to spit out. Result she swallowed it. The nurse just said give her some water. This is hard as with dysphasia she cannot swallow and must have all liquids thickened. No spoons to stir it with. I lost my rag and he got angry with me. Said he thought I wanted to give Mumher meds as I was feeding her. Not the same thing at all in my view. It takes over an hour to feed Mum. They do not have enough staff to spare over such a period. That is why I do it. Meds are a short job. Anyway I made it clear they should give all medication. I dont mind the easy stuff, but some is complicated. I wonder if they will expect me to give her the injection she has each day?
PamD, I think you and I need to get together when you are next home in WYorks. Both being childless 50 somethings, perhaps we need to make a hospital care pact to support each other in case of need!
I am sorry to hear of so many awful experiences but I cannot say I am surprised. Given that at this hospital an administrator said he was closing one of the elderly wards in winter "because it is a quiet time", I think we all know where the blame lies.
Jan

 

[Grannie G]

This is unacceptable Jan and yet you are being forced to accept it.
I really don`t know what to suggest for the now. Any complaints you make will take ages to process and by then it might be too late.
This lack of care is tantamount to neglect and abuse.