Early Nov my 87 year young partner fell in the street and by ambulance, taken to A&E. Initial diagnosis nothing broken but pain said otherwise and CT scan a week later said pelvic damage so 6 week bed rest prescribed. The hospital was full so for the first she was put into a day ward with no windows and no bathroom and volunteer staff to look after the patients. The day ward was so busy with staff struggling to see to their patients and the hospital had restricted visiting to 1 hour and excluded meal times. I bucked the system and nurses were grateful and turned a blind eye. She wasn't communicating, eating or drinking much and was getting very dehydrated.
She was transferred to a room in surgical ward with physiotherapy and facilities, and doctors, and I continued to buck the system and attended one mealtime and helped to encourage feeding and drinking with more success than nurses. Because I gave time! -------- One hour to eat lunch was typical.
She wasn't talking, or drinking and she hated things being stuck in her and stuck on her so when they fitted a drip, she pulled it out, which I prevented while there. After 4+ weeks the system had given up, with a doctor saying that she wouldn't last long.
I will do a separate post in praise of Jelly Drops as they turned her round, but this post is about some changes that I think are needed in hospitals for dementia patients.
Most hospitals have children's wards where a parent can stay and I believe that many dementia patients are more dependant on their carer than some children.
Had facilities been available for me to stay I could have prevented drips being pulled out and I feel that she would have eaten and drunk more. This would have saved the nurses time, led to an earlier discharge, and I believe saved the NHS costs.
In my mind "Change is Needed in how Hospitals deal with Dementia Patients " by providing carer stay facilities.
She was transferred to a room in surgical ward with physiotherapy and facilities, and doctors, and I continued to buck the system and attended one mealtime and helped to encourage feeding and drinking with more success than nurses. Because I gave time! -------- One hour to eat lunch was typical.
She wasn't talking, or drinking and she hated things being stuck in her and stuck on her so when they fitted a drip, she pulled it out, which I prevented while there. After 4+ weeks the system had given up, with a doctor saying that she wouldn't last long.
I will do a separate post in praise of Jelly Drops as they turned her round, but this post is about some changes that I think are needed in hospitals for dementia patients.
Most hospitals have children's wards where a parent can stay and I believe that many dementia patients are more dependant on their carer than some children.
Had facilities been available for me to stay I could have prevented drips being pulled out and I feel that she would have eaten and drunk more. This would have saved the nurses time, led to an earlier discharge, and I believe saved the NHS costs.
In my mind "Change is Needed in how Hospitals deal with Dementia Patients " by providing carer stay facilities.