My husband died on the 4th of April.
He had been in care for over 4 years and the home went in to lockdown in early March. I was not allowed to see him during that time and he died without me being there. From there things went from bad to worse, I couldn't see him in the chapel of rest or take his clothes for him and in the end because of the state I was in and all of the restrictions around funerals I decided to have a direct cremation and celebrate his life rather than mourn his death a later time.
However, I have just read an article about hospitals sending infected patients back to care homes and G.Ps refusing to visit and it is this point that upsets me.
I was told that my husband had not been well for over a week and at that point Covid19 was present in the home. He displayed symptoms of sickness, temperature, breathing difficulties and lethargy and at one point he had to be hoisted out of bed, up until that point he had always been mobile. I phoned the home on the Friday afternoon and they said they had called the GP, what I didn't know it that it was a video consultation. On the Saturday morning I received a call to say there were problems with breathing and they were calling paramedics.
he died before they got there and I then found out that it was a 111 duty doctor that signed the death certificate stating he died of 'Frailty of Old Age' Just what does that mean, he was never tested, just left , nothing prescribed no care apart from the staff at the home.
I really feel that my husbands death has just been another one to brush under the carpet when reporting the real extent of mismanagement and lack of care in protecting care home residents. I don't put any blame on the home, they were working flat out and in fact they have lost 13 residents.
I find so upsetting is the lack of regard from the GP, and the diagnosis made. I know it was already stated that they were not going to treat elderly people but the human cost is immense. That person who was ignored was my husband, a talented successful man and this is how he was treated and this makes me angry.
I know its not going to changed anything, but I really feel that the way elderly and ill people in the care home sector have been treated is dreadful and what families have endured throughout this needs to be addressed.
He had been in care for over 4 years and the home went in to lockdown in early March. I was not allowed to see him during that time and he died without me being there. From there things went from bad to worse, I couldn't see him in the chapel of rest or take his clothes for him and in the end because of the state I was in and all of the restrictions around funerals I decided to have a direct cremation and celebrate his life rather than mourn his death a later time.
However, I have just read an article about hospitals sending infected patients back to care homes and G.Ps refusing to visit and it is this point that upsets me.
I was told that my husband had not been well for over a week and at that point Covid19 was present in the home. He displayed symptoms of sickness, temperature, breathing difficulties and lethargy and at one point he had to be hoisted out of bed, up until that point he had always been mobile. I phoned the home on the Friday afternoon and they said they had called the GP, what I didn't know it that it was a video consultation. On the Saturday morning I received a call to say there were problems with breathing and they were calling paramedics.
he died before they got there and I then found out that it was a 111 duty doctor that signed the death certificate stating he died of 'Frailty of Old Age' Just what does that mean, he was never tested, just left , nothing prescribed no care apart from the staff at the home.
I really feel that my husbands death has just been another one to brush under the carpet when reporting the real extent of mismanagement and lack of care in protecting care home residents. I don't put any blame on the home, they were working flat out and in fact they have lost 13 residents.
I find so upsetting is the lack of regard from the GP, and the diagnosis made. I know it was already stated that they were not going to treat elderly people but the human cost is immense. That person who was ignored was my husband, a talented successful man and this is how he was treated and this makes me angry.
I know its not going to changed anything, but I really feel that the way elderly and ill people in the care home sector have been treated is dreadful and what families have endured throughout this needs to be addressed.
