Joanne, you have no idea how many stupid rules we have in this country, they would see you starve to death than break a rule, common sense doesn't come into it,hard to believe but it's true.
K
This is a bit worrying to say the least, but I think this is where it's all going wrong in the NHS, everyone is so cautious and it's all about ticking the boxes and to hell with the patients. My mother had a massive stroke 2 months ago and was basically written off by the last SALT who visited her and decided it was too risky (that word again) to make any attempts to get her to swallow anything and would have to be tube fed. My mother is still with us, although now deemed palliative by the hospital, having endured 2 months of being pushed and pulled about by various therapists and other hospital staff, moved from ward to ward, contracted various infections, endured the discomfort and indignity of endoscopy and rectal examinations, and through it all experienced a general lack of dignity and respect,.
In the first couple of weeks she had good care in hospital, she was alert and engaging with the rehab team, she was able to swallow thickened liquids and we were told she would be able to progress to pureed food eventually. But then someone decided to move her to another ward, with unfamiliar staff and therapists, and she started to decline, and because she would not "engage" sufficiently, was more or less written off. Despite having LPA, no one really took much notice of our views. The treatment in hospital was inconsistent, different therapists would appear on rota and we would have to explain everything to them all over again, and eventually after 6 weeks of gradual decline due to not eating, fighting off hospital acquired infections and often brutal treatment from unqualified and inexperienced HCA's, the SALT decided it was unlikely she would ever swallow or speak again, and they sent her home to die.
The care has gone out of our health service, as commented here it is all about risk and safety and protecting the organisation from being challenged or potentially sued for malpractice. When it comes to elderly care, particularly following a major trauma and having to be admitted to the unfamiliar surroundings of a busy hospital ward, so much depends on the approach from staff and particularly when it comes to problems with essential life sustaining things like food and fluids. My mother is now being risk fed by carers at her old CH and is swallowing a lot better, but they are also limited by health and safety rules - as Kevinl says, they would rather you starve to death than risk being sued for potential negligence. As she was deemed palliative by the hospital there is to be no follow up rehab or support from the stroke team and we are now considering getting some private speech therapy just so that she can be helped to express herself, as she is trying desperately to speak to us and her carers.