General Chat

We went to see o'h's god-mother in hospital on Saturday. She is 84 and is in there for ( amongst other things ) severe dehydration. When we got there we asked her if she would like a drink and she said all she had to drink from was a plastic bottle!!!! Which was indeed the fact. She had asked the nurse for a glass ( whatever ) they told her they were too busy and she could use the water bottle to drink out of to take her tablets......... Words fail me. O.h went to kitchen and got her a beaker. Lin x

That is an absolute disgrace. I take my hat of to nursing staff as a rule but there is really no excuse for this. I know they do a good job and are usually short staffed but when patients are not being looked after properly then something has too be done, time the government woke up and got their priorities right

That's so not on. I know our nurses are over stretched but not to be able to give a lady a glass to drink out of !! How rude & ill mannered!! Perhaps the dinner ladies that come round or the cleaners wouldn't mind looking out for her? Much happiness Debi

I agree, that is dreadful. When my F-i-L was in hospital after a stroke, M-i-L not only fed him, but some other patients too. The food was brought round and left at the end of the beds for patients who couldn't even sit up! Then the untouched food was taken away again. When M-i-L noticed this, she approached the nursing staff only to be told that they were too busy and understaffed to feed each patient! These people were all elderly stroke victims, mostly unable to move much or speak, and certainly unable to cut up their food to eat. M-i-L had worked in an old peoples home for 20+ years and her offer to help was accepted gratefully. She spent each day from 9am til 9pm on the ward helping not only F-i-L but all the other patients too. Sue xx

The hospital concerned will have a PALs organisation. It really is important that the PALs are told. The hospital MUST advertise the PALs contact details. The PCT running the hospital will also have a PPI. PPIs are quite effective at representing patients but they do need to be told about anything which is going wrong. Hospital are encouraged to, and many do, have a 'protected meal time' and a 'red tray' system. The red tray is to indicate any patient who has difficulty feeding themselves and the tray should be checked to verify food has been eaten. Clive

This is so sad. It need not be like that. Last year my Mum(94) had to go into hospital for tests. Sadly her condition deteriated and she died but the staff were wonderful. Yes they were often very pushed for time but every patient mattered and as Mum got more frail I noted the change in drinking cups, which they brought to help her to maintain her independance as long as possible. Several times I visited while a member of staff was still helping with her dinner and they'd tell me what else she'd managed to eat since the previous day. Mum was forever telling us how kind they were and she always looked clean and well cared for. We are very grateful that her final days were as comfortable as possible. Nursing staff are busy but surely the ward has extra staff, who deal with the non-medical needs of patients. I wouldn't hestitate to voice my concerns if it were my family left without a drink. Dehydration, especially for the elderly is a real issue and can lead to major medical problems...........or worse. Gwyn

If you go to http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Organisationpolicy/PatientAndPublicinvolvement/Patientadviceandliaisonservices/index.htm on the right hand side of the screen is a panel to lead to contact details for all PALs in the country. PALS stand for Patient Advice and Liaison Service. I do not believe it is a question of time. It is a question of management and attitude. Quite often a senior staff member overrules the more junior and willing staff. Create a row!! Insist on proper care. Clive

will add in a minute .need to think how to word it .

right here goes ,plese or offend .my mum died in hospital last year ,went in with a minor problem ,picked up the dc bug and died .we went to see her one night and her food was untouched ,can't tell you what is was but looked like something you find outside a niht club on sunday morning .the girl in the next bed who was mobile had gone to hospital shop and brought mum a sandwich as she was hungry ,nurse came to collect trays and commented that mum hadn't eaten her tea ,i said would you have eaten it and she just shrugged .as to water jugs ,we were told they don't use them now ,mum had to drink plenty so we took a supply of bottled stuff .not enough room here to tell you everything ,only to say that place is so filthy it needs to be burnt down and another one built .sorry but thats how i feel .

Hope you all follow up your complaints by contacting the right PALS (see above). If PALS can't fix it automatically goes to the Care Commission and they have teeth and big boots so the PCTs do respond. Please help make it better for everyone. Clive

old people should be treated with more respect glad you went to see her

Lin saw this happen with a 92 yr old man in next bed to oh who is still in hospital.....poor soul had leg amputated n he couldnt see very well....his meals were put on the table over his bed and he was left to feed him self......many a time we went in and he hadnt managed very well to eat his meals.....husband use to say they didnt even bother to cut the food up for him he has now been discharged and gone back to nursing home ann xx

Just a little suggestion,go into Boots or Tesco and get a box of 'Re Hyration' powders,and when you visit ensure that she has one of these with water,it might help. Hal.

linn ,just been watching the news,do people realize that cdiff kills more patients than mrsn .not all cases are reported .it wasn't even put on mums death certificate .mum died in wednesday morning ,on thursday we went back to hospital to collect her belongings ,the weather was so hot .we put stuff in boot .because of the ammount of things we had to do we forget about the bag in boot .on the saturday we brought it in and i sorted it .imagine my horror when i discovered all mums soiled night wear .that bug had been brought to another house .this bug could have been spread .just don't mention hospitals to me .

Well I would like to add a positive comment to this thread My dad (82) came out of hospital today after spending just over 2 weeks as an in-patient The care he recieved has been exceptional. My dad has Parkinsons disease and has suffered a few strokes so can't do much for hisself. He is able to feed himself, though finds it difficult to cut up his food etc, this was always done for him as soon as his food was served. Every time we visited he was sat in his chair, washed, shaved and looking well-cared for The ward was always very busy, but nothing was too much trouble for the staff, who were always pleasent and cheerful. Kath

Hi Kath so nice to see a positive reply. But, I have to say sadly they are few and far between. And, yes I shall be contacting PALS. Thank you all for your comments. Lin xxx

My mum was admitted to Sunderland Royal 3 years ago after a fall. She was 89. She came out when she died 6 weeks later. The day before her fall she had been out doing her own shopping, taking a bus to the shopping centre and taxi home. She was infected with C Diff within days of going into hospital, eventually put in a side room that was filthy after she suffered a stroke. I arrived after a 250 mile car journey to visit and could almost stick to the floor. Mums sheets were covered in dried vomit, her false teeth were stuck in her mouth and she was unwashed and very upset as she was always such an imaculately turned out lady. Her medication was put on a table on the side she had suffered the stroke so she couldn't get at them and she couldn't reach a drink or the bell which was hanging on it's holder behind her bed. I went to look for a nurse and asked had they run out of linen, if not would they please bring clean sheets for the bed. All I got was a shrug, I then said bring the sheets and I'll assist you to change them. I had to wash my mum, clean her teeth and mouth and change her linen. I complained to the staff at the conditions and the next day the head of cleaning had the nerve to say to my sister the room was spotless!!! My sister told her to get her blinkers off and some new specs on. Both my sister and I nursed, training at Sunderland in what was then the Royal Infirmary, sadly no longer there. When my sister told the nursing ward sister how things should be done she was told, her ways were old fashioned, they do things differently now. I should say they do and not for the better on that ward. On the other side, I was recently a patient at Worcester Royal Hospital that has had a lot of bad press. The ward I was on was imaculate. Staff had time for everyone and nothing was too much trouble. It was almost a pleasure to be there. Daphne

Hi Lin My mum was in hospital earlier this yr for a replacement knee, she is 86 .What the staff forget no matter what their age they still have there dignity and all patents should be treated with respect . My take on this is . if they are elderly they think they can get away with it . Yes at times nurses are very busy but other times they are( at times ) just lazy . How long does it take to get a cup ? or there medication . I had to strip mums bed and put clean sheets on ,she was left in a corridor of the ward ,when returning from physio for 2 hrs. The first thing you need to do is ask for the sister in charge of the ward and speak to her . We are all afraid that if we complain they will take it out on the patient ,don't be .I have found it has the opposite affect you don't bring it to the attention of snr staff then they cant deal with it. I say bring back Matrons , there was non of this when they were employed.On that note Im of to hopital this pm as I am to have a op ,god help me and all who stay there . Goog Luck

I was in hospital in december 2001. I was treated like a queen. My 35 year old son was in hospital last year October.... he was quite literally at deaths door. The treatment he recieved from the night staff was ...cruel, and inhumane. He was not in a postion to make any complaints.... this is not financial , this is nastiness at its lowest level by people who SHOULD be caring for the patients. My son lived because of the determination of his daytime nurse, a wonderful young man who argued with the doctors and got help for my son. we know this because the doctor told him about it and said they had not expected him to live 6 more hours!! AND it took a nurse to fight for him!! Deanna X

so sorry daphne as your experience was the same as ours ,my mum went in a lady ,would never complain but was neglected and died in there .not once did any one say sorry .