Hospital want to discharge 90 year old

geoffky

Mojisola wrote: »

That just sounds like dreadful care all round. Not the Stafford hospital was it?

In a good hospital where the care is of a reasonable standard, an old person wouldn't be left without care - if only because they would then become ill and need to stay in hospital for longer!

These poor men died a long slow horrible death crying out in pain for a nurse and i just did not have the heart to tell their relatives who came and thanked me for taking care of them as i was in one of the beds but young and able to help them...But their last hours haunt me..
And it was always at night when the older nurses were working..

Person_one

Mojisola wrote: »

That just sounds like dreadful care all round. Not the Stafford hospital was it?

In a good hospital where the care is of a reasonable standard, an old person wouldn't be left without care - if only because they would then become ill and need to stay in hospital for longer!

Come on now, no need for that.

Mojisola

Person_one wrote: »

Come on now, no need for that.

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean.

Sommer43

I took on the NHS over their care in an acute ward with an elderly relative. It was shocking. They lost her once, on a visit to church. She was wandering around and as she was blind, it was very distressing for her. It was only because another patient told me what had happened I found out, it was the final straw for me. I had a lawyer and my MP onto it quicker than Barclays fixed the LIBOR rate.

I hope the OP is getting somewhere and I absolutely agree with posters who say not to offer family support to social services and the ward. If they think family is around, it will be passed over. This is my experience of the ward staff my relative was on. The staff were a nightmare. I had to fight for everything and even when she was discharged, the care company and the intermediate team didn't dare allow the first "erm" out of their mouths until speaking with me on the phone.

But, there are hospitals where care is excellent. But for elderly people, who are frightened, it must be terrifying for them, not knowing what is going on.

sophieschoice

geoffky wrote: »

These poor men died a long slow horrible death crying out in pain for a nurse and i just did not have the heart to tell their relatives who came and thanked me for taking care of them as i was in one of the beds but young and able to help them...But their last hours haunt me..
And it was always at night when the older nurses were working..

I can believe you. I saw what went on during visiting hours so god only knows how bad things got when visitors had left.
I remember seeing one old chap getting ALL his medication (and there was a lot of it) out of his bedside drawer which should have been locked. He spread it all over the bed as though he was going to start taking it all at once.
It was a small ward of 8 beds and the nurses really didn't give a damn.
If we'd have left Dad to die there, I'd have been haunted for the rest of my life. As it was we brought him home and stayed till the end with him.
I have no faith whatsoever in hospitals these days and the tragedy at Stafford didn't really surprise me.

Person_one

Mojisola wrote: »

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean.

Its rather insulting to imply that the bolded is why elderly patients are cared for, even as a joke.

sophieschoice

I see from the BBC website that five other hospitals are under investigation for higher than anticipated death rates. 3 here in the North West unfortunately.
I wonder if this will make hospital's more likely to discharge terminally ill patients sooner so as not to have them die on the premises?

LondonDiva

Is your FIL competent? If the information he is giving the ward implies that he can cope with support or flatly states that he wants to go home, their hands may be tied as to the extent of support offered.In which case it will need to be about the support he and your MIL will need to cope.

Are his needs nursing care or social (support at home with day to day living)? Any discharge will have a plan and if he has the conditions you described there will be community support in place - has this been explained to your FIL and if it has, has he spoken to you about the information he has received?

*Each hospital will have a social services team attached from the council - either on site or a contact number / details - ask for the information.

* There will be a discharge team - get their details and ask about whether there has been an MDT and if it has been fedback to your FIL and family if he gives permission.

*If your FIL can afford it, social services will be happy to identify possible carer agencies

getmore4less

One thing you have to do is insist on being by the bed as long as possible.

Some wards will try to impose the visiting hours, but if they are terminal you can get them to extended, sometimes for others privicy you need to sensitive and use curtains

Get exemptions from any parking fees.

Access the drug charts and learn to read them especialy if pain medication is in use, you have a right to see them.
(they are often at the end of the bed but some places try to keep them hidden)

geoffky

I put a freedom of information request into my local hospital for them to release the medical negligence figures which they put up a massive fight to withhold..
The statistics were shocking.