Hospice care

Red-Squirrel_2

loulou41 wrote: »

According to my friend the staff said they have done nothing wrong. It is not in their policy to lower the bed and they do not use bed sides. She will have to wait for the coroner's report. Thanks for all your responses.

Cot sides can actually be more harmful, as if a confused patient tries to get out of bed by going over or around them, they can end up trapped or falling from a greater height, and if patients are compos mentis putting them up can be seen as an unnecessary restriction of their liberty.

The hospice should have carried out a falls risk assessment based on things like confusion, previous history of falls, steadiness on his feet, any continence issues etc.

I think its quite natural at such a time of grief and shock though that your friend will naturally want to find somebody to blame and somebody to get angry with. I think the best thing for you to do as her friend is just to support her, don't offer encouragement or discouragement for a complaint, be led by her but be around a lot and ready to listen.

Margot123

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

Cot sides can actually be more harmful, as if a confused patient tries to get out of bed by going over or around them, they can end up trapped or falling from a greater height, and if patients are compos mentis putting them up can be seen as an unnecessary restriction of their liberty.

This is so true. When my Mum was in a nursing home receiving end of life care, a carer put the cot sides up as a precaution. Mum couldn't see out of bed as she was lying flat, the next thing she had gained the strength to clamber over the cot side and was about to fall when someone spotted her just in time.

74jax

I'm so sorry. Have been in a very similar position in regards to going in for end of life care and within 24 hours dad was gone. It's horrid...

Do you think your friend is possibly wanting something to blame? A reason why this horrible situation happened?

When people die they can look very different anyway. Maybe the mark isn't from the fall?

I'm guessing she feels he fell, no one was there and he died on the floor alone when he should have been cared for? I think finding the exact facts may help. IE what time was he last checked, when was he found etc.

A horrible situation to be in.

Like another poster, dad didn't have side bars for his safety too. I guess it all depends on the risks individually.

TonyMMM

There may not be an inquest - only a very small proportion of deaths referred to the coroner need one.

loulou41

Thanks for all your support. Need to wait for the coroner's report. We do not live near each other and we communicate by phone. She is too distressed for me to ask any probing question. Her husband is over 75 yrs and was diagnosed with throats cancer inoperable in July. He only had one session of chemo in August and went downhill so fast in and out of hosp She has had a tough time whilst he was in hospital he could eat and yet he was offered a normal diet. Everything seemed to go wrong for past two months. She watched him starve to death as he could not eat. I do not think the family will pursue the issue further as they want to be able to grieve peacefully.

Red-Squirrel_2

loulou41 wrote: »

Thanks for all your support. Need to wait for the coroner's report. We do not live near each other and we communicate by phone. She is too distressed for me to ask any probing question. Her husband is over 75 yrs and was diagnosed with throats cancer inoperable in July. He only had one session of chemo in August and went downhill so fast in and out of hosp She has had a tough time whilst he was in hospital he could eat and yet he was offered a normal diet. Everything seemed to go wrong for past two months. She watched him starve to death as he could not eat. I do not think the family will pursue the issue further as they want to be able to grieve peacefully.

Throat cancer is an absolute ba***rd of a way to die, and so hard for loved ones to watch. It will take a long long time for her to feel any sort of peace with it I would think. You're a good friend though, and she's lucky to have you there for her.