A Hospital short stay.

My Mother was taken into hospital last Monday with a suspected broken hip. I packed an overnight bag for her, along with a whole month's medication which I had just got from her repeat prescription.
She was x-rayed in A&E and no breaks were found, so they kept her overnight to explore a bit more. Next day she had more x-rays and a CT scan - still nothing found, so they decided to just get the Physio to see her. Meantime, I went to put some belongings in her locker but couldn't find her medication. To cut a longer story short, it turned out it had gone - they had lost it. No explanation, no apology, they just said "Oh it must be here somewhere"! But it wasn't.

Whilst she was in there both her hearing aids were whistling so badly, she could barely make out a word being said to her, so I phoned Audiology and asked if it was possible for someone to check the aids for her while she was still in hospital. They were very good and said they could fit her in the next day if someone from the ward she was staying in rang them to arrange a time. After me having to ask her ward nurses several times if they would phone and arrange the time, it was finally done, and someone was to wheel her across there the next afternoon, Thursday. Mum was much cheered by this news.
Previous to this they had told me on the Wednesday, that nothing was broken so she could come home. I said No, she couldn't because I'd had to cancel all her carers and she couldn't just go home to an empty house with no care! The care firm have to be given 48hrs notice to restart, so the ward said they would keep her the next 48 hrs till Friday then.
I asked them if her medication had turned up and it hadn't, 4 boxes of it they had lost. I said would they replace it as this left me with nothing to give her when she got home, and they said they would.
Mum came home yesterday, Friday. I was unpacking her clothes to wash and found the medicine they sent, so was grateful for that, except whereas I had sent her in with a box of 100 paracetamol, they sent her back with a box of 32, so I wasn't pleased about that, as now she will run out before her next repeat is due.
Then I asked her how she got on at Audiology, to which she replied no one had taken her! I asked why, and she didn't know. I wasn't sure if she was confused, so rang Audiology myself to ask if she had been and they said no, she hadn't turned up, and no one had even bothered to ring them to cancel. I told them it wasn't her fault, as it was arranged for someone to accompany her. No one at her ward told me she hadn't gone, they just left me 'assuming' she had attended.
So what with not offering any reason for her severe leg pain, then having to nearly fight them to speak to the consultant, not giving her an extra blanket when she asked as she was very cold, then losing all her medication, and ignoring her appointment without any explanation, I was seriously underwhelmed by how our local hospital care has deteriorated. All this in just a 4day stay. Thank God she wasn't in for a month!

Re: A Hospital short stay.

not a good experience Mups . I hope your Mother's pain eases as they seem unable to find the cause...

Re: A Hospital short stay.

I would hope that's not typical of all hospitals.

Re: A Hospital short stay.

Not typical of all I would guess but typical of too many. Hope your Mum feels better soon and really sooner she gets home the better if the care is so bad in there. Perhaps name and shame the hospitals might be an idea these days so we can see where the dangerous ones are.

Re: A Hospital short stay.

Jean darlin' - I think a formal written complaint to the Hospital's Chief Executive is warranted!!!

Re: A Hospital short stay.

Distressing story Mups. Can you not write a letter to the Admin department of the hospital? You need to find out the name of the patient complaint
co-ordinator for the hospital. Write the great post you have put on here
which I think is well understood. Keep a copy and remember to put the dates and the ward number or name on it.
I would recommend the next time your Mum goes in hospital to keep at
least some of the tablets she uses with you and just give her a few days
as I am sure you would be visiting her before they ran out.
The thing is if they were not going to take her to resolve her hearing aid
issue they should have told you so.
Hope your Mum gets better soon. I am sure your Doctor will issue a new
prescription if you explain what has happened.

Re: A Hospital short stay.

What a dreadful experience for both you and your Mum, Mups . It is worrying enough going into hospital without all that extra upset.

I hope your Mum gets better soon...

Re: A Hospital short stay.

What a dreadful experience! How on earth could they have managed to lose them all? I agree with BowieEyes, to keep most tablets back in future. Just give her a strip from each box.

Hope she feels better soon.

Re: A Hospital short stay.

So sorry you and your mum have had this experience - hope it is all soon resolved and that your mum is feeling better

Re: A Hospital short stay.

An horrific experience, Mups, but sadly not unusual these days. It does warrent a letter of complaint to the CEO- if they are not told how bad things are they cannot begin to put them right.