To be disgusted about the treatment of elderly in hospital?

[happilyeverafta]

I’m currently in hospital and on a orthopedic ward where I’m the only patient under 70 (I believe, I’m 35)

The 5 elderly ladies here have varying degrees of ‘illness’ and as far as I can tell none are suffering from dementia just poorly ladies, bless them.

I arrived here last night and the welcome I received was as if David Beckham (insert other celeb crush if required) had walked into the ward swinging his todger around - they were all saying how great it was to have a ‘youngster’ for once. They also added I wasn’t likely to moan or ask for stuff....

The lady in the bed next to me has horrific facial injuries and covered in bruises. She’s 82. She started chatting to me and we had a lovely conversation (I will admit now I’m a sucker for a Nan type figure!). She’s clearly very sore and scared, nurses told me she’d been beaten up in her own home and thrown down the stairs and “to watch out as she screams out in the night due to be scared/nightmares” all days whilst rolling their eyes at me.

Last night she asked for some water and the nurse shouted at her that “you have half a cup we are busy so stop mythering” she explained Ste was very thirsty. In the end I gave her my hug as she was getting distressed.

This morning she was asleep as the nurses arrived on shift - they came in and shook her & shouted to wake her which frightened her she started crying, I then witnessed them rolling their eyes st her talking about her to each other in front of her abs laughing at her, the whole time she is looking at me saying “I think they think I can’t hear or understand them”

They then got her dressed and she was in pain and asking them to be a bit gentler they came from behind the curtain stating she’d made “another Oscar winning performance” and huffing and puffing. Insinuating she’s making it all up.

They then chat to each other in the middle of the ward about how she’s getting worse, clearly has woke up in a mood etc etc.

Aibu or is this how bad the NHS is now with the treatment of patients?! I’m sat here upset and shocked - I’ve not had any obs done or had anyone come to check on me. To be fair I’m ‘OK’ compared to these ladies but they seem so stretched for staff (1 nurse abs about 3 HCA) that the basic level of care and compassion has gone? Or is this how it is on an orthopedic ward?

It’s terrible isn’t it?

Just been chatting to the lovely lady again. Her profession was companion care for many years and has just said to me that these nurses and HCA have no idea what care means. 😩 it’s understandable why she’s getting so upset ave distressed when they approach her. Which is clearly being taken as her being ‘difficult’ by the staff.

I’m going to Defo report. I won’t film as like a pp said I don’t want to compromise anybody’s privacy. Although I’ve just noticed the lady opposite taking sneaky pics and winking at me. . If it continues I will film though even if just to get the sound

Are you also able to film or record their abuse and show it to the CEO?

Jesus wept no you cannot film other people,

This is totally unacceptable and if you're feeling up tot it I would urge you to report what you have witnessed.

Can you email PALS and explain, ask to be visited but for them to be discreet until you have a plan of action.

Keep us posted.

If you film you are compromising other peoples dignity and right to privacy - and I mean the patients - you simply cannot covertly film other people.

brasty the OP is on an orthopaedic ward. Like her I was the only non elderly person (talking 75+ here)

Ah I missed that, sorry.

Please, please report it.

I have seen such kindness and professionalism from nurses, really above and beyond. I have also seen really bad behaviour, such as the male nurse who told my late mum she was "disgusting" while he was changing her bed after she'd wet herself. (My mum had called and asked for a bedpan, but nobody came. She was bedbound.) My mum felt awful about wetting herself anyway, felt so humiliated, and then this young man calling her "disgusting" was just the worst.

dunkmeintomatosoup

I was asking a question not making a sweeping generalization. But maybe I could change the title to ‘in this hospital’ if it suits?

As I’ve said I won’t film, but looks like the other lady opposite has got her camera out. Heard it clicking, she’s tutting she shaking her head.

Have got the PALS details and ward manager/head nurses name.

Report if you are able to. I was hospitalised earlier this year and the only bed was in geriatrics (I'm 30's).
The treatment of the elderly was awful. The treatment for me was awful. I couldn't move and the hcp wouldn't even move my water so I could reach it. She purposely pushed it just out of my way when I asked. No one got me up for the toilet in 2 days!!!! Didn't matter too much coz I didn't have any water!! (My visitors helped)
Poor elderly ladies were treated really roughly.. at least I was just ignored.
I wish I'd complained but my recovery once I left too a while and I just left it too late

I would film at least the sound to capture the abuse. It's not as if she's going to load it up to YouTube! I think without evidence of the abuse the abusers may be more likely to go unpunished or get let off.

I've also experienced callousness in hospital first-hand and as a witness to others' and it's soul-destroying., and as a patient you are very very vulnerable.

Just my opinion.

what I saw will shame me and make me tear up for the rest of my life.for once I'm not glad I'm not alone in seeing this.how is it happening!
people died through infection which could have been avoided if they had had proper care
left in bed with feacies all around them.laughed at.shouted at for making a mess.disgusting woman!
dementia patient taunted and teased
bags left in cleaned.
snide remarks.
every morning wake up call were angry aggressive and physically painful to watch the way they were manhaddled.
left to feed on their own when could do so.
I fed and helped several of the ladies.
it will haunt me forever.so will the 6 bodies I saw go by me in my stay under that black covering.never will I get passed it and has caused me more trauma even now than I thought possible.

Yes please report it. I had a very similar experience once (being 32 on a ward full of older ladies) but the care I witnessed was excellent and they really knew the ladies and their families well and treated them with kindness and respect. I say this only to reassure you its not always/usually like this.

I'm a high level volunteer at our local NHS trust, when my Mum was in recently I went to visit her and was quite horrified at the way she was being spoken to/treated generally - and this was in front of a visitor (me)
Obviously none of the HCP knew who I was ( I'm not actually very important but I have a lot of contact with people who are) and when I objected to something a nurse said he replied with a smirk and " if you don't like it speak to PALS"
I'm afraid I lost it and said that rather than PALS I would call X ( chief exec) direct on his mobile and explain to him what was going on in his Trust. I then pulled the whole " do you know who I am" bit.
For context my Mum had been in hospital many many times before this without me ever doing this and I not proud of having to do it this time.
It was as if someone had dropped a bomb - stunned silence followed by nurses and HCP everywhere generally kissing arse. From that point on the treatment of EVERYONE in that room improved drastically
As I said I'm not proud of what I did and it really shouldn't be necessary but the level of care given after I chucked my hissy fit was actually what SHOULD have been given in the first place - it was just basics like introducing themselves and explaining what was going on and treating people with compassion and respect.
I should also say though that through my voluntary work I have also met some amazing and dedicated people who I admire greatly

Hoppinggreen, no need to say you are not proud. Who wouldn't want to be able to get good care for their parent? It is just a real shame that it has to get to that.

My mum has just come out after an extended stay. Horrific negligent care from disinterested staff. The nicest person
On her ward was a man who appeared to have learning difficulties who dished out tea. We wrote to the chief executive. This is a national scandal.

Unfortunately I have both experienced and witnessed some cruelness from staff on wards (although the care I've had overall on the NHS has been great)

I once had a fall and because of muscle weakness couldn't get up myself. A nurse brought over a chair and was shouting at me "Get on the chair, GET ON THE CHAIR NOW". I just couldn't do it and in the end after about 20 mins on the floor they brought over a hoist. I had another fall a week later and lost some memory after I hit my head from it. Both falls happened because of staff not helping me.

Please film it because I promise you the fear of filmed footage leaking will ensure your comments are taken very seriously by the hospital trust.

Log as much info as possible, including dates and names of staff involved, and then report it. If Pals don't react quickly or with any sense of purpose, contact the chief exec.

As mentioned by another poster, it is a national disgrace. All too often the problematic staff members are known and their negativity permeates the environment and influences other more malleable members of staff. Some unions behave scandalously and protect these individuals so please film it because with that evidence healthcare trusts can and should take action.

Please report this to PALS as a matter or urgency. My DF is currently in hospital on a specialist elderly persons' assessment unit and his care has been amazing, all of the staff take great care to treat all the patients gently and with great dignity. However, my DSF has recently been on a similar ward but hundreds of miles away in a different trust, the care he and other elderly patients received was awful. Impatient and shouty staff, waiting really long time for commodes or water, food left just out of reach. The NHS is under great stress and the staff are overworked and underpaid but sadly some staff seem to have misplaced their care and compassion.

I've seen two elderly people fall because no-one answered the buzzers when they needed to go to the toilet (different hospitals). A nurse told one lady 'well that's what happens when you try to go on your own' - she didn't ask the lady if she was okay and was very impatient with her. I have also been on a ward where a stroke patient wasn't fed (needed blended food) unless the other patients asked the nurses if someone was going to feed her - every day for the week that I was there. It's dreadful.

Video this and report to cqc

Please report it to PALS and the matron.

Nursing is an awful job and badly paid, underesourced etc but there is NEVER any excuse for abusing patients and for poor care. Quite a few healthcare professionals are very unpleasant to patients and their colleagues.

My grandad was treated well in hospital, but only once my mother made herself known to the ward.

Dispicable behaviour.

Also, how bad is that op?

Your in hospital yourself and your helping other sick people

Something isn't working.