93 year old going into hospital

[Yoohoo778611]

We have just received a call from the nursing home my MIL is in.
To say that she is being sent to A&E because her potassium is dangerously high.
They don't know how long of a wait is for the ambulance or the wait in A&E.
She has to go in on her own as we are not allowed in with her.
She is 93 and we feel that she could die.
All those people whom had to die on their own during covid and it's still happening.
I don't know what I'm posting for just so worried and angry that her end could be like this.

Are you sure nobody is allowed with her. I would go and see if I could be with her. Say that her hearing isn’t very good or that she doesn’t understand everything.

Does she have dementia? My auntie was taken into A&E, there was quite a wait so because of her dementia she was allowed someone to sit with her

I think someone could go to her as an advocate/carer given her vulnerability. Check with the hospital.

Me and one other relative were able to visit a 90+ year old in hospital recently. We had to have a negative lateral flow and wear all the ppe, but we were allowed. Have you been explicitly told that you can't under any circumstances?

If you don't ask, you don't get is my experience with the NHS at the moment.
So I would go along and try my damnedest to be allowed in with her, for your own sake as well as to try and secure her the best care.

No we are not allowed as the home have told the hospital that her hearing is fine which it is. DH phoned the hospital to ask and they have also said no.
They have shut a number of wards because of covid.
But if it's near the end they will contact us so DH and his brother can go.
No one else.
But she hasn't left the home yet so both brothers have gone to see her.
The home only let 2 in at a time because one of the wings have covid.
Nightmare.

They will let her have visitors if it's palliative. A supporter is allowed in for life or death (only). Been that way for 2 years.

Our local hospital is allowing visitors now. I’m not sure about a chaperone staying with her but I’m pretty sure they’d be fine with that too.

Strange that hers isn’t, now all restrictions are lifted. Have you spoken to the hospital yourself?

Try not to worry, if her potassium is high it needs treating otherwise it can be extremely dangerous to her heart! Hospitals are still the safest place to be to not get covid as they still isolate all covid cases on a separate ward and separate them through triage in A&E. They also stop all the family accompanying to prevent transmission. Full PPE worn at all times also.

once her potassium is back in range hopefully quickly then they’ll discharge her. They would not send her unless they needed to. Could you ring A&E and see if they can allow you to FaceTime with her through a tablet they might be able to provide her with?

I hope everything is ok for her and she is discharged quickly.

Same thing happened to us with my 95 year old grandfather, my mum insisted at A&E that they allow her to stay with him and wouldn’t leave. This was actually a big help because the staff were so overrun it meant that they didnt have to deal with the mundane aspects of him being there such as giving him food and taking him to the toilet

It may be simply that the blood sample is repeated and normal in A and E. a raised potassium in the community is often due to a sample that has been haemolysed either due to being difficult to take or waited for collection. It is correct depending on the level for this to repeated urgently but hopefully it might be lower in a and e.

She is still in A&E waiting for a bed on a ward.
Nurse said that it will be a long wait for a bed
as they are over run in emergency.
We have been told that when she is on the ward
we can visit but not in A&E.
We believe she is on a drip and comfortable.
Had her breakfast and now having lunch.

I came to say exactly the same.
My dept is currently setting a pathway just for these patients