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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Advice needed- ambulance

46 replies

Trendytrousers · 19/05/2022 21:06

My 94 year old grandmother had a fall today at home. She has had a number of hip replacements over the years and not that steady on her feet.

She is in horrendous pain but my grandad is not strong enough to lift her up or help her. Neighbours have helped her get into a chair and am ambulance was called at 4pm. We think she has broken her hip again.

She has been waiting since. My grandad has called a number of times to chase the ambulance but they say they’re coming. Still no sign of it. My grandmother needs the toilet and cannot go as she has nobody to help lift her and so faces wetting herself.

They live in rural Suffolk, the neighbours are all elderly themselves and nobody can help lift or drive my grandmother. I’m 6 hours away and only was informed of her fall at 7pm when I called for a catch up (classic “nothing to worry about darling”) but I’m petrified she’s not going to get anyone to her anytime soon and she’s in pain. What can I do? Do we just wait it out or is there another option to get her safely to A&E?

OP posts:
PinkPlantCase · 19/05/2022 21:12

If it was the daytime I’d suggest calling their GP and seeing if they’d come out to see her in the interim and perhaps prescribe pain killers.

I don’t know if a care agency could help? Thats probably what I’d try and call round a few but again time of day makes it difficult and they might not want to be responsible for moving someone who’s potentially broken something.

Sorry not to have been more help OP. Hope she gets sorted soon.

PinkPlantCase · 19/05/2022 21:13

Private ambulance maybe as another option? I’m not sure how they work but worth a google if they’ve got some money

MarmiteCoriander · 19/05/2022 21:13

So she has waited 5hrs for an ambulance? Thats shocking. Did you grandfather make it clear that its a potential fracture hip in a 94yr old?

For toileting, could you grandfather put a towel between her legs and she uses that? Not ideal at all, but limited movement required. How do they normally get around and do their shopping, GP visits etc?

RibNSaucyArseCrack · 19/05/2022 21:16

This is normal sadly. I used to work as a carer, so have sat with a lot of elderly people that have fallen and broken hips. Never had an ambulance reach me quicker than 3 hours.

User0610134049 · 19/05/2022 21:21

I’m so sorry for your grandmother
people who are shocked by a 5 hour wait, you shouldn’t be. This is standard and is the state of the nhs at the moment.

im sorry I can’t offer any more helpful advice OP other than to say that a care agency wouldn’t and shouldn’t move her, they would not even have been advised to move her off the floor to be honest, but to wait for the ambulance.
if she had a wheelchair and could transfer into that then she could potentially go to hospital in a wheelchair taxi but again they’re not always easy to come by and the medical advice would be not to move.

best thing you can do is keep chasing them and keep an eye out for any deterioration in her. Sadly they are so stretched and have to prioritise immediate threat to life

ChristinePerfect · 19/05/2022 21:40

Same situation but we waited nine hours, and this was pre-Covid. It's absolutely shocking, I hope the ambulance arrives soon.

Original poster
Trendytrousers · 19/05/2022 21:46

Thanks everyone. Good shout on the towel between the legs, I’m going to suggest this now. She’s been holding on but really needs the toilet.

My Nanna walks with aids and is not very good on her feet but my Grandad is a lot better and so between them they muddle through. Their only child (my Mum) died 15 years ago so I’ve sort of stepped in as their next connection for help and support. Grandad does drive but has had a cataract operation and wouldn’t feel confident driving during the nights now.

They’ve still not turned up and now Nanna is starting to worry and panic, she’s had some painkillers but not enough to dull the very severe pain. I’ve told Grandad to chase ambulance again and perhaps emphasise she’s feeling cold and dozy to see if that helps move it on- but doubt it will. Handlers do know it’s a suspected broken hip but you know what that generation are like- I can’t imagine my Grandad has really hammered home the situation like perhaps we would.

OP posts:
Lockupyourbiscuits · 19/05/2022 21:46

Call the ambulance again and make it clear she is in severe hip pain and you are concerned it is probably a hip fracture

this may not have been clear in the first call

Agadoodoododont · 19/05/2022 21:48

Could be another break rather than a replaced hip, pelvis possibly?
Lack of ambulance is a bloody disgrace. All I can think of is keep phoning, I really don’t think anyone should try to move your dgm, especially anyone who is elderly.
I hope she’ll be ok.

Steelesauce · 19/05/2022 21:52

14 hours has been the longest I've seen on the floor with a broken hip waiting for an ambulance so it could be a long night for them. Definitely use the towel between her legs and don't get anyone to move her if she's in pain. Just make her an comfortable as possible where she is and make sure she has a blanket and stays warm.

Porcupineintherough · 19/05/2022 21:54

Yeah 5-6 hours wait for a fall sounds about "right" (obviously it's not right at all). The ambulance service are called out to a lot of falls. Tell your grandfather to emphasise the amount of pain she is in and that you suspect a hip fracture, that might help prioritize her.

tryingtosettle · 19/05/2022 21:59

Could you call a taxi? I appreciate its not ideal but the driver may be willing to help get her in the car and at least at the hospital there'll be someone to help her to the bathroom?

Sally090807 · 19/05/2022 22:00

There was an article in our local paper where they were advising people to take a taxi if they could rather than wait for an ambulance. I hope your poor Nan is now being looked after at the hospital and that she gets well soon.

bloodyplanes · 19/05/2022 22:00

Lockupyourbiscuits · 19/05/2022 21:46

Call the ambulance again and make it clear she is in severe hip pain and you are concerned it is probably a hip fracture

this may not have been clear in the first call

This will not make a blind bit of difference. The ambulance service is under immense pressure and the only things that will get you cat 1 ambulance is cardiac arrest, haemorrhage of blood, current fitting or not breathing ( see cardiac arrest). The 999 call handler cannot overide it. It's awful that shes having to wait this long in pain but its the same for everyone whos not one of the above.

EgonSpengler2020 · 19/05/2022 22:01

She may well be waiting a very long time, even patients still on the floor wait much much longer than 5 hours. Couple of, extreme, examples from my area

Elderly women fell in garden, son living in Spain travelled to airport for flight to UK, got from airport to mother's house, beat the ambulance.

From a former emergency dispatcher, I asked what his longest outstanding 999 call he'd ever had sitting on his screen was, and it was a elderly faller, who waited over 30 hours.

So you should definitely drive down and see if you can help your grandmother more quickly.

SpaceMaaaaan · 19/05/2022 22:01

tryingtosettle · 19/05/2022 21:59

Could you call a taxi? I appreciate its not ideal but the driver may be willing to help get her in the car and at least at the hospital there'll be someone to help her to the bathroom?

I think that would risk doing serious damage

Jalepenojello · 19/05/2022 22:03

They need a lift or a taxi with some help. I think they could be waiting a long while for an ambulance. For such cases it isn’t first come, so any life threatening emergencies they get will always take priority.

tryingtosettle · 19/05/2022 22:05

SpaceMaaaaan · 19/05/2022 22:01

I think that would risk doing serious damage

Show quote history

I've read about cases where people are waiting upwards of 20 hours after falls, it might not be an ideal solution but it would at least get her into hospital around nurses and aids rather than the grandad struggling through the night.

If shes in a chair it may be possible to get one of those taxis where the back door opens fully for wheelchairs, and maybe the grandma could be lifted in her chair, keeping movement to a minimum.

justamumseekingadvice · 19/05/2022 22:06

How awful, your poor Nan! They shouldn’t be leaving her, if it is a break in the pelvis that can cause internal bleeding, especially at her age. This happened with my Nan once but for something else but she was in awful pain and had injured her back, they refused to send an ambulance out so I rang them back and had a right go at them and that they can’t refuse to send an ambulance out because she’s injured herself and we physically couldn’t move her, and that she was feeling almost suicidal with the pain… they had one out pretty quick after that!

User3568975431146 · 19/05/2022 22:09

Please don't move her any more. Anyone with a suspected fracture should be kept immobile otherwise more damage can be done and more pain caused. If her hip is broken then sitting is the worst possible position for her and may he making her pain worse. If there is anyway you can take the pressure off the injured side while keeping it immobilised then please do. Thinking of you all.

Jessbow · 19/05/2022 22:15

Hope she doesnt have to wait much longer. Really NOT a good idea to have moved her, sitting will be agony- I hope they havent done any more damage.

IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere · 19/05/2022 22:15

There was an account in our local paper recently about a gentleman who fell and broke his leg in his bathroom. They had waited so long for an ambulance that his daughter, a doctor, drove 70 miles to be with him and helped her brother to load him into a removals van to get him to hospital. This was 10 hours after they called the ambulance. They were able to borrow a stretcher from the local rugby club.

It is a horrendous situation all over the UK. I really feel for you, especially being so far away.

Heartofglass12345 · 19/05/2022 22:15

Does he have any painkillers he can give her?

Crinklecuts · 19/05/2022 22:21

Nahhhh mate I would go get her. NHS is bursting at the seams! She is still breathing so not a priority. Then she will face waiting hours to be seen and for pain relief

paisley256 · 19/05/2022 22:21

My grandad with dementia had a fall down the stairs and broke his neck bone, 5 and a half hours lying at the bottom of the stairs. 3 ambulances pulled up and got called away to more urgent calls. The young paramedics couldn't lift him so they had to wait another 2 hours for someone stronger. Just awful it really really is.