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Original poster

My grandma - no beds

49 replies

Ijustdontknowanything · 18/11/2022 04:32

My grandma was told by a visiting SW yesterday to go to hospital, because she is in a lot of pain, cannot look after herself etc.

Long story short, the hospital doesn't have any beds, so when I called at 11pm to check on her, I discovered she was going to have to spend the night sitting in her argos wheelchair with no headrest in a waiting room. She can't walk or get to the toilet herself.

We can't bring her home as apparently SS would consider this to be us saying we can look after her instead, but she needs full time care, and apparently she can't be discharged anyway until she has had a load of tests. They aren't going to happen overnight though.

I'm so upset that she was admitted to a hospital that doesn't have a bed, why couldn't they have said so at 5pm and sent her to a bigger hospital? If she falls from the chair overnight, well I dread to think. And here I am lying in a nice cosy bed.

Is this normal?

OP posts:
Nat6999 · 18/11/2022 04:47

Hospitals very often find beds & move patients during the night. My mum was in last year, arrived at A & E by ambulance after a 999 call for cardiac episode at 4.00pm & didn't get a bed until 3.00am, she said they were moving patients in & out all night.

Original poster
Ijustdontknowanything · 18/11/2022 04:49

Thank you, I hope so!

OP posts:
Rumplestrumpet · 18/11/2022 04:52

I'm really sorry your Grandma is in this position, it must be so upsetting for you all. Is anyone able to be with her? If not, I'd hope they can move things around and find her a bed, even a trolley.

In answer to your quesion - Yes it's become normal in the NHS and it's a fucking outrage.

This government has run the NHS into that ground and we just accept it. Until we take a stand things will only get worse.

Trez1510 · 18/11/2022 04:53

How did she get to the hospital in her Argos wheelchair? Did the SW take her there?

Skiingwithgin · 18/11/2022 06:02

Hi op sorry your grandma is unwell, I hope she recovers soon. Unfortunately it is getting more common this morning bed milarky.

so there is a national target that once a doctor has decided to admit you (known as DTA), from that time the sept has 12 hours to find you a bed. You could have already been in the dept 12+ hours by this point but the “clock” starts when the DTA is made, no matter what time of day it is. They wouldn’t divert a patient to another hospital unless medically necessary (ie they present with a specific heart issue and need specialist care from another specialist hospital, but again that would only happen if the second hospital accepted them and had a bed!)

unfortunately there are more people needing beds, than are being discharged, often leading to loooong waits in ED even after being admitted. I’ve seen people waiting up to 30 hours post DTA. It’s horrendous.

they should be able to find a trolly for her to sleep on (even in a corridor) though that’s terrible practise we try to avoid, but better than her wheelchair.
any good hospital will ensure she gets a full medical review in the morning by the medics on call (so push for this if it doesn’t happen!) prior to going to a ward.

As a PP says, they could well find a bed for her at any moment, but unlikely at this time of night as no one will be being discharged home now. There will be movement from about 9am. If the ED is backlogged management will be all over the wards trying to help doctors and nurses identify people for discharge, these will start happening after handover about 8:30.

it’s truly terrible and sadly the new norm, which is unacceptable but we are where we are due to lack of social care, community beds, home support and as we all know chronic underfunding of the NHS.

i really hope she’s in a bed soon and recovers quickly

x

Moraxella · 18/11/2022 06:59

sadly normal, there are people waiting over a day in A&E here for a bed. Patients lining the corridors. An entire ward full of patients waiting for a bed. It’s been like this for a while and winter isn’t even underway.

MichelleScarn · 18/11/2022 07:05

Who took her to hospital? It's really horrible and hard, bit do you know if she is a medical or a social admission? Does she have funds for a care home?
If she's a social admission, so doesnt actually need ongoing medical treatment she will hopefully be transferred to a care of the elderly bed (if the hospital has them).
Wishing her and you a better day and movement in getting her somewhere better.

Auntieobem · 18/11/2022 07:07

Your poor Grandma! Doesn't sound like hospital is the right place for her. Here she'd be able to get a geriatric assessment at home, and we'd try to get an emergency package of care in for her to avoid admission. A SW wouldn't be able to admit her to hospital unless she had acute health needs which needed inpatient care. How is she any better in a hospital corridor?

Limetreee · 18/11/2022 07:09

This has happened to my mum many times. They have often moved her to a different hospital through the night. Try not to worry too much, they will transfer her as soon as they can, even if it’s only to a trolley. Hope she feels better soon .

Sniffypete · 18/11/2022 07:11

Why did the sw say to go to hospital? Was there a medical reason?
You need to contact them urgently to do a care need's assessment and to get those things out in place ASAP.

ButterflyBiscuit · 18/11/2022 07:12

I was in A and E for myself in the summer and there was a lovely older lady in the same position. Loads of us were waiting and her granddaughter was waiting with her and she was told she was waiting for a bed but it could be anytime that night! I I left at 2am and she was still there.

It's such a horrible thing to do to someone already struggling to not let them sleep.

Untitledsquatboulder · 18/11/2022 07:34

Am also confused as to why she has been sent to hospital, is the pain new or wostening? If its chronic pain and she's not coping at home then a residential care assessment would seem a better idea (many care homes can offer these). I hope the hospital can make her comfortable soon though, poor woman.

Original poster
Ijustdontknowanything · 18/11/2022 10:53

It's a

OP posts:
Original poster
Ijustdontknowanything · 18/11/2022 10:55

It's an ongoing pain that has worsened this week to the point that she cannot walk or dress etc. The SW called the hospital and they said to bring her down.

OP posts:
Theunamedcat · 18/11/2022 10:56

So she just dropped her off? 😳

Yellowdahlia12 · 18/11/2022 10:57

Your poor mum, it's a disgraceful situation when a sick person can't get a hospital bed. Years of underfunding the NHS has got us into this mess, and I can only see it getting worse.

26twentysix · 18/11/2022 11:06

Can you not go and sit with her and help her e.g. go to loo till she can be admitted to a bed?

HappyHamsters · 18/11/2022 11:15

Who did the sw speak to, bring her down never means we will admit her into a bed, I suspect it meant being her down, we will assess her and get the doctor to look at her. The sw would have been better either getting a gp home visit or calling 111.

Original poster
Ijustdontknowanything · 18/11/2022 11:27

Theunamedcat · 18/11/2022 10:56

So she just dropped her off? 😳

My father was with her for several hours in the waiting room. Then they told all relatives to leave.

OP posts:
Roundandnour · 18/11/2022 11:27

HappyHamsters · 18/11/2022 11:15

Who did the sw speak to, bring her down never means we will admit her into a bed, I suspect it meant being her down, we will assess her and get the doctor to look at her. The sw would have been better either getting a gp home visit or calling 111.

Was thinking the same tbh.
Added with the ops comment about not taking her home implies it’s a social admission whilst a care package is sorted out.

Personally I would go and see her and in the meantime see if I could arrange a gp appointment. Get the gp to do a referral for community nurses, physio and Sw. All done from her own home. And because she’s having difficulties at the moment some Adult nappies (usually on offer in Superdrug’s). I’ve used them previously when I haven’t been able to get out of bed and they are comfy.

Original poster
Ijustdontknowanything · 18/11/2022 11:28

The reference ti the shop bought wheelchair was to say she had no headrest and it wasn't a specialist chair.

OP posts:
TimeSlipMushroom · 18/11/2022 11:28

Sniffypete · 18/11/2022 07:11

Why did the sw say to go to hospital? Was there a medical reason?
You need to contact them urgently to do a care need's assessment and to get those things out in place ASAP.

Being in so much pain that she can't walk is a medical reason and needs investigating. A GP would most likely have recommended A and E for this too as it's likely she will need xrays/scans to rule out any fractures. In older people a fracture can occur without a fall/known injury.

It is awful that there are no beds and it's due to the major issues in care provision in the community which prevents hospital inpatients returning home and thus creates a "blockage" in the whole healthcare system.

I hope your grandma gets her tests and a bed soon

SafferUpNorth · 18/11/2022 11:32

I don't understand how she's better off in hospital if there's no bed for her???Unless life-threatening, surely she is better off at home where she can actually sleep??

StrawberryPot · 18/11/2022 11:41

Have you heard from your grandma this morning op?

We've dealt with old/infirm parents and, in the circumstances you describe, we would have requested a home visit from a gp in the first instance.

Original poster
Ijustdontknowanything · 18/11/2022 13:33

Are you a SW @StrawberryPot ? Yes I've been to visit but there's nowhere to sit, she's in her chair next to a cupboard that they need constant access to, so I could only stand there for a little while. They seemed overrun with people sitting in chairs all over the place, it was so sad. My grandmother is 95.

OP posts:
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