I know IABU, blatantly using this for traffic. Emergency situation, no ambulance still, and need advice

[TheChinkOfaGlass]

Hi everyone

My Auntie had a fall this morning and has seriously hurt her hip. Luckily she was close enough to the bed to get herself up on it.

999 said it is not an emergency and to contact 111, she was in severe agony and is 78 years old. I rang 111 who after assessing her, decided she did indeed need an ambulance.

I had originally offered to take her to the hospital but she lives on the top floor of a maisonette, and is unable to sit up (so a car journey would be no good and I would be unable to carry her to the car anyway. I did get help but she declined due to the inability to even sit up).

Her husband is disabled so isn't much use (I mean this in the nicest possible way, he is trying his best) other than keeping an eye on her.

So we could be waiting hours for an ambulance but in the meantime she is soaked through on the bed due to urinating on herself. I am going there in the next 30 minutes.

Is it safe to roll her to change the sheets to make her more comfortable? I don't like the idea of her lying in a soaking bed while she waits. I am also scared of causing more pain/damage by moving her. We do not know what's wrong, she thinks it may he her hip. I just don't know what to do. I have never experienced this kind of thing.

Her partner has managed to change her underwear but when the bed is so wet, it wouldn't really make a difference.

So she can go lie on A&Es floor instead?

And the mattress would then be outside the hospital?

This doesn’t help. I would tweet the local mp as it has been over 36 hours now

Can you use Twitter, local media, TV, local journalists, MP, councillors? similar story in Mail Online.

Try and beg mountain rescue. My mum in Cumbria broke her pelvis on a walk and they were there in no time. Retired doctors and they can dispense pain relief.

I'm so sorry, this is utterly horrifying to read.

Paramedics from what I have seen use a narrow wheeled trolley that folds to get access into narrow tight turning 19th C rooms up and down stairs..
They are also extremely good at manual handling of injured people.

Stretcher bearers in WW1 & 2 in Battlefield scenarios were the same..But what have you to lose here?
Strapping someone to a board to move them downstairs {so they don't slip off} could be tricky..isn't the OP's Aunt on the third floor?

Also..some people weigh a lot, and it could take a fair few people to carry a board..
It just shows what Ambulance crews do!

oak "But what have you to lose here?"

potentially, auntie's ability to walk or live without pain

also, risk to people moving a board three floors.

Virtually the same thing happened to my MIL last week. Turns out she has a broken pelvis. She was more fortunate than your Aunt. 15 hours waiting fir the ambulance then 3 hours actually in the ambulance outside the hospital. I do hope you have managed to get her to hospital by now.

Gosh, I just went to look.

Heartbreaking.

Here’s a link: twitter.com/khoulgate/status/1604979026199576576

I' m torn...should we alert the tabloids or leave for OP to decide? She must be dropping with exhaustion.

What has the dr surgery said when you call them OP? As it’s within their opening hours today? Do they do house calls? Ours will for certain cases (such as this) at least they can access/offer pain relief?

The tabloids wouldn’t actually achieve anything. The doctors and nurses aren’t waiting for The Sun to rock up and tell them what to do. No amount of media shouting will magic up an ambulance.

Assess not access sorry

I think the papers have just reported on it....either that or a very similar situation. Just awful, I hope things get sorted OP

Sorry, I was wrong. It was a different lady but the same situation

I saw that, I think its a different lady.

I'm flabbergasted by this and so so sorry for you all.

Can you call the Red Cross, St John Ambulance, anyone? I assume the GP surgery doesn't have a paramedic attached to it? (Ours does)

Also, can you afford to pay for a private hospital to collect her (I know they dint have paramedics, but there might be something they can suggest).

Remind us where in the country you are?

One of my Grandad's carers was a nurse in another country but not qualified over here. A local carer's agency might have carers like that who actually have nursing experience, who could be hired privately to come out and help? It' not a great suggestion but it's all I've got.

she's in mid wales

Yes take her to A&E on the mattress if needs be. Of course! Who cares if she's on a bed mattress in A&E.

She needs proper pain relief and let's be real if the pelvis is broken she would be bleeding internally as we speak so anything is better than waiting for the inevitable.

Surely it won't be possible to move her on a mattress, they usually have to be tipped to manoeuvre them through doorways.

Do not roll her ! Immediately after I had my first hip replacement in hospital, two obviously inexperienced nurses tried to roll me on the bed to put on some sheets and the pain was unbelievable, I screamed. I have since had a second hip replacement and both knees replaced and a shoulder repair and no pain compared to it. So please do not roll her. I pray the ambulance hurries for you all.

3 hours since OP's last post which I'm taking as a hopeful sign that she and Auntie are at ( maybe in ? ) at a hospital .

But I'm thinking of all the others out there who are in similar situations .

Have any of you ever carried a mattress? They are HEAVY even without a person and have nothing to grip onto. No way could you manoeuvre one down the stairs in a flat position. The lady would certainly be dropped or fall off. They need a proper stretcher and some v. strong people to carry it.