Nurses-help me understand please!

[Purpleturtle43]

Very elderly Gran in hospital just now after a fall and has a broken leg. The care from the nurses has been abysmal. She can't sleep as she is freezing, hands are purple. She is meant to be getting helped into a chair every day to prevent being in bed all day, yet nobody has been near her all day. Other days she is left in the chair all day, despite needing to sleep during the day. She presses the buzzer and someone will come and say they will come back and then don't.

This is not about being short staffed as they are all in a room chatting most of the time and there are loads of them. The ones that have tended to her are not always kind even though she is a very placid person and would never be rude or difficult despite her pain.

I feel completely heartbroken broken by this. The chances are she will never get out of hospital now and this is her final days/weeks/months on this Earth and she is having to put up with this.

I feel so awful for people who don't have family to visit and advocate for them.

Does anyone have any experience or advice as to how we can help the situation? Please be kind as we are all really struggling with this situation.

See if you can get hold of an Occupational therapist or physiotherapist and express your concern that mum is not up and dressed each morning etc. There is a big push across the NHS to recognize the harm done to frail elderly patients by leaving them in bed and not encouraging them to do as much as they are able. There is often a shortage of therapists so this may be easier said than done. But definitely go to PALS as the ward will suddenly be rushing around trying to improve the situation. It should not need to happen that way round but sadly does

Definitely call PALS and if no response the CQC. The CQC will raise an enquiry and notify the hospital executive team, expecting a response. By raising it with CQC it could add to Intel they already have and trigger a more in depth discussion. Saying this as an NHS manager who has also worked for CQC as an inspector.

Have you discussed the issue with the senior charge nurse? I'd also go to PALS.

Ask yo speak to the matron or ward manager and make them aware.

7 years ago I complained directly to a hca, they were making the bed of the bed bound man in the bed next to my dad. The hca spent the time they were dealing with the man talking about her sex life on holiday. When they'd finished I said something to her about that conversation being inappropriate, her reply was it doesn't matter he's deaf. I replied maybe but I'm not and it shows a lack of respect for your patient. She scurried off.

The quality of the handover will be poor if they barely have any contact with the patients. The last time I was in hospital the handovers went on for a long time but you only saw nursing staff twice a day. They didn't have a clue whether you were improving or not.

This happened to my mum in Covid, inpatient for a UTI, not helped to get up, not allowed to visit or advocate for her because of Covid. Kicked out of hospital into an NHS care home for 8 days then sent home, weak,exhausted, not getting out of bed. She never got out of bed again. Go for it, do everything you can to get your mum out, better to get her home with special equipment and a nurse.

My mum died aged 70 recently having been cared for by my stepdad..I'm so glad she didn't have to be cared for in hospital