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Elderly parents
Original poster

Hip broken in hospital

31 replies

Rebecca9210 · 22/01/2021 18:57

My grandad had a stroke and a heart attack. He went into hospital. The day he went in he could walk with support. With physio they managed to get him back to what he was before the stroke and he was walking around the ward and going to the toilet by himself. Whilst in their care he fell over and broke his hip. He was already a known at risk of falling. He was due to have surgery the next day. It got delayed for 7 day. Everyday he had to not eat anything until 6.30pm when they decided they couldn't do it on the day. It has been 4 weeks later and he has not recovered. He is now bed bound. In a lot of pain and is now incontinent. I am so angry and upset that this had happened to him. If he hadn't broken his hip he would have been able to come home but now he will have to go into a care/nursing home. Has anyone been in the same situation? We are likely going to lose his house now to pay for it. The house has been in my family for generations. Im just so angry, sad and frustrated. I just want the best for him

OP posts:
Marpan · 22/01/2021 18:59

I know someone who went in for a stroke,
Fell broke her hip.
Caught covid in hospital and is now dead.

Try to get care in your home for him.

FelicityBeedle · 22/01/2021 19:03

If he was independently mobile as assessed by physio, neither he nor staff would have wanted him chaperoned for every move. Making the fall an incredibly unfortunate accident and nothing more. I do agree with seeing if you can get him discharged for home care and physio etc

Sometimesonly · 22/01/2021 19:03

That's awful. When I was in hospital the woman next to me fell out of bed - she had a broken leg and dementia and decided to get up in the middle of the night. I called and called but no one came and I couldn't stop her. She broke her leg.

Original poster
Rebecca9210 · 22/01/2021 20:45

I would love to have him home. Unfortunately this is not an option. I am a keyworker and can't take time off to look after him and I'm his only family. He has already caught Covid whilst he was there but luckily didn't have any symptoms and is fine now. The hospital will also not discharge him until he has finished his 6 weeks in rehab.

OP posts:
Original poster
Rebecca9210 · 22/01/2021 23:58

Update. Since writing this post I got another phone call to say he has fallen again and broken his other hip. I am devastated

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Sometimesonly · 23/01/2021 06:45

Oh no. I am so sorry to hear that.

HerMammy · 23/01/2021 07:01

This is very upsetting for you but please do not face it with anger, its just as likely he could have fallen at home.
Be prepared and start looking for a care home place today, somewhere he will be comfortable and happy.
Were you planning on keeping his house? I thought I was sentimental about a house but thats now been put in perspective.
Tbh its just a house and his care is more important

MereDintofPandiculation · 23/01/2021 16:16

We are likely going to lose his house now to pay for it. You were always likely to lose the house. "Healthy life expectancy" has not increased as much as "life expectancy" and people are requiring care for longer usually for things like dementia. The problem of paying for it is being kicked down the road a bit by using this generation's houses to pay.

I would not be happy about what happened in hospital. You can contact PALS if you wish.

Oh dear - I've just read your other update, I'm so sorry Flowers

Have they checked for osteoporosis?

YesMeLady · 23/01/2021 19:07

Falls are so common and the staff cannot be with someone 24hrs a day, patients get up, walk around, dont always ask for help, how did he fall if he is bed bound.

Bills2pay · 23/01/2021 19:35

So sorry to hear about this OP. Been through similar with my own elderly relatives. No one likes to bash the NHS in these dreadful times but in my experience staffing levels are cut to the bone making wards unsafe for vulnerable elderly patients at risk of falling. Your relative’s first fall was possibly a mixture of inadequate supervision and bad luck. Further safeguards should have been put in place thereafter to prevent a second fall from happening. On the face of it the hospital could be negligent in failing to do so. If are thinking about taking matters further request the medical notes immediately and seek legal advice. There are a number of firms with expertise in bringing negligence claims against the NHS.

Original poster
Rebecca9210 · 23/01/2021 19:54

Thank you for this advice. In total he has had 7 falls whilst in hospital. And 2 of them have results in a broken hip. It is really upsetting. Do you know if we would be allowed to request the medical notes?

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Suzi888 · 23/01/2021 19:58

I’m so sorry this has happened to your grandad. I would make a request for the medical notes. Why is he falling so much.. Why aren’t they helping him to wherever he needs to go...
I hope you get answers and that he’s able to return home soon.

BikerWife · 23/01/2021 20:02

Im so sorry this has happened to your Grandad Sad. The hospital will have a pals team that you can contact to express your concern about what has happened to your Grandad in their care. They can help you with complaints and investigation.

It's very upsetting when patients fall, it is not always preventable but 7 falls and the delay in surgery certainly sounds alarming.

I hope he gets his 2nd fracture fixed ASAP Flowers

CosmicComfort · 23/01/2021 20:06

Your poor dad, that’s awful. 7 falls is shocking and I say that as a nurse.

Falls are common on older peoples wards sadly but staff should carry out risk assessments and should consider enhanced observations or 1:1 care for someone who can’t be supported safely by other measures. Other measures include moving them closer to the nursing office, supervising them when mobilizing, ensuring they know how to use the nurse call bell, falls sensors etc.

In the NHS Trust I work for if a patient who had fallen and broken one hip then fell and broke the other hip in our care, serious questions about our management of the patient would be raised.

I do think you should raise concerns, it sounds a very sad situation.

YesMeLady · 23/01/2021 20:14

You can contact pals. The medical notes may not have all the info you are looking for. You could ask to see his mobility assessments, falls risk assessments, what measures were put in place to reduce him falling, if he has capacity to allow you access to his records. If he is bedbound he shouldnt fall unless somehow he fell out of bed..i would call the ward manager and ask for this info. Do you have power of attorney for his health and welfare.

Bills2pay · 23/01/2021 20:31

He can give you permission to request his notes. He has a right to see them under GDPR legislation. In my experience PALS were useless sorry but you might have a better experience. If your relative risks losing his house to pay for care needed as a result of loss of physical capacity following seven falls when hospitalised, I would seriously consider seeking legal advice first. It might be possible to sue the hospital for negligence on a no win no fee basis to recover the costs of the care your relative would not have needed right now but for the hospitals’s negligence.

QueenOfPain · 23/01/2021 20:34

How has he fallen and broken a second hip if he was bed bound? Has he fallen out of bed?

The initial fall and hip breaking is an unfortunate thing that happened, but the rest of it, keeping him NBM every day on the off chance of a theatre slot is ridiculous.

Go to PALS.

QueenOfPain · 23/01/2021 20:35

Also saying the above as a nurse.

Original poster
Rebecca9210 · 23/01/2021 21:29

Thank you. I feel relieved that you agree with me. I feel so lost as I cannot see him and feel like I can't do anything to protect him. I have never worked in the health care sector so do not know my rights or even what the hospital should be doing. Would they have a risk assessment? Am I allowed to request to see it?

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Original poster
Rebecca9210 · 23/01/2021 21:33

Thank you. This is really good advice. I hadn't thought of that. I am happy to seek legal advice. I think this would really help as I am completely new to anything like this. He never made a POA. We are applying for Deputy over his finances but were advised not to apply for Deputy over health as that is more for young adults. I had never heard of that before.

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QueenOfPain · 23/01/2021 22:39

Unless you’ve POA over health then you’ll need his consent to complain on his behalf/request notes. Have you been able to speak to him on the phone?

Original poster
Rebecca9210 · 23/01/2021 23:38

He is now in a ward that gets no phone signal so I can't speak to him. He is very confused so I don't think he could give consent.

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YesMeLady · 24/01/2021 11:12

Poor gd, who is going to be looking after his affairs now if he no longer can make his decisions, you or your parents. He would have had assessments, well I would hope he did! You can contact PALS and say you dont get any updates, have the ward contacted anyone in the family at all. If he has lost capacity then all the care he receives will be in his best interests and at some stage the ward will need to plan a best decision meeting to plan his future care. Have you tried speaking to the ward manager or the doctor. If he is very confused he may be trying to get out of bed, it sounds very distressing.

Bills2pay · 24/01/2021 11:52

You can speak to him. Insist that the hospital brings a phone to his bed. Escalate to ward manager and above if they refuse.

YesMeLady · 24/01/2021 12:04

If he is very confused then a phone call to him may not be appropriate, there must be a signal or else the ward would never receive any phonecalls, they must have landlines, just try and call the ward manager.