Dad's hospital stay, is this normal?

[DumpedByText]

My 82 year old dad is in hospital with sepsis. He has been very poorly but is now much better.

Some things have happened during his hospital journey that just seem so wrong to me, or am I'm expecting too much. I want to say though, most staff he's encountered have been amazing and I know this isn't their fault.

Firstly he waited 7 hours for an ambulance, then sat 6 hours outside A&E waiting to go in.

Once inside he was put in a tiny cubicle which he then spent two and half days in, waiting for a bed on a ward. It was utter chaos, noise, beeping, everyone could see him in there, no privacy, hard uncomfortable trolley.

Finally got to the ward at 2.30pm, he had a side room. They did not tell his family they'd moved him, despite telling us they would. We were let through to A&E to visit and he wasn't in there, someone else was.

On new ward all his stuff including drinks etc were left in his bag out of reach. He had no jug of water so had no drink for 4 hours. He would not press bell as he didn't want to bother nurses.

Used urine bottles were left on his table, one was still there the next day.

At 1am in the morning, they went into his room, woke him up and told him he was moving wards. They put him in a wheelchair and moved him to the other side of the hospital to a another room on his own. Just in his pj's, no dressing gown, he was freezing. The new wards nurses were horrified he'd been moved at this time in the morning. Again we weren't told, we called to check on him and they didn't know where he'd gone! We were then told the ward, I arrived to visit and he wasn't in there, they'd told me the wrong ward.

He's being told he can go home, I was there when the doctor told him this. Yet two days later he's still there as its not being passed on. The doctor told him no more oxygen, the nurses make him have it because they've not been told. When I ask what's happening no one can tell me a plan and say they'll let us know, they don't.

He cried yesterday as he's just left in this huge room on his own and doesn't know what's happening.

So is this normal or should I be speaking to the ward sister. I don't want to cause a fuss if this is just the state of our NHS.

[AngelsandAliens]

I have to be honest my father has just spent nearly 2 months in hospital , and all sounds about correct , it’s sad .

it really does feel at breaking point .

Im sorry for your experience for your father 💐

[SabbatWheel]

My mum was in with sepsis last year, among other things.

I was a moderately squeaky wheel, not pushy but spoke to her nurse / ward sister daily, including from 200 miles away when I had to pop back home. This included three ward changes, just got on with being pleasant and finding out info from staff each time. One ward was markedly more disorganised than the other two.

This was invaluable when a physio got involved who was trying to get her discharged to a rehab home for a weekend inappropriately and the ward staff backed me up.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you are unsure of anything.

[MereDintofPandiculation]

Yes, normal, but as @SabbatWheel says, you should be a squeaky wheel, make sure everything is considered, nothing overlooked.

I’ve come to realise, the purpose of visitors is to provide patient care - helping with eating, refilling water jugs, emptying urine bottles.

Don’t forget to phone before visiting to check what ward he’s in today. That’s one thing which is easier on the phone.

And now he’s near discharge, talk to the discharge coordinator, especially if he’ll not be well enough to look after himself.

If things get too bad there’s PALS.

[HoraceGoesBonkers]

This is unfortunately similar to what happened to my Dad when he was admitted. DM didn't want to put him in a care home but also kept phoning the ambulance when he had a bad night and there was an awful few months of him getting batted between the hospital and his house.

I'd speak to staff and definitely get things checked out for discharge - does he need a care package or hospital bed or anything at home?

Also, you might want to think about scoping out care homes, just in case your Dad at some point needs to go back in and can't be discharged home. The one my Dad's in now has nursing staff and the GP visits regularly. It's certainly been less stressful for everyone, particularly Dad, now that a lot of his medical care is managed on site. It's worth planning for a worst case scenario rather than getting caught out in an emergency.

[Renamed]

It may be similar to other experiences in a vastly under pressure system but it is all completely wrong. Start with the lack of communication between medical team and nursing staff. What treatment should he be getting and what is the plan? Leaving an elderly patient unhydrated should never happen and warrants a complaint, as does the used urine bottle and being moved in the middle of the night. If the ward sister can’t help go to PALS.

[BillieEyelash1]

Unfortunately does sound similar to our experiences too. As with PP I do feel we’ve had to be a bit of a squeaky wheel and speak up!

[Radiohorror]

This is what I find unacceptable. The waits, the lack of staff, the lack of beds, is understandable with the state the poor NHS is in, but the lack of decent nursing, lack of communication with patients & between staff & lack of planning is just terrible.
DH has been on the receiving end of frankly sloppy & dangerous care recently. He has written to PALS but I don't imagine it will make much difference.