Never been so angry, sad and disapointed in my life

[happymerryberries]

My 79 mother, who suffers from senile dementia has just spent the better part of 2 days lying in hospital with a broken hip. She has had to wait for surgery on her hip because, wait for it, it is a bank holiday.

I have nothing but the greatest respect for all of the staff that have been caring for her. Their profesionalism has been exceptional. But funding means that a frail, confused old lady has spent two days in pain because of underfunding and lack of resources.

And all the way on my 5 hour drive home I kept passing signs that said, 'If you value it, vote for it'

I feel sick with rage.

Oh

HMB

Just sending you huge hugs, it is a disgrace and to my mind, too much money is being spent on paperwork.

I know this is absolutely no help to you, but I didn't want your post to go unanswered.. iykwim

hmb - agree that this is totally unacceptable - and you are quite right it IS down to funding the right staff to be around in case of problems - no excuse for it. Is she in alot of pain?

Dreadful pain, partialy controled by morphine that makes her confusion much worse. The break is so bad that you can see that it is broken with the naked eye. The top of her femur is completly broken. This is not partial fracture

How awful . When is she scheduled for surgery?

Message withdrawn

She is finaly in surgery now. She broke her hip at 5 in the morning of Saterday. She was sheduled to have the operation yesterday but was bumped because of another emergency operation and they couldn't operate for another 24 hours.

, Hmb. That's simply dreadful.

I won't bore you with the shocking story of my mother (80) and the NHS - all I'll say is make your vote count!

I'm glad she has been taken in now HMB. I'm sorry she (and you) have had such a horrid time. I hope her surgery goes well and her rehab goes as well as can be expected. How mobile was she prior to this?

Jools, I hope you don't mean tory?!! They have f*cked it all up in more ways than one.

hope it goes well, hmb.

it may or may not make you feel better, but remember that a large proportion of the extra money that's bbeen pumped into the NHS lately has gone into staff training (more nursing/docs places) but of course those staff aren't trained yet. It should get better (I'm not a labour supporter BTW - can see how annoyed you must be).

flossam - I was going to say that, but restrained myself.

Your a better person than I then SP!

Walking round the long stay hospital was her only remaining pleasure in life. Part of her anxiety is that she couldn't understand why she couldn't move, due to the broken leg.

My late father devoted his whole life to the labour monvement and I am glad that he is dead and didn't have to see his wife writing in pain waiting 48 hours for an operation after labour has been in power for 8 f-ing years.

And yes I realise that things were marginaly worse in the tory days. But I feel sick

I hope that they manage to get her up and moving quickly and safely. Don't want this thread to become a political debate, so won't say what I think about it all. I'm just that this had to be the case for you dear mum.

hmb, I'm so sorry - it's just not good enough. Your poor, poor Mum and poor you to have to watch her suffer like that.

I don't particulary want it to be political either. I just find it impossible to believe in 2005, in the West, that a woman of 79 has to lie in bed for the bettr part of 48 hours before her shattered leg could be operated on. What the hell are we doing if this is how we treat the most vulnerable people in soceity?

I know from work that education is going down the pan. I know from DH that the forces are getting shafted. I know from MN that services for people with children with diasbilities are horrifically underfunded. Which begs the question, What the fuck are we doing well? I'd honeslty like to know. It might make me feel a lttle better about life

Call me a cynic but I don't beieve it's political either: it was no better under the Tories (well, imo it was worse). Something is very, very wrong and I don't think any of the political parties have the answers. We need radical changes and we need them yesterday. I don't think I've ever felt so apathetic about voting.

Oh I'm so sorry hmb.

my mother got sent home with a shattered femur and knee and told it was 'badly bruised' and told to put weight on it. Can you imagine what we felt like having encouraged her walk on it for 10 days?! Then the hospital rings up and says we've reviewed your x-rays so come back and we'll put a metal plate and 8 screws in your leg - then plaster for 3 months.

Please don't tell me the NHS is getting better!

Your poor, poor mum.
Is Britain really a civilised society anymore??

That is what I have been wondering. I'm not having a pop at any one party but the country seems to be going to hell.

safety: road safety/safety at work and in the home stats are among the best in the world for the UK.

also teacher training - it's light years ahead of Spain and UK schools are "the envy of the world" according to a US friend (I know, I know . God help the world)

parts of the NHS/social services are good too - I have to admit to being quite homesick for it after my dd's and a friend's mother's experiences in Spain.

shall I change my name to senoraPollyanna?

(that post in answer to HMB's what the f* are we doing well? question btw