Hospital food

[katz]

Update: Hello. My mother is still in hospital. She is very distressed and confused and crying every day that she wants to go home. I have had many issues with her care on this ward. It has been a very negative experience. Her blood sugar levels are still very high and they don't seem to be able to regulate it. Does type 2 diabetes progress like this, so that insulin no longer works and blood sugar levels are continually high? My mother had a brain scan last week and this showed 4 large holes in her brain which indicated Alzheimer's disease. They are now talking about a Deprivation of Liberty Order which will keep her trapped in hospital and remove her rights. I have read that every week in hospital for an elderly person takes 3 years off their life. I am so upset at her treatment and I am feeling quite helpless. Does type 2 diabetes reach a point when it can no longer be managed? Or is this incompetence on the part of the hospital? Thanks.

 

[Ljc]

I am so sorry to hear this.
I think it would be a good idea to contact the Alzheimer's society's national helpline number and their online community, they helped me through some difficult times.
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/info/20028/contact_us
03002221122
Don't worry about the name, they are for all types of Dementia

You could also contact the Admiral nurse helpline
https://www.dementiauk.org/get-support/admiral-nurse-dementia-helpline/
0800 888 6678

 

[katz]

Thank you. I have just e-mailed alzheimers.org

i am just reading back through this thread because there are some posts I haven't read and replied to yet because I have been at the hospital so much. Thanks everyone.

 

[katz]

Ljc - I contacted PALS and now have a named person that I can speak to. I am worried about complaining too much and being seen as a difficult relative and making my mother's situation even more distressing.

Radders - I am retired now luckily, although i still have a school-age child. I work part-time in the evenings so I have been able to visit the hospital a lot during the day. This will be trickier now that the school holidays are over

I've been where you are Katz both personally and professionally. It's very tough!
Has a social worker been assigned to undertake an assessment for your mum? There needs to be some discharge planning and it depends how it's arranged at that hospital. There needs to be a Care Plan formulated with support and safeguards put in place including a Carer's Assessment for you. It's a statutory right.
There are what's called Discharge Teams in most hospitals and you have every right to ask what's being planned to support your mum at home. If her confusional state isn't transient/physical in nature and may be due to an underlying dementia, she need further referral to the Consultant and team who deal with this...possibly a CPN. She needs a multi-disciplinary assessment including Occupational Therapy if she's having falls. That assessment should look at her house too to see if she has safety needs there. Does she have a pendant alarm at home?

In terms of dealing with the Ward and the inadquacies in care, are there any other family members who could support you in doing this? Make an appointment with the Ward Sister and make your serious concerns known. Don't be afraid to advocate for your mum, you're in the right and she deserves better. I've been in this position and it's not easy because the wards are so busy and the same people never seem to be on duty.

You have every right to expect your mum to be safe and properly cared for in there and believe me they'll be more attentive if they know someone is carefully watching their actions. I've had to kick ass more times than I can say. Take care and hope things improve for your mum.

Thank you for all this Amigo. I can see that there are many things that I have a right to expect and that are not being done. I need to work my way through all these points you have raised.

The wards are very busy, yes, and I seem to see different staff every time I go.