My elderly disabled mum was admitted on 3rd december 2014 for some respite care to help her to regain the ability to weight bear due to a problem with deteriation of lower spine , which meant she was unable to be moved by one carer at home so it was agreed she would be in for a couple of weeks while the agency sorted out doubled up care, To start with mum was happy to be there as staff appeared to be friendly and kind but it soon became apparent this was not the case they use bullying tactics towards the patients when visitors are not around after all who is going to believe an elderly person when they complain , Mums arms and legs soon looked in a dreadful state she had open torn skin which was bleeding and brusies where she had been pulled up in the bed where is was not able to help herself , When we asked questions about mums welfare the staff were very dismissive towards us as if we had no right to ask, when we were seen looking at the notes on the end of the bed the nurses took them away from us but we had noticed mums weight was falling she ended up losing 12kgs over the five weeks spent in their so called care, also we noted that had written they were giving mum baths but this was not so in the whole of the time she was in there she only actually had two baths her hair was not washed either she soon became very unkempt looking we also questioned why she was not bathed more often as she was doubly incontinent the answer given was that she was not the only person they had to attend to, Due to the lack of hygiene given to mum she had back to back urine infections that were not properly treated , then she developed a chest infection again not treated she was fading before our eyes, All the staff seem happy to do is sit in the office drinking tea and coffee and bitching about the patients to each other they have not an ounce of care amongst them it`s an absolute disgrace in there now to what it was a few years ago when mum was in there I just feel very sorry for any elderly people that have no-one to stand up for them was we tried very hard to do for mum but kept hitting brick walls
Original Comment Report...
Reply from Sussex Community NHS Trust
Fri, 13 Mar 2015 17:07:40 Z
Dear Ms Creber I am very concerned to read this account and would urge you to contact our complaints team so we can formally review what might have happened in your mother’s case. You can do this in whatever way is most convenient to you: by post, by phone or by email as below: Service Experience Team FREEPOST (BR117) Elm Grove, Brighton BN2 3EW Tel: 01273 242292 Email: sc-tr.serviceexperience@nhs.net In the meantime I will bring your comments to the attention of our deputy chief operating officer with responsibility for this area, and ask her to consider what action we might need to take. |
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