"Poor care on the ward"

I feel really sad about the care in Ward 5, Royal Victoria Hospital, Dundee. We visit someone regularly (no less than 3 - 4 times weekly) and the care given needs urgent attention. There is a clear lack of communication, it is difficult to obtain updates and the Senior Nurse has no empathy and is dismissive in their manner, making us feel they cannot be approached. We had asked them for a jug of water for our friend as he was sitting with no water although they continually encourage him to drink. We had to go and find them in the kitchen to ask and they stated that our friend had a jug  at his bedside even though this was not the case and they did not check. In fact no-one had a jug of water in the bay. We asked for an empty jug that we could fill and was handed this with a sigh, completely inappropriate and disappointing.  

We visited our friend today to take him away from the ward for a while and we found him sitting in soaking wet trousers after his catheter failed. The Senior Nurse told us he needed to get changed and that he even had a shower earlier too but his bed had been completely stripped and he was sitting in wet clothes. Shocking - why did they not change him before they stripped the bed - surely that would have been more important to patient care and dignity.  He was so embarrassed when we arrived to find him in that state.  He had been given hospital pyjamas to change into even though it was clear he had clothes in his wardrobe - why would they do that? 

There is no stimulation for the patients who do not use the patient TV area. Our friend regularly tells us he wants to go home because he is “going out of his mind” - this breaks our hearts to see him like this. We understand he has a brain injury and has a long road ahead of him, however we believe his care could be so much more dignified. 

We had told the team we would be taking him a takeaway one weekend to find they had given him his tea because no-one on shift had passed our message on although this had been agreed with the staff. What a waste as he felt compelled to try and eat the take-away - such a shame and pressure placed on him.

I just wish everyone was as caring as one of the staff members who cares for our friend the way care should be given. They engage with him, encourages and motivates but if they are not in shift our friend is like a different person as are the others in the bay.

I don’t want to criticise unnecessarily however our friend may be there for a few months and I feel real anxiety that this treatment will not improve. I appreciate everyone is busy however we are meant to be a caring environment, and I don’t believe this is the case the majority of the time.

Hopefully someone can take this on board and do something to improve things as ourselves and our friends family do not find the Senior Nurse approachable or empathetic.  I appreciate there are a huge number of agency nurses on the ward, I have been informed the majority are, however surely better care should be given. This is generally felt by other relatives I have spoken too especially with regards to open and honest communication and personal care. I live in hope.