"Rare to see someone looking better in hospital..."

Went to visit a friend at St Richards today, who I normally see every week in his Nursing Home. I was really struck by the cleanliness, the care and the helpfulness of all the staff involved in his care, which prompted me to share this with others - it is always so easy to criticise! As I walked into the Acute Medical Unit in the hospital, I was met with helfpul staff at the front desk/Nurses station who asked if they could help. When I explained who I was looking for and asked for information on my friend's health and treatment, I was questioned (as expected) as to whether I was family. Although I wasn't, I explained that I visit my friend every week and he rarely sees his family - and in fact, noone had been able to get hold of them since my friend was taken in to hospital. The nurse in charge of my friend's care was kind and open-minded enough to be able to share some information with me and allayed my fears as to what I might find when I walked in to my friend's hospital room. When I did so, I was greeted by a spacious, quiet and airy feeling room, with a view to a courtyard garden, which my friend pointed out with great pleasure. The room was very clean and everything was in great condition, but the thing that struck me the most was the condition of my friend: he looked so well and lively!! Better, in fact than I had seen him in many, many months! He spole warmly of the care he had been receiving and I was able to witness this first hand, when we had to call for some help at one point. The nursing assistant who arrived was gentle and friendly, took time to talk and explain things to my friend and when we talked about how much food my friend had eaten for once, she explained that she had cut his food up for him in the kitchen before bringing it to him and had given him a spoon to use, having noticed (she joked with him) the mess he'd made with his porridge at breakfast time. She also commented that she had shaved him this morning and once again had a jokey conversation with my friend about how rubbish the razors were and how worried she was that she was going to cut him! Not only was my friend so lovely and clean (something which is not normally the case) but he had a sparkle back in his eye and was back to being very chatty - again something which I haven't experienced in a very very long time! Although he was keen to be released, he acknowledged how well he had been taken care of and I couldn't help but feel sad that he would have to leave this wonderful place where he was clearly flourishing and go back to his old life! Thank you to all the staff who work here for such wonderful work that you do under such huge pressures - you are amazing!