"My Mother"

My Mother who is 97 years old was recently taken into the Hospital by the emergency services and eventually arrived at the Medical and Surgical ward where she received kind and caring attention. On visiting my Mother on the late in December I was told she was now medically and surgically discharged. I spoke to Mother’s consultant as there was a particular place within the Health Service I would like her to be taken to but was told this could not be done, I was given the reasons for this decision which I accepted.

On returning home that afternoon I began contacting Care Homes in our area because my Mother needed 24 hour care during a period of respite, I had discussed this with the Nurses on the ward and they agreed that this was a necessity.

Mid-morning of the next day in December I received a telephone call from a lady on the ward. Her attitude was very blunt saying that my Mother had been discharged and “had to go” and was “going”. I tried to explain to this lady that I had been in contact with every home in our area and only two had vacancies and both of these were making arrangements to visit the ward and carry out their obligatory assessments. She would not listen to me, she continually talked over the top of me, and she was blunt to the point of rudeness or arrogance. She ended the conversation and put the ‘phone down. I was given no information concerning my Mother’s movements. Later that day I received a ‘phone call from a Care Home telling me my Mother had been “delivered” to them around tea team and asking me what all this was about.

I’m sure you’ll well understand that my tiny, frail, blind and deaf Mother was very distressed at being “bundled out” out in this manner and I’ve found out since that she told the ward staff she didn’t want to go. I’ve also found out since that there were actually empty beds on the ward at that time so I cannot understand the apparent dramatic urgency of my Mother’s removal.

I was not in any way using the Hospital as a Hotel, indeed I had spoken to Nurses there telling them that if there was any extra care my Mother needed, she could not feed herself at that time for example, I was more than happy to pay for it. I am very unhappy about the way my Mother was moved but more than that I am extremely unhappy about the tone and attitude of the lady I've referred to above there was absolutely no need for her to have conducted herself in that manner.