"Do big hospitals provide good old-fashioned care and nursing?"

My father had a heart attack and suffered a stroke after a quadruple by-pass op, he is 78 yrs old. He was admitted to Worcester Royal Hospital, Stroke Re-hab Ward about 4 weeks ago after spending 8 weeks in Hospital.

I thought that he would improve after being transfered to Worcester it being a ward specifically for patients who have suffered a stroke and need intensive re-hab to make them progress towards recovery. How wrong could i have been!

Firstly i must say that the Phsysios on the ward were fantastic and i think that they do a great job but their efforts are being undermined by a lack of nursing care and common sense.

I noticed my father going downhill once he was able to swallow for himself and was put on pureed food and liquids. He was getting weaker, fatigued easily and would sleep during most visiting times. I thought that his liquid intake was virtually nil and this was confirmed when i saw a number of beakers of liquids piling up on his bedside table. Now, my father was not capable of feeding himself or of picking up a cup. What is the point of putting things out of reach of him, not helping him drink them and then wondering why he hasn't drank anything for hours. He attempted to hold the the cup himself but dropped it making a mess, which he lay in for some time, and didn't try again.

Surely nurses on a stroke re-hab ward should be told to assist patients who can't help themselves and take an interest in their welfare if they notice them not improving or getting worse.

I was told by the physios that his risk of getting de-hydrated was being monitored by the doctors but i was not convinced of this.

Thanfully he was transfered to a local cottage hospital a week ago because i was told he would benefit 'more' for their care.

Within 2 days he was diagnosed as being very de-hydrated after being put on a liquid intake monitoring plan and a saline drip was attached. He was also deemed to be weak and under-nourished and put on high energy drinks and high carb supplements which he is helped and encouraged to drink. He is now slowly improving and eating more regularly.

How can anyone leave a re-hab ward in such a state?

This experience has made me feel that big hospitals just do not provide good old-fashioned care and nursing.