My husband had severe dementia and was admitted to Ayr Hospital for prostrate operation about 4 yrs ago. (He has since died). After his op nurse came in and said you need to drink plenty of water and proceeded to leave water jug and glass at bottom of bed. I explained he needed someone to physically hand him water. The next day I came in to be told he wasn't drinking enough. This was just one of a number of things that happened. Didn't seem to understand dementia.
This year my father was admitted to same hospital with chest infection. He is 92 very little sight and very hard of hearing I explained all this on admission and that he can feed himself but needs someone there to guide his hand. First morning he was left with bowl of porridge dry roll and packet butter and jam which he couldn't see he ate roll dry.
I again tried to tell them what was needed, spoon not knife and fork help to lift food etc but finished up going up every day to feed him.
While I was there was horrified to hear a nursing assistant shout from one end of ward to other end does this man need feeding(not my father).
On another occasion in mixed ward Lady was getting catheter in behind curtain and nurse called out for bowl to catch urine.
Where's patient dignity gone. In my opinion nothing's changed for all the extra training that I believe is supposed to have been done
"Patient dignity"
About: University Hospital Ayr / General Surgery University Hospital Ayr General Surgery KA6 6DX
Posted by Ayrshire resident (as ),
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