My elderly mother was seen at A&E Wishaw General for the fourth time in a month presenting with a nose bleed that wouldn't stop. Each time they have repeated their treatment culminating in inserting a nasal 'tampon' forcibly into her right nostril. This puts pressure on the bleeding point to stop the flow. We then are transferred to Monklands Hospital to ward 9. So in the early hours of Thursday morning my wee mum as the first 'nasal tampon' was coming out and soaked had to have a new one inserted. She was screaming with pain and my hand which she was holding was being crushed simultaneously. She was then put to bed. I called later that morning from work and the bleeding had stopped but I was told they keeping her in.
I visited that evening and was told she would be fasted from midnight as she was going to theatre so they could discover the cause. My siblings and I were pleased because the bleeds were becoming more and more frequent. The nurse had informed mum that this was going to happen. My mum suffers from anxiety and depression and was understandably worried she also is afraid of injections I calmed her as best I could and said a little scratch then no pain and no nosebleeds would be worth it and she agreed. I called twice the next day to see how she had got on. At lunchtime I was told she hadn't been taken yet but theatre was busy this worried me because she had extra 'anxiety' time. I called again at 3.50pm and was told she was being discharged and hadn't been to theatre. I was just driving through Airdrie at the time and had her clothes in my car so I arrived at Monklands 10 minutes later. I was told the doctors didn't want to give her a general anaesthetic and if it bled again to bring her back to A&E. She was again for the fourth time given nasal cream. So nothing had effectively been done to cure mum. I was left to get her dressed which I did.
Mum looked awful her colour was grey and as we started to walk and she was leaning heavily on me I thought I would ask to borrow a wheelchair. I spotted a nurse in room 30 and did so when mum put all her weight on me she was near collapse the nurse rushed towards us and helped me get mum back to her bed next door in room 29. It was then that I discovered she had not eaten or drank since midnight almost 17 hours earlier. The nurse brought her some sugary tea and a ham sandwich and called for a porter to help us to my car. She ate most of the sandwich and tried to drink the tea but was not enjoying it. The porter kindly waited in the foyer while I popped into the WRVS to get mum a fresh cup of tea as she was so thirsty.
I then proceeded to drive her to her care home, she vomited 5 minutes before we arrived there. The care home staff were horrified when they saw how poorly she looked she was shaking, complaining of cold and totally exhausted. She felt so bad she wouldn't let me go she wanted me to sit with her and held my hand till she finally fell asleep. I visited yesterday and am about to go see her today. Yesterday she still looked and felt exhausted. Her colour still has not returned and she just wants to sleep. We all expect her nose will bleed again she doesn't deserve this to happen for the fifth time she has said she will not go back to Monklands.
"Care of my 80 year old mother"
About: University Hospital Monklands / Care of the Elderly (Wards 14,20,22) University Hospital Monklands Care of the Elderly (Wards 14,20,22) ML6 0JS University Hospital Wishaw / Emergency Department University Hospital Wishaw Emergency Department ML2 0DP
Posted by Bigsis1 (as ),
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