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Care Opinion

Care of the elderly

Posted By fifi2

"Care of the elderly"

About: Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France / General Medicine

(as a relative),

My mother was admitted after a fall. She was on a trolley for 12 hours during which time no one offered her a drink, anything to eat or even asked how she was.

She ended up on a care of the elderly ward. After visiting for 4 days in a row she still had the same dirty nightdress on and her toilet stuff remained unopened and unused. Every time I came in she was on the opposite side of the bed from her locker and all her books, magazines and fruit, biscuits etc were out of reach. Her dinner was often placed out of reach and went cold. As staff were busy doing a crossword, I don't think it was due to them being short staffed.

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Responses

Response from Maggie Higgins, Senior Charge Nurse, Medicine of the Elderly, NHS Lothian 7 years ago
Maggie Higgins
Senior Charge Nurse, Medicine of the Elderly,
NHS Lothian

Submitted on 05/12/2016 at 16:33
Published on Care Opinion at 16:36

Hello fifi2

Thank you for taking the time to share your story with us. I am disappointed to read that this happened on one of our care of the elderly wards and I am so sorry.

I am not a 100% sure which ward your mother was on, so I am finding it difficult to give you a personal response. However I wanted to let you know what should have happened, we have tools in place that should have meant that your mother was not left without a drink and I would like to have thought that a member of our team would have helped her to have access to her things and I am sorry that didn't happen.

You don't say if you mother is at home now and if she is I hope she is doing well. If you would like to have a chat please do give me a ring or email if you prefer. 0131 242 2023 (direct line) Maggie.higgins@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk. What I am going to do now is share this story with the rest of my team and colleagues within other wards to reinforce that these things are important.

Thanks again for taking the time to share this with us.

Best wishes

Maggie

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