Sittingduck
Recycles dryer sheets
My father just passed away at the age of 87. He had a lot of medical problems as well as severe nerve damage that reappeared later in life due to being a polio survivor which he had when he was very young.
While my wife and I were out of town he had a fall and was take to the hospital where he was also diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. He failed a swallow test due to the polio nerve damage and because he refused a feeding tube (which I can identify with) they stopped all food and water. They didn't want the liability of him getting pneumonia from aspirated food or choking. They wouldn't agree to him signing a waver. He was in the hospital for 5 days without food and water by the time we arrived home. (During that time when my brother stopped by on day 3, a nurse had disconnected his IV so he was not even receiving hydration or the antibiotics for the UTI. He threw a fit and they hooked him up again).
Dad was alert and mentally pretty sharp considering everything
. We had a plan to get him discharged that day to a care facility that would feed him pureed food or regular food if he would sign a release. The hospital couldn't get that arranged right away so he would spend another night at the hospital without food or water. I was pretty aggressive in demanding they get him at least some pureed food. I asked the floor administrator when was the last time she went a week without food or water. I wanted to know what it was like because I never had experienced it. They finally got a doctor to sign off on the meal.
Fortunately I got to spend his last day with him. I called him from home at 7:00 PM to see how he was, but he couldn't get too much down - it was just too unappetizing for him.
He died shortly after. His heart gave out. The final indignity that capped off the day was that in the time I called him to the time my brother reached the hospital at 10:30PM, someone had stolen his wallet. I knew it was in his gown pocket, because I had him give it to me so I could take a picture of his medical card so I could call his insurance company about the transfer delay. I helped him put it back.
What is really maddening is that this is a high profile Hospital in Northern Illinois and you have to literally walk around posters on easels in the hallways proclaiming they are one of the best hospitals in the state.
We filed a police report, but the hospital has been non responsive. The wallet must have been lost in the laundry was their comment. My daughter tells me "Dad, if you want to get their attention - make complaints on social media, they have people watching for that". Aside from just venting - I am wondering what you might think about that approach. We are not looking for a lawsuit, but we want them to know for this patient their care sucked.
Thanks for listening.
While my wife and I were out of town he had a fall and was take to the hospital where he was also diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. He failed a swallow test due to the polio nerve damage and because he refused a feeding tube (which I can identify with) they stopped all food and water. They didn't want the liability of him getting pneumonia from aspirated food or choking. They wouldn't agree to him signing a waver. He was in the hospital for 5 days without food and water by the time we arrived home. (During that time when my brother stopped by on day 3, a nurse had disconnected his IV so he was not even receiving hydration or the antibiotics for the UTI. He threw a fit and they hooked him up again).
Dad was alert and mentally pretty sharp considering everything
. We had a plan to get him discharged that day to a care facility that would feed him pureed food or regular food if he would sign a release. The hospital couldn't get that arranged right away so he would spend another night at the hospital without food or water. I was pretty aggressive in demanding they get him at least some pureed food. I asked the floor administrator when was the last time she went a week without food or water. I wanted to know what it was like because I never had experienced it. They finally got a doctor to sign off on the meal.
Fortunately I got to spend his last day with him. I called him from home at 7:00 PM to see how he was, but he couldn't get too much down - it was just too unappetizing for him.
He died shortly after. His heart gave out. The final indignity that capped off the day was that in the time I called him to the time my brother reached the hospital at 10:30PM, someone had stolen his wallet. I knew it was in his gown pocket, because I had him give it to me so I could take a picture of his medical card so I could call his insurance company about the transfer delay. I helped him put it back.
What is really maddening is that this is a high profile Hospital in Northern Illinois and you have to literally walk around posters on easels in the hallways proclaiming they are one of the best hospitals in the state.
We filed a police report, but the hospital has been non responsive. The wallet must have been lost in the laundry was their comment. My daughter tells me "Dad, if you want to get their attention - make complaints on social media, they have people watching for that". Aside from just venting - I am wondering what you might think about that approach. We are not looking for a lawsuit, but we want them to know for this patient their care sucked.
Thanks for listening.