Hospital stay from hell

[Nancy]

Joe's stay in the hospital wasn't eventful enough all by itself. The hospital decided to add more drama to it.

His first roommate was a very ill young man who had multiple medical problems and CHF. He also had "anger management" problems. Prior to Joe being there, he lost his temper, threw things around, screamed, yelled, cried and was finally put into leather restraints. Security had to be called. After Joe was admitted, he went "off" again, same deal, and just prior to his discharge, he didn't like the way they were discharging him, so he started hitting the wall, throwing things, pacing the room, muttering to himself, screaming at the doctors and nurses and threatening them. Security had to be called again.

He had a couple of other roommates who came and went with no problems.

Then last night in the middle of the night, a homeless man with heart problems and psychiatric problems was put in the room. He had a full time babysitter since he also had "anger management" problems too. He became enraged today around dinner time because they had to draw blood and they wouldn't let him go outside for a smoke, tried to light a cigarette up in the room, and then got violent when they stopped him. His 300 pound babysitter had to sit on him to keep him down and several security guards came running. He also was restrained in leathers, and then finally sent to the psych ward.

My poor husband is exhausted. Not only has he had to get over some pretty terrible things, but these on top of it . I certainly was afraid, and afraid for Joe as well. In both cases, the security guards didn't come for at least 10 minutes. That was way too long.

Joe's low sodium diet also caused great problems with the kitchen. They decided to solve the problem by serving him an empty plate for two consecutive meals. The sodium restriction had been noted several times in his chart, even with doctor's orders. No one paid a bit of attention to them. I had to cook his meals again at home. I called a meeting with the nurse manager, who denied that it was anybody's fault and then had a meeting with the dietician, who was annoyed because I was furious that they weren't serving my husband food.

During the period of time that Joe was on Lactulose, which is a laxative, his call button was continually ignored. That's an uncomfortable and embarassing problem. And Joe wasn't the only one. Call buttons were ignored on a regular basis, for long periods of time.

The doctoring has been excellent. But the ancillary care has been horrible! There were a couple of nurses, a patient tech and the housekeeper who have been fantastic. The rest of them, including the nurse manager, should all be looking for new jobs.

So that's my vent for the day. Now I feel better.

 

[Glenda]

Nancy I'm so sorry to hear about Joe's terrible stay in the hospital. He sure didn't need this stress and neither did you. Have you thought about complaining to a higher authority, like the CEO of the hospital? I would sure make him aware of what has gone on. There is no reason that Joe should have been treated like this. Hugs and prayers are coming your way.

 

[Debster]

Hi Nancy! I am SO sorry that it has been the hospital stay from hell. How scary that Joe had to be subjected to two absolutely frightening roommates, and then to starve him on top of it! One would think a sodium restricted diet would be absolutely no problem at a HOSPITAL!!!! Ridiculous. I am glad that his doctors have been excellent and I pray he is on his way to recovery...take care of yourself too Debbie

 

[geebee]

Makes you start to understand people who are afraid to leave their homes. I have always had no patience or tolerance for people who simply refuse to do their jobs. Being overworked is no excuse. If you don't want to do things properly, stay out of other people's way. Whatever happened to the medical oath of "first, do no harm"? Shouldn't that apply to mental abuse as well. Whatever happened to the fact that these medical "professionals" work for us? We are treated as if we should kiss their a%$ for just being there. The hospitals won't do anything because they are afraid these incompetents will quit. I say let them. People such as you describe are more dangerous than helpful.

I can't even say enough about the outrageous fact that they had psych patients on the regular floor. What is that about? I am glad Joe was not physically harmed but the mental stress had to have taken its toll.

I wish you well and out of there soon.

 

[PJmomrunner]

What a nightmare, Nancy! What kind of a hospital is he in??? How do they expect him to get better with no rest and no food??? Poor Joe...it's no wonder he's shakey walking. I hope you write a good letter to that hospital's administrator...and copy the local newspaper! Take care.

 

[bvdr]

Nancy, I'm so sorry you and Joe had to be ringside for all those shenanigans. I can well picture the whole scenario. Violent patients are like sponges that soak up the time and energy of even the best of staff let alone the patients that are unfortunate enough to be sharing a room with them. It probably made the time go by a little faster though .

I'm sure hoping Joe is starting to feel a little better and can get home soon. You are both going to need some quiet time.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Welcome home Joe and Nancy. I'm glad you made it once again.

I second Glenda's suggestion to write to the CEO / COO of the hospital, along with a detailed evaluation sheet. How about a little public scrutiny on the 'evening news'?

I hope everything settles down and you two can return to your normal lifestyle.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Nancy]

The hospital is one of the largest, if not the largest in the area. It is a teaching hospital with a medical school and pharmacy school connected to it, oh, and a dietary school as well . It does heart transplants, and even has a helicopter pad.

Joe is in a cardiology/medical unit. I don't know what the deal is with putting violent psych patients in with other heart patients. I am dumbfounded. Joe has been almost completely bedridden since he got there. If one of those patients had decided to come over and do violence to him, he would have been helpless. I felt helpless myself, and sure didn't want to leave him alone with either of those people.

And the deal with not preparing meals for those with low sodium diets, and deciding to just not feed them is---well, there are not enough nasty words for that kind of care.

I would say that the nurse manager shoulders most of the blame, with the administration and their decisions to intermingle various medical problems without regard for patient safety.

It's a complete lack of common sense.

And the most unbelieveable thing is that Joe had not only one violent roommate, but two.

He's plenty POd and I'm quite sure one of us will end up blasting someone there in the upper levels.

We found out that this particular floor has the reputation for having the worst care in the entire hospital.

 

[PJmomrunner]

"We found out that this particular floor has the reputation for having the worst care in the entire hospital."

Oh, swell! Just the place for a guy with PH, CHF, two prosthetic valves and a serious spleen problem and a systemic infection!

Try to get some sleep, Nancy. You and Joe continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.

With hugs,

P. J.

 

[Guest]

Aye aye aye...that sounds like a TV show episode or movie....

Very sorry about the care, or, rather, lack thereof, that Joe received while in the hospital..... I sure hope the hospital acknowledges what has happened in some form or another....


Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 31swm/pig valve/pacemaker
MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/
chdQB = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/quilt.html
"Something is wrong here, I don't belong here" ... Uncle Cracker ... 'In A Little While'

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Call Buttons being ignored is a good reason to take a cell phone with you when going into a hospital and USING IT to report NO RESPONSE to the admitting Doctor's Office, in spite of regulations against such use!

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Yaps]

Oh I am so sorry for you and Joe.. is there anyone you can voice complaints to? It cannot be good for Joe to be there...... Hoping Joe is safely home with you soon. Love the pup

 

[Ross]

Now you know why I refuse to go back to the hospital voluntarily like I did before. Much of the same type of treatment while I was in. That is bull crap for the patient.

 

[Nancy]

Regarding reporting to doctors about the problems Joe had--

I did report them verbally each and every time a doctor came into the room. Joe did as well. We are not shy.

Hospital care has become so compartmentalized that they all replied in similar fashion, "we, as doctors, write the orders. Nursing has the responsibility to carry it through." Almost to a man or lady they denied having any control over nursing problems. When I told one doctor that she was not without responsibility for such lapses, she shrugged her shoulders and walked out of the room.

One young lady from the diet department, when told of the problem with Joe's low sodium diet, told me that it was nursing's problem, and that the patient had to make sure that things were done right. The nurse manager told me that it was NOT nursing's problem, and said that she thought it was easy to blame everything on nursing.

I never have seen such ridiculous problems and lack of any responsibility for patient care. It wasn't like this years ago, but has become worse with each passing year.

So there you have it. The patient is running their own care, in the words of the nurse manager.

See why I tell everyone to have a family member there as many hours in the day as possible.

The only hope is to report to upper management. But my guess is that it is all done with them turning a blind eye, and the complaint will go into the circular file, after a form letter is sent out to the patient. I would suspect that money is at the root of this evil.

I am not saying that every nurse or tech was terrible. It was split about half and half. The good ones were covering for their lazy peers, and were almost running from room to room, while the other stood around gossiping.

 

[Phyllis]

Dear Nancy,
Late getting to read this thread, but I am just shocked and so sorry that you and Joe had such a horrible experience. Hoping you have him home soon and once things quiet down, I hope that you write letters to all the appropriate authorities and Joe's doctors, including the local paper.

 

[Mb]

Dear Nancy:

This only confirms what I've said for four years now.

YOU ARE NOT SAFE IN THE HOSPITAL IF YOUR ARE SICK. YOU MUST HAVE SOMEONE THERE WITH YOU, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

It also confirms what I've only suspected for awhile. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN HEALTH CARE. YOU MUST RUN YOUR OWN HEALTH CARE.
Cuz, frankly, no one else will do it for you.

The nurses have almost nothing to do with the patients daily care. They do the vitals and the meds, and all of the charting. The PCP's do most of the work of changing bed clothes, getting food out, in general, checking on things. The PCP's are paid an abysmal amount of money, so the help people get to do this work are on the lower end of the employee pool...except for the rare person out there who cares.

The doctors? Well, they probably check on you, if they are in the hospital some 4-5 times a week. They do NOT come in on the weekends, unless you are in dire straits. DO NOT GET SICK ON A WEEKEND.

If you are dying, or might die, you are in LUCK! THEN, they pay attention to you...lots of people will come running, and there is one person who stands there and charts EVERYTHING, so that in the event your family sues them, they have a standing record of exactly all of the things they did correctly to save you.

Of course, if you are in ICU, you do get great care. One on one, round the clock, by the best.

OH, and one last thing. If you are being transported for a TEST, YOUR ADVOCATE CANNOT GO GET A CUP OF COFFEE. They must continue to attend to you. Where they are testing you, they know NOTHING about your health situation.

Now, all of the above sounds cynical. Frankly, it is NOT meant to be. It is just friendly advice for anyone out there who might have to go to the hospital, either for a problem, or heart surgery. You must be responsible for your own care. Family MUST help you. No one cares about you the way they do.

Oh, and the family must have great people skills. They must charm, persuade, negotiate, nudge, smile, compliment and in general kiss a--. to all of the people
taking care" of your loved one. They cannot yell, demand or throw things...as much as they'd like. If they do become difficult, you will get no care at all, cuz no one will want to enter your room, as they will be concerned that you are going to sue them. There is a reason that they all carry personal insurance. Send food items to the nurses station while you are IN the hospital....not after.

Truly, I do not mean to be cynical. Nancy's story is "a typical day at the hospital". You cannot change it. You must understand it, and work with it.

Nancy...didn;'t mean to steal your thread. Just got me going, is all.

I am sure Joe is incredibly happy that he will be coming home soon. He will get GREAT care at home. - Marybeth

 

[Cris N]

Nancy, so sorry to hear of the care Joe received. No patient deserves that. Maybe the "anger management problem" patients were only acting on their frustration .

In addition to writing to the hospital higher ups, I would contact the press & broadcast media (maybe some sort of expose' is in order). Also, I believe every state has a hospital accreditation dept. - I would contact them as well. Hope Joe's continues to get better.

Cris

 

[Curtsmum]

How sad and upsetting, that is the last thing anybody needs,espessially when you are trying to rest and get better.

 

[geebee]

A recent example of how to watch out for yourself. I was in an ER in SoCal about 1 1/2 years ago. I had developed a severe pain in my upper back which was worse with breathing. I was concerned enough to visit the ER. They wanted to do a lung scan with contrast dye. I told them I often had reactions (not always so go figure) to the dye. They said not to worry since I was in a hospital that could get me to care should I react. Now I know the radiology dept. is usually way far away from emergency care and even being in a hospital could be too far for fast treatment of reactions. I refused the test. Later the doctor in charge came in and asked me if I would agree to the test if she sent a nurse with me who had an injection readily available in case I reacted. I agreed to that condition and had a nurse escort to radiology carrying meds. Luckily I did not react that time but things would have been handled if I did.

Unfortunately we get reputations of being "difficult patients" and even worse when we stand up for what we know is our medical rights. There is way too much of "we know what is best for you". How can they feel that way when meeting us for the first time. As we all know, it is impossible to know details just from a quick read of a chart.

As Nancy says - you are either alert and speaking out for yourself or you make sure there is someone with you at all times. Don't ever agree to a hospital that will not let someone in with you 24/7. I have 2 hospitals in my area I would feel comfortable as a patient. One is the hospital at which I volunteer, the other is the one where I had my OHS (which is NOT the "hospital of choice in Cincinnati for OHS" - I won't go near that one). The 2 hospitals I like provide cots for family members, food trays for family members and access to floor kitchens. The nurses are all happy to be there (with a few exceptions) and the doctors are top of the line.

Research and persistence is KEY. Even with that, as Nancy points out, you can still have problems. I sure hope I miss out on the ones Joe has had with this stay.

 

[Granbonny]

I know, Nancy remembers..because she responded to my thread.. of last year..when my S/I/L had 2 botched hernia operations in the spring..and then in august..had such pain..Was put in hospital on a Friday..NO food, until Monday....after many tests decided it was his appendix..Removed..and he still had much pain..Made the first trip to Russia for children's paperwork..Came home in Jan. ..in so much pain..went back into same hospital, doctor's ect..After 4 days of testing..Guess what..they found he still had his appendix. the day they found that..Had 7 doctors in room...Previous, PCP's, techs, surgeons, ect..All trying to save their butts from a lawsuit.. They then, removed his appendix..and in 45 minutes he was up and feeling great..Was able to go back to Russia and bring children home...His Mom worked for the hospital Insurance dept..and was able to clear most of the bills away....for 2nd appendix operation...But, what would have happened if he were not able to return to Russia for children%%3?BOTH..parents must be there for court. and it was March 15th..thank goodness, everything worked out.. On another note, I stayed with S/I/L much of time..so daughter could work..Noticed the cafeteria was always full..of Nurses, doctors, techs, ect..eating lunch and laughing..I Know we have many Nurses on VR.Com..Please, I'm not knocking yall.. but, when my S/I/L was denied food for 2 days..saying..we have no orders for you to eat, ect..just made me so mad..Bonnie