My mother is in her 90s and was referred to A&E by the Out Of Hours unit as they suspected she would need intravenous furosemide type medication as she wasn't getting rid of enough fluid via her double dosage of furosemide at home. She was put on oxygen and various drips and was treated for pneumonia.
She sat in a corridor overnight with no food to eat and no seat for her family (we eventually commandeered a broken wheelchair). She was then moved to a chair in Majors where she sat, in total, roughly 27 hours, shoulder to shoulder with other very sick patients . Some of whom were sitting there for 3 days already!
She was then moved to a cubicle, where she stayed for three days . I had to wash her in a public toilet where the ambulances arrived - due to a suspected outbreak of Monkeypox ,all toilets were closed!
Both patients either side of her had dementia and shouted most of the night . She barely slept the whole time she was there and the food was cold and disgusting.
While the staff were lovely, each nurse who tended to her told her to drink plenty of fluids and when I told them that her GP had said to only drink her normal daily amount they asked if she was suffering from heart failure, to which I said yes! They came back later to tell her indeed to just stick to a nominal amount! Scary!
My mother was sent home, being 1st told she would be moved to a corridor on a ward and then later told that there was no chance of a bed! She suffered a very tender bottom from sitting for so long and we are dealing with this at home to ensure it doesn't break out . Also the cubicle wasn't cleaned once while we were there and it was well below the standard of cleanliness expected from a hospital!
I dread to think that my mother would ever have to be admitted there again, indeed I actually think that she would refuse to go! The whole experience was so traumatic and so unfair to any patient needing emergency care .
"My mother's care in A&E"
About: Altnagelvin Area Hospital / Emergency department Altnagelvin Area Hospital Emergency department Londonderry BT47 6SB
Posted by outflowrd93 (as ),
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