"A positive experience"

My sister has had many traumatic experiences in MAU but we want to acknowledge the good. She recently spent 8 days on the ward, she was refusing to go initially due to a very recent traumatic admission it was decided for her it was necessary. When she was waiting Jen who's amazing with her, was leaving and went out her way to say hi and let her know she'd be back in the morning. She trusts Jen so was determined to try her best not to have any behaviour management issues overnight.

She was put straight into a room after triage, there was a long wait to see a Dr which she was coping well with but I could tell by her behaviour her pain was becoming unmanageable. I spoke to staff and they got a Dr named Fraser who was covering to see her, he was limited in what he could do until she had a full assessment but was great with her and able to see her case is extremely complex and she was becoming increasingly agitated. He arranged for some stat meds to try and settle her until she was seen properly. I left around midnight as there was a delay with her meds due to issues getting venous access until Kat finally managed.

There were some issues with her meds overnight as they weren't on HEPMA yet but she managed to stay calm and persevere. Jen came to check in on her in the morning and she expressed her worries to her. She then chaperoned her consult with Dr Keith as she was a bit reluctant to see any Dr's. He was patient, apologetic and put a plan in place for her care. She was sceptical of this as a similar plan had been put in place recently and on his day off it changed and she was discharged and it so happened both him and Jen were off the following day.

Jen checked on her before she left and said she would check in on Friday morning. On the Friday Dr Keith seen her again and explained she would have to stay longer and his reasons why, this helped manage her expectations and process his decision. This was also a big test for her as neither him or Jen would be there over the weekend. She was going for a scan on the Monday afternoon and Jen hadn't realised she was still in as she'd had no behaviour management issues reported from the weekend.

She asked her what she thought was different this time and it was as simple as being listened to, clear communication, getting meds as close to schedule as was possible and no constant changes to her care plan as is often the case in MAU. She also felt comfortable asking for meds when she needed them which she normally doesn't do as she's scared to press her buzzer, they reassured her it was necessary for them to ensure she had a proper pain management plan in place, I think this has been a huge barrier for her in the past.

Due to her autism she exhibits pain and emotions differently so often doesn't look or sound in pain but tends to lash out verbally, become non verbal, harm herself or abscond and this is mistaken as poor behaviour.

There are too many staff to mention Laura, Olly, Claire and Romke her main nurses and the HCSWs were great with her.

This was a total contrast to previous admissions and shows how crucial communication is for patients especially those with additional needs it creates a better environment for everyone. It gave us as a family peace of mind leaving her knowing she felt safe and settled.

There was one incident with food she has ARFID and other feeding issues but agreed to try a meal as she was on a food chart and worrying about calories. She asked to see and smell it first which is normal for her, she was offered a smaller more plain version but they suggested she could just pick around it, but this isn't something she can do. I came straight up with a safe option as she was becoming agitated and I wanted to avoid a meltdown. This can be used as a learning opportunity for those with similar conditions.