"Ambulance attendance at accommodation for people living with dementia"

This story has been posted by Healthwatch Tameside on behalf of a member of the public. We have their details and will forward any comments to them. They said…

Neighbours have raised concerns around transportation of residents by ambulance to and from a home for people with mild dementia but it seems residents now have much more severe dementia

This house is across the road from them and has regular visits from the blue light ambulances because of the nature of the residents. It has access around the back with a ramp, however most of the emergency services vehicles use the front access. This means that older residents are brought out through the front door, in full view of local residents (it has been reported that some are not covered up or in an appropriate state of dress, it has also been reported that a deceased person was brought out in full view). They have to then be pushed along the street up to the drop kerb and then pushed back up the road to the back door of the ambulances.

The front doors to the complex are locked at 4pm which means ambulance crews can be bringing a resident back and then have to wait outside with them until the door is answered, again in all kinds of weather. One of the reasons given by the ambulances for not using the disabled access is the back is because of parked cars but it seems that now they don’t even try.

Another aspect to this story is the noise side, ie these people are being woken at all hours by slamming of ambulance doors on a regular basis. It is also distressing for them to watch the residents, some of whom they know being transferred in this way.

This has been brought to the attention of organisation who runs the accommodation, councillors and the MP on several occasions with nothing changing. It is getting worse now because of the nature of the residents changing.

Local residents are worried about the safety and dignity of some of the residents when being transported to hospital and back.