"A few concerning matters about my father's care"

My father was re-admitted following his discharge from ICU/ACCU after he developed the C. Diff infection. Whilst for the most part his nursing care was good there were a few matters that gave us, as a family, cause for concern.

My father was initially fortunate enough to be in a room that had an en-suite. However he was subsequently moved to a very small room without a bathroom, requiring him to use a commode. As he had been diagnosed with C. Diff his use of the commode was frequent. As if having D. Diff was not distressing enough for him, people would often just enter the room when he was using the commode, for instance on one occasion the tea-lady walked in. He was weak, distressed and embarrassed about his lack of control over his bowels and felt humiliated at having to use a commode in a small room without the privacy of a private bathroom.

On one occasion he asked a nurse for a replacement bowl for the commode and a toilet roll. When he woke from a nap the bowl and toilet roll had simply been left at the foot of his bed.

My father has a spinal injury and at no time was he asked if the placement of the commode was convenient for him in conjunction with his reduced ability to get out of bed, thereby causing him further discomfort. The commode was eventually moved to the other side of his bed which made it easier for him given his lack of mobility following a request from my mother.

My father underwent daily blood tests and stool samples. He had been advised that once the results showed no further infection he would be required to spend a further three days in hospital to be sure the infection had completely cleared. On Saturday my father was incredibly distressed and depressed, he had been in isolation for some time and wondered at his prospect of ever getting home. He was so distressed my mother was extremely worried about his welfare after she had visited him, to the point she spoke to a nurse about it. The following day when my mother arrived to visit she was informed she could take my father home as he was okay to be discharged. It would appear the infection test results came back as clear the previous Thursday but nobody had mentioned this to either of my parents. Had my father been told this he would not have been so distressed on the Saturday. Further, had my mother been made aware she could have reassured him and been prepared for his imminent return home.

My father was surprised when one doctor patted him on the shoulder, remarking "don't worry old boy we all get stomach upsets from time to time' and promptly prescribed him Imodium. The following day a different doctor told my father he should not take Imodium as it was necessary for the C. Diff infection to pass through his system.

It felt to us and him that whilst the infection was being treated there was little care or attention to his mental well-being, from the lack of communication, to the lack of facilities in that he did not have a 'proper' private bathroom to use. He had to rely on being cleaned by nursing staff (again much to his embarrassment) rather than be able to use a shower.

He has told us that some of the nurses were particularly kind and caring but there were others who clearly lacked any bedside manner.

Being in a small room, with no bathroom, no view to speak of coupled with a lack of communication did not help my father's recovery and gave us all much concern.