"Mother's lung infection"

My mother was taken to monklands 2 weeks ago with a chest infection. At that time she was very ill but able to feed herself and go to the toilet. She was reading and having normal conversations totally aware and alert.

After a week in this hospital, her infection was not improving and she had become  very frail could hardly move or speak. They changed antibiotics and her infection improved daily. Unfortunately she seemed to get weaker and more frail, the doctors told us it was just down to her not eating much. I stayed with her for 6 to 7 hours each day trying to get her to eat and drink.

I have concerns that she wouldn't have got any nourishment at all if I hadn't been there. The nurses would bring her food and leave it on her table knowing she couldn't possibly feed herself. I found an unopened yogurt which I had been told over the phone that morning she had eaten for breakfast.

We asked several times if she could be fed by tube but were told this was a last resort! My mother at this point was emaciated and saying she wanted to die it was heartbreaking.

Sadly she died on the same day a doctor told us her infection was improving and on the same day we were told a feeding tube was a last resort.

My overriding feeling is that she should have been on a high dependency ward and that much much more care should have been given to her nutrition, especially as this was the problem highlighted by the doctors to me every time I spoke to them.

When my mum was admitted to hospital her infection was at it's worst but after a week and 5 days in monklands although her infection had greatly improved her condition had deteriorated drastically.

I worry that because she was elderly she was not considered worth the effort.