"A negative patient experience"

My Aunt was admitted to the Borders General Hospital in the first week of Lockdown, and therefore due to restrictions in place I was unable to visit personally. She remained there for approximately 3 weeks. After being assessed it was felt that my Aunt required 24 hour care in a suitable care environment.

It was decided that my Aunt would be moved into a recently opened ward in Upper Deanfield, Hawick at the beginning of May, where she would be closer to family and be able to wait until a suitable placement in 24 hour care setting of her choice was available. Our understanding being she would remain there until 24 hour care placement found. My Aunt settled in well to the environment. She followed the health board regulations and had to be self isolated for 2 weeks. During this period of time my Aunt was the only resident in Upper Deanfield. To my knowledge my Aunt remains negative for Covid-19.

My Aunts Social Worker was working to find an appropriate placement within our home town, to enable her to be close to family. However (due to God only knows) the decision was made to close Upper Deanfield and place my Aunt elsewhere. By which time Upper Deanfield was only caring for 4 residents. After talks with our Social Worker it was felt that the least restrictive move would be to place my Aunt in Lower Deanfield and continue her wait for a 24 hour placement from there. This would hopefully be less stressful and prevent the upheaval of having to move, once again to somewhere new. However through the grapevine it came to my attention that Lower Deanfield had tested positive for Covid-19. On speaking with the social worker he was unaware of this development. He consequently contacted Lower Deanfield and this was confirmed. This then meant my Aunt would not be placed there. After communication with social work the only option available to us was for my Aunt to be moved to Garden View, Tweedbank. My Aunt and I are not surprisingly unhappy at this change of events, and feel that there was no need for this situation to have happened in the first place.

We are now left wondering what the opening of Upper Deanfield was all about and what did it achieve? So far all it has done for my Aunt and me is cause further upset. Did no-one think how this would affect the patients or their families? What happened to the "person centred" approach that is so often talked about. We can not fault the nursing staff in any of this; both at the BGH and Upper Deanfield all have been wonderful with both of us as has social work.

My Aunt is now place further away from her family and has once more to be self isolated for a further 2 weeks. I feel this will have a detrimental effect upon my Aunt. She feels that she has been abandoned and forgotten about as I am now not in a position to just pop round and see her or help to get her any personal items she may require during her stay at Garden View. I am sure many other families are dealing with the same challenges too.

How long my Aunt remains at Garden View is dependant upon a place being available in our home town. Then when ones does become available she will have to face another move and another period of time in isolation.  It would have been far better for my Aunt to have gone from the BGH to Garden View in the first instance, especially if there were beds available at time of discharge. Which I believe there was! It would have prevented all this to-ing and fro-ing. Instead all it has done is cause more added anxiety and uncertainly for both my Aunt and myself in an already difficult climate to negotiate. You have to ask Why? Why offer a service for it to be pulled  and at what cost, personally and financial?