"My mum"

My mum was admitted with sepsis and cellulitis in one leg but had been in good health and able to walk! Her kidneys were effected and she was quite poorly but caught quite early. She was moved from an assessment unit to 6b the day after she was admitted. She fell  because staff said she had to stand. She is a bigger lady  and after the first week of using a bed pan and staying in bed she had bad sores. She is terrified of falling and shakes, so when OT and physio came to her she was hesitant to stand.This was because she had been given an oversize chair and with a shoulder injury from earlier years she was unable to lean on the two arms to push herself up.  We explained this but they just said she kept saying no. They wanted her to go to rehab but she got refused. I asked to see report but that was declined apparently it is confidential.

My daughter and I phoned Pals for advice as they were going to send mum to a home. They told us to speak to nurse in charge on the ward which we did. We went to meet them and try to get mum out of bed to see if she could stand. We arrived at ward with mum's walker which she trusted and the 2 nurses hoisted mum out of bed and mum stood twice with walker and sat down again. Nurse said I’m going to do new referral as no one has seen her stand like this?! That weekend I visited and was met on the ward by a nurse saying we’ve had to fit all these ladies in this room with catheters. All 3? But I heard the staff complaining about being short staffed continually, I think they did this to make it easier on themselves.

A few days later mum told me that a consultant had told her if she had heart attack they wouldn’t resuscitate, this was without consulting family and ended up upsetting her. She was consistently told everyday that she was going to a home. They didn’t get her out of bed in time for physio every time we requested physio she wasn’t helped at all. After nearly 7 weeks of saying no to care home we have her home with full care package from Lincolnshire care which is all thanks to Jo in adult social care, she was our lifeline. Mum had been on 5b earlier in the year with a head injury, but was treated lovely. This was during covid so we weren’t allowed to visit. She came home after 10 days well and well cared for. The visiting on 6b is random. We'd been told that you had to ring at 7.30 am on the day to book, but on several occasions I heard people booking the night before so when you phoned on the day slots were already booked. I was told one day mum's sister was visiting and I told mum who got excited but they had it mixed up so mum didn’t get a visit that day.  I felt my mums weight was discriminated against. Mum now home but can’t walk and feeling life changed as now with a catheter she will never go out as we can’t transport her. Why was this treatment allowed.