"Poor assessment of care needs"

My mum had to be admitted to IRH over Christmas period 2021.  Initially she was treated within ward H North with no issues and received good care.  However, she was transferred to H South ward in the latter stages of her admission for treatment of a UTI.

Prior to becoming unwell, my mum had issues with her mobility and would often require help to sit and stand.  For walking, my mum was using a three wheeled walking aid she could use while out shopping which also transferred into a seat should she need to rest.  During her admission to H South, my mum required assistance with getting in and out of bed and to sit and stand; her mobility had deteriorated while unwell.  We felt that the staff were rude, disinterested and unwilling to help my mum with her mobility needs claiming she was able to carry out these functions independently.  This led to my mum becoming very anxious and her mood very low. 

At one point my mum had asked for a member of staff to help her stand from the toilet which was refused claiming my mum was able to do this without help.  My mum was in agony and found herself crying in the bathroom with no idea how she was going to walk to her bed.  This type of behaviour continued from staff when my mum requested help with one stating the ward isn't a hotel. 

My mum struggled mentally during this time and has since told her family that she had wished herself dead while in the supposed 'care' of staff.  My mum discharged herself early, against the advice of medics, purely because of the attitude and poor treatment from staff.  When advising staff of her decision to discharge herself, one commented asking if she really wants to put all of this onto her family, which left my mum crying once again and feeling incredibly guilty.  The staff had no idea of our family make-up and our ability to care for my mum at home and therefore was a totally unnecessary comment, contributing to the already poor assessment and care needs of my mum. 

Following discharge, my mum initially struggled to deal with how vulnerable she felt, stating she felt totally abandoned by the staff at H South.  I encouraged my mum to make an official complaint however, she worried about the consequences of such should she need to go back to hospital at any point.  Thankfully, my mum is receiving the help she requires at home with twice weekly visits from physiotherapists to help improve her mobility.  Myself and my family are completely at a loss as to why staff expected mum to carry out activities independently which she has needed help with at home.  The nursing assessment of my mum's care needs was extremely poor and while her UTI was treated by medics accordingly, we feel that her overall care was nothing short of shameful and neglectful by the staff.