"My Family and I have been left in limbo"

This is the third time my family and I have been up to the emergency department this week. My mother fell and fractured her pelvis on Monday and was brought into hospital. Her fracture was determined stable and she was then sent home. We brought her back in on Friday as she was vomiting and was very constipated, I was very worried as she was bringing up bile and other bodily fluids. I was disappointed when they just took her bloods, sent them off for analysis and gave my mother some anti-nausea medication.

My mother deteriorated over night and we brought her straight back into hospital yesterday. We have been here ever since. The staff finally gave my mother an X-ray and discovered a blockage in her bowel, they have yet to tell us the family or my mother what they believe this blockage to be or even to say what it could be. They also took her bloods again and she now has a severe infection as her infection markers are elevated. She had an MRSA swab done and it came back as inconsistent so we know are waiting on another swab to come back before she can be transferred to Craigavon. My sister is a nurse and is currently sitting with my mother and she can’t understand why the staff won’t tell her anything. We have been left totally in limbo by the department and this is not acceptable treatment for anyone, especially not my elderly mother. We as a family are very concerned as how did an infection appear in her blood not even 10 hours after the previous sample was taken... this just doesn’t make sense.

The only positive thing about my experience has been the feedback assistant, coming and speaking to me and listening to me regarding my mother. Even though what has happened to her has happened I don’t want this to happen to another family and I hope that something will change as a result of the treatment my mother and family have received.