"Poor hospital experience"

My mum was in St John's Hospital, Livingston. (Ward 14) from Dec 2021 to March 2022. She went in very unwell and came out filthy, underweight and with pressure sores. Only one family visitor was allowed for nearly the entire time she was in due to Covid restrictions to assist with infection control. Although I came in one day and my mum was wearing someone else's clothing. She was unable to dress herself so a nurse must have put this on her. I couldn't find anyone on the ward to tell so I rang from the car park. The next time I came up the clothing was slung in the corner of the ward, so much for infection control.

Meals were left out, tray tables filthy etc. Apparently patients are offered a wash every day, this is so not the case.  I had to ask on several occasions if my mum could be showered. I was told they would add it to the morning routine the following day. Surely nurses can tell if a patient needs washed and family members should not have to point out the obvious. My mum had had a stroke so was not able to use her dominant right arm. Food was put in front of her she couldn't cut up. Nobody checks or helps and as a consequence she lost so much weight. She wasn't on the stroke ward which I was told was much better, to be fair it couldn't have got much worse!

She was catheterised for her entire stay although she is able to tell you if she needs to go to the toilet. I believe this was to avoid inconvenience to staff  but catheterisation for such an extensive time for no medical reason other than convenience, is borderline cruelty. Due to weight loss and so much time sitting without being moved she also developed pressure sores.

The nursing home she was discharged to said they were shocked at the state she was in on arrival, calling the level of care she had received in hospital disgraceful. She had her catheter removed by nurses at the nursing home and has not required catheterisation since. It's not until someone else points out the treatment my mum should have received that you realise how inadequate the standard of care was.

A fitting coda to this awful tale is that my mum was also discharged from St John's with someone else's belongings from the ward. Bundled in a taxi with the handbag and purse from another patient. The nursing home were good enough to return these to St John's. The nursing staff on the ward quite simply do not seem to care. Worse experience of my life and I am sure of my mum's.