"Lack of nutrition and hydration"

I visited a friend at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals (Northern General site). In the same bay as my friend was an elderly confused lady. During my visit of 3hrs over lunchtime she was offered soup and then a cup of tea. She was unable to drink either of these herself. The lady was sleepy as according to my friend she had been awake all night distressed. The lady was offered soup and tea but ‘declined’. It was clear she was too confused to have the capacity to make an informed decision to decline nutrition. I asked whether she could be given some help with her meal but because she was sleepy both the staff nurse and the 2 HCAs covering the bay decided she was too tired to be encouraged to eat. 

My friend told me that later that day when the lady’s family visited she ate a full roast dinner and pudding with their help. 

This lady looked dehydrated but because she was both sleepy and had ‘declined’ nutrition, the staff accepted this & made no attempt to encourage her. 

As a registered nurse myself I was disgusted at the attitude of both the HCAs but especially the staff nurse. It was clear she needed nutrition (she wasn’t helped to have any water either during my visit).