"Care of the Elderly - Dying"

My grandmother on 97 years old was admitted to Cedar Ward, the nursing staff were not geared up for caring of the elderly. The ward was very mixed with mostly young people and i tried to get my Nan moved to Chestnut Ward where she had stayed previously and had a good experience and had built up trust and rapport with the staff on Chestnut. However the consultants from both wards would not agree to her move and my request fell on deaf ears.

My Nan was denied breakfast (Porridge) and instead given an alternative that she couldn't even swallow 'Cornflakes' even though the nursing staff were aware of her difficulty with swallowing. I walked in one morning to find her sobbing and crying out aloud for help, she said that her belly was burning with hunger! I asked her what had happened and she told me that the had just ignored her and when she told them she couldn't swallow they just left the plate on the table and walked off.

Another patient also informed me that the nursing staff on Cedar Ward had been ignoring my Nan and corroborated what had happened. I found out that the kitchen on the ward was non operational and the staff had no access to milk/ porridge and couldn't be bothered to go to another ward to accommodate my Nans request.

My Nan was dying and we had been given the sad news that she would be eventually transferred to the Margaret Centre. How can nursing staff be so cruel, I really think that it's hit and miss at Whipps Cross, it really depends on what Ward you get. I don't want to be totally negative as there is wonderful staff at Whipps Cross but the staff on Cedar Ward have left me with a negative view of this hospital and memories of my Nan crying at their treatment.