"Elderly care"

The irony here is in the title perhaps more fitting is 'the lack of elderly care'! Because a person becomes old and unable to care for themselves doesn't not make them incapable of emotions. They way my mother has been treated at pilgrim is disgraceful, in fact I would suspect it crosses several safeguarding issues. The lack of compassion, understanding and empathy from the ward staff is disgraceful. The communication to us the family has been disgusting and conflicting, at times getting told several different accounts. Leaving elderly people to feed themselves and then suggesting they haven't eaten much when it's obvious they can't feed themselves is unethical and degrading perhaps those employed in these departments should experience the care they give! I understand the public sector, the pressure, the targets, the cuts, extremely well but I also have passion for what I do, and I care about those under my supervision. My father has been left feeling emotionally drained by the constant battle to get information from the staff, from the lack of listening to what he has to give them. He knows his wife and know what home care she has been receiving please listen to what he asking, don't dismiss what he has to say. The condiscending manner some of the staff has is blatantly rude. Nurses at the nurse station, chatting laughing whilst several lights are on with patients waiting, waiting and still awaiting attention.

Organisation is ridiculous, no department within the same building can seemingly talk to each other. My mums discharge has been a joke, repeatedly told you are being discharged today to then getting told 2 minutes before transport was to arrive ' ah your not going today', just like that no sorry, no I know you were wanting to get home.....but........

So dignity and respect I would say minus 5 stars here.... caring for people at this stage of their life is career choice and you should treat these individuals like they were your own grandparents, your own family, as if you understand the illness they have, the emotions they must feel. They are certainly not a statistic, a number, a nuisance.... this how we feel as a family we have been treated, and certainly how my mum and dad feel.