"Poor care for my grandfather, a terminal cancer patient"

My grandfather was admitted to urology for re-catherization and ended up being in there for 6 weeks. Doctors had told us he would be back at home making boxes for the garden which he was doing a couple of weeks before admission.

Prior to admission my grandfather was mobilizing himself. He would walk to the garden, round the block, even to the toilet but would need assistance of carers for other things only 2 days this was implemented before. Before admission my grandfather had no pressure sores, clean teeth, shaven, immaculately clean and tidy, could feed himself and would drink huge amounts of fluids. My grandfather was then moved to another ward where the care he received was even worse - he had bruising which appeared all over his arms and had a couple of skin tears. We had asked but not been given cot bumpers to protect him whilst in bed as he would always lean to one side due to his tumour.

Nurses had told me on more occasions than I can remember that they were turning my grandfather for pressure relief but every time I had visited and that was very often he was always on his back his dressing had been left on that long they were all weepy. I asked whilst in there to change his dressing I even offered myself to change it but I was never allowed to.

They had left meals for him to eat which half of the time he had spilt. Medication more often than not was left on a pot on the table in his bed or on the floor which he could not put the tablets in his mouth or lift a cup. When I left I’d always give him the call bell every time I went in he'd never have it. One time it was left at the top of his pillow tucked in. How was he going to reach it? My grandfather said to me once if only I could tell you.

It seemed to me that he was not being given fluids, they said he was refusing it. Every time family would go in he would drink like a fish so then would go on a drip for re-hydration. He also contracted c difficile and mrsa whilst in there care which the test I had requested myself.

By the end of his stay my grandfather was incontinent. On discharge from hospital my family were told that he was clear from infection meaning no more cdifficile when 2 days after being home we requested his own gp do a stool sample.

After my grandfather’s death, we received the test results in which he tested positive for cdifficile. My grandfather was a terminal cancer patient with no pain management he was given paracetamol for god sake. 4 days after discharge my grandfather lost his life. I think this is down to the impact of treatment he received in this hospital's care. I sincerely hope this never happens to anyone else.