"Caring for my Nan after fall"

Just under two months ago, my Nan suffered a fall at home and was taken to Eastbourne DGH by SECAMB. She spent a few days in CDU, then MAU and, after a UTI was discovered, was subsequently admitted to Hailsham 2.

As a result of the antibiotics she was put on, she became very confused and, I'd imagine, difficult to manage at times. Unfortunately, she also developed pneumonia, which meant more antibiotics and more confusion! Thankfully, the staff (from the Doctors, to the Nurses, to the Healthcare Assistants (and even the housekeeping staff)) were absolutely brilliant! Nothing was too much trouble for them. Whilst on this ward, she became very frail and we were worried about this sudden decline in health. However, the staff took the time to reassure us that she was responding well to the treatment - even if that wasn't immediately obvious from the outside. Happily, her condition gradually improved and towards the end of her stay on this particular ward she had improved dramatically. In my mind, this was greatly down to the conscientiousness of all the staff involved in her care.

As Hailsham 2 closed for refurbishment, my Nan was moved to Seaford 3 where, I'm glad to say, her excellent care continued. A lot of the staff who were looking after her upstairs in the Hailsham ward moved down with her, so she saw a lot of familiar faces. At this point, she was becoming fairly frustrated at being in Hospital for so long (she didn't quite understand how unwell she'd previously been), so, to try and stimulate her, the staff moved her to a window bed. Although she still wasn't the happiest of people, it was a handy tool for taking her mind off of everything. The ward staff continued their excellent care for her and, deep down, I think she really did - and still does - appreciate that. Small things like brushing her hair really demonstrated how caring the Eastbourne DGH staff are!

Happily, after just over seven weeks in Hospital, my Nan was able to leave yesterday and continues to be cared for by the NHS. I've heard many healthcare professionals say that when you're looking after someone, there are two patients: the person who requires treatment and their family; every staff member who we came into contact with seemed to work by that concept.

A massive thank you to everyone at the DGH who looked after my Nan. Without the high levels of professionalism, care and compassion you provided, I highly doubt the outcome would've been the same...a clear example of when the NHS is there for when you need it!