"Shocked by lack of hygiene, poor nursing care!"

Anything else?

My elderly father has dementia and alzheimers and is very deaf. He was admitted just before Christmas with fracture of the pelvis and placed in a medical admissions ward.

When I arrived to visit Sunday afternoon 23rd December I was totally shocked to find he had been left in a chair, stripped bed, in need of the toilet but no one answering his call. His catheter was on the floor and also left bloody on his food table and he was distressed! One of the other visitors said he had been calling for the nurse to take him to the toilet but no one came.

When I asked the nurses the response was curt, 'not my patient', 'you will have to wait' 'we are busy'- after several attempts I finally got a young girl to help. (I also witnessed the same nursing team being rude to other patients and their visitors)

There was no acknowledgement of his alzheimers and the fact that he would need extra help to understand.

I used antiseptic wipes from my own bag to clean him and his bed and table - after an hour and several attempts a nurse finally came to re-make his bed and help him.

I have never in my life experienced such poor care!

My mother and sister said that on their visits to my father the service was better, but I felt I had to voice my shock that an elderly person could be treated in such a way!

He had previously spent 16 weeks in Lewisham Hospital - and although not perfect the whole experience was so much better.

I believe the whole policy of dealing with elderly and confused should be reviewed.