"Mother in 90s admitted to Heartlands late February 2013"

I spent 11 hours in A&E and was absolutely freezing in there even sat with my coat huddled around me. The nurse tried to find some more blankets for my mum. I was told that heating in A&E was controlled centrally. Later on, a bed was found for my mum rather than a trolley but as A&E is not a ward, there were no pillows. Mum eventually was found a bed on AMU at 11. 30 at night. I was frightened to leave her as again it is not a ward and no profile beds are available. I explained that my mum had left sided weakness and has a tendency to slip to right and so was in danger of falling. I also informed staff that mum had not been weight bearing for 2 years and was transferred with a sling hoist.

When I returned to visit mum the next day, I found out that she had been transferred by 2 staff helping her to stand. I then went through the need for a hoist and was told that this had not been documented. On the following day mum was transferred to ward 9. When I went to visit the day after that, mum was sat in chair in thin cotton nightdress and the buzzer was not within her reach. It was the usual worry that drinks had been placed in front of her but no one seemed to be checking if she could actually reach them.

I was told different stories as to when she would be discharged and she was finally discharged at teatime yesterday. As I was leaving ward, another relative started to talk to me. He was a grown man who had left the hospital and had gone home and cried because he was so worried about his mother's care.