"RHN Rahabilition Great Long-Term Care Go Elsewhere"

Anything else?

I arranged for my Sister who suffered a Cardiac Arrest in October 2011 which resulted in hypoxic brain damage and is now is a state of PVS, to go to RHN on recommendation from Charing Cross Hospital as they offer world class rehabilitation and long-term care services specially for those with brain injuries. I have to admit that the service supplied and experienced within the rehabilitation services of RHN was indeed impressive. After a slight rocky start which we put down to “teething issues” we found that this improved. The staffs were found to be caring, professional and attentive.

At the end of the Rehabilitation Period, we looked at a number of homes as a long-term care solution for my Sister. Of the four viewed we short-listed this to three of which RHN was our second choice. Due to vacancy issues at our first choice, we accepted a placement at RHN long-term care on Glynn Ward. From day-one we was surprised that the handover from the previous ward seemed not to have taken place and that we started experiencing “teething issues” again. I therefore arranged to a meeting with the Ward Manager during which it became apparent that she was more interested in defending and making excuses for her staff that actually listening to our concerns and putting in place an adequate solution. Since my Sister has been on Glynn Ward we have encountered a number of issues such as dirty floors, the cannula brush to clean my Sisters inner cannula on her tracheostomy left on top of a bedside unit not in a kidney dish. Antibacterial dispensers often found to be empty. My Sister clothed in other peoples clothing. Other peoples clothing found within my Sisters dirty laundry. We also found that my Sister was being left for between 4-8 hours a day in soiled pads with both loose faeces as well as urine. As a result of this my Sister ended with a sore on her lower back which we were advised by staff at Charing Cross Hospital to be caused through a breakdown of skin cells as a result of prolonged contact with soiled pads.

More concerning is that my Sisters bed is immediately adjacent to a window and radiator. My Sister suffers from COPD, I found that the window was being left open at night. This resulted in two admissions back to hospital with pneumonia and/or chest infections. I have asked the Ward Manager and staff to ensure that the window is kept closed at night as the damp night air will go straight to her chest and caused chest infections. Despite this the problem continues and my Sister now has to be readmitted to hospital on a regular basis. The last time she was admitted with pneumonia and it was also found that she was suffering from a kidney infection which was caused through dehydration. My Sister was discharged from Charing Cross on Monday 22/04/13 back to RHN Glynn Ward and by Wednesday 24/04/2013 has had to be readmitted back to Charing Cross Hospital with yet another chest infection.