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["Lynn Wigglesworth" <lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com>]

An update; I went to see my mother yesterday, after her surgery on Tuesday 
afternoon. She wasn't doing well; total mental confusion. She couldn't say 
anything that I could understand...she often has trouble finding the right 
word, but usually could describe the thing she was refering to. Not this 
time...random words were coming out. At first she didn't know who I was (I'm 
not sure she ever did...I think she thought I was my sister). I spoke to the 
nurses (their attitude is that she's a "confused older woman"), she was 
eating well, so I guess they didn't care what she was babbling. I also spoke 
to her GP who visited her. He said that "older people get like that when 
they are taken from familiar surroundings"...but she's been there since 
Sunday and was normal up until the surgery. It was a night and day 
difference before and after the surgery, but I seem to be the only one who 
sees that.

I finally contacted the hospital administration with my concern that she's 
had another stroke...she's acting exactly the way she did when she had her 
stroke. The head of nursing called me back and said that she would "look 
into it" and call me before they transferred my mother to the rehab center. 
She thinks it's just the lingering side effects from the anesthesia. If is 
IS another stroke, rehab might be better than the hospital for her anyway.

Lynn Wigglesworth

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lynda" <lurine AT com-pair.net>
To: <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 1:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Homestead] Anti-hospital Rant


> By-pass the floor and go straight to administration.  Tell them that you 
> are
> fully aware of how the Medicare system works and that if they don't
> straighten up and give your mother the appropriate care you will be making 
> a
> demand for a FULL (important word to use) Medicare review of the WHOLE
> hospital and its care of patients.  Further, you want to know when the 
> next
> QA Committee (Quality Assurance) meeting is and that you demand to be put 
> on
> the agenda.
>
> Inform the head of the medical staff, they should have a medical director,
> that you will be filing a complaint with the state medical board if care
> does not improve immediately.
>
> And, you are correct about clots, etc.  Further, every P & P (policy and
> procedure manual and all hospitals have them) that I've ever seen calls 
> for
> *immediate* treatment of a compound fracture!  That doesn't mean wait two
> days, that means getting an orth surgeon called in to do emergency 
> surgery!
> This is particularly important in the elder when blood flow is a problem 
> and
> the longer you wait the more likely you are to further compromise their
> circulation.
>
> Lynda
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Lynn Wigglesworth" <lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com>
>
>
> > Since the list is slow this morning, it's time for a rant. My mother, 92
> > years old, fell on Sunday morning and broke her arm. I saw the xray in 
> > the
> > ER, and it's a bad break, jagged, and open, with a large chunk of bone
> > detached and off to the side.
> >
> > She was admitted to the hospital from the ER Sunday afternoon, and they
> > have
> > done NOTHING for her yet. I watched the nursed change her sheets and roll
> > her over on the broken arm...my mother was screaming in pain, and they
> > just
> > say "I know it hurts, but we have to get this sheet out from under you".
> > They wouldn't feed her in case the specialist wanted to rush her to
> > surgery.
> > As far as I know, she's had one or two meals since breakfast on Sunday.
> > The
> > specialist didn't even look at her until Monday evening, and they didn't
> > schedule surgery until 3:00 today. She could starve by then.
> >
> > Isn't there a serious danger of a clot causing embolisms or aneurisms 
> > with
> > an open break? She's been trapped in bed since Sunday morning, so her 
> > poor
> > circulation is further challenged.  Is that any way to treat an old lady?
> > Why I hate doctors and hospitals. I call/show up and throw a hissy fit 
> > for
> > them to do something for her, but no one pays attention to me...I'm just
> > "that crazy daughter".
> >
> > Lynn Wigglesworth
> > Tioga Co. PA
> >
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