Without hitting every last detail….here’s the latest on my poor grammy’s terrible ordeal:
Grammy was seen in the emergency room on Friday (after a 5+ hour wait). The good news: they determined the distended tummy was not life threatening…she was blocked up by the pain killers. The bad news: they didn’t check her back any further…so, now, after coming home for the weekend, she is heading back out tomorrow to have x-rays done. I’m praying they take her to an x-ray facility and not back to the ER (if she only needs x-rays, she’ll be at the bottom of the priority list and will likely be there for 12+ hours waiting on a gurnery in the hallway) And…they won’t medicate her while she waits.
Dad was there Thurs-Sun…she is in tremendous pain. They are giving her pain medication, but it isn’t enough. When I called her this evening…she answered the phone as though I had raised her from the dead…and then said, “Oh, Darlin’, I’ve fallen and am in a great deal of pain. I can’t talk.” I was concerned she had fallen again, but was able to determine she was sitting on the edge of the bed. Getting up and down is extrememly painful for her.
As a result of her Alzheimers (which is now worse than ever) she can’t remember what is happening from one moment to the next. She doesn’t remember that my dad was there. She actually thought my dad was her husband for quite a bit of the time he was there. She didn’t know that her son was my dad. She forgets to lay still until she is again reminded by serious pain.
I feel helpless. My poor mom had to get off the phone with me tonight to cry. We are all sick to our stomachs.
The facility has suspended the Executive Director and head nurse, but are now saying this has all been a ‘miscommunication issue’. They claim Grams has a history of fallling (according to her chart, she fell ONE TIME IN 2005) and that they often find her sleeping on the floor. (outright lie) They also now claim that maybe her back isn’t really broken…apparently their HEAD NURSE may have read the hospital report incorrectly (the head nurse doesn’t know how to read hospital reports???? and the ‘fracured L-2′ isn’t serious?) I hate these people.
They offered to pay for my dad’s trip for his ‘trouble’. Sounds like an itty-bitty admission of guilt, no? Dad’s too smart to fall for that. Told them there would be plenty of time to talk money. PS…this facility is NOT FREE~! How’s this for $3000/month care?
Bottom line….Grammy is in bad shape. She is in miserable pain, yet surrounded by people who aren’t paying enough attention to make sure she is cared for. Mom is getting back on the phone tomorrow to get her pain medication increased…since we’re told it could be 6-8 weeks before her back is any better.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your prayer and love. She needs it. So do my parents.
I hope the comment from you dad about plenty of time to talk money later scared them. It sounds like they need to make some major changes.