As most of you know my mum was taken ill on Saturday and died on Sunday morning.
Her wish and mine for her was that she pass away in the care home and not be taken to hospital. I had power of attorney and told the paramedics over the phone that we didn't want mum taken to hospital unless absolutely necessary, and then for as short a time as possible.
I then heard from the care home that mum had been taken to hospital.
We waited to hear from the hospital and were contacted by A&E staff and OH and I went over.
The picture of a busy A&E department Saturday mid afternoon is not a good one. We imagined noise and mum in a trolley in the corridor.
This post however is in praise of the total experience that we as a family had.
We were told to report to A&E reception then shown to where Mum was. She was in curtained area where they had dimmed the bright lights and paramedic was with mum comforting her until we arrived. They had brought a hospital bed with the right mattress in for her and not left her on a trolley.
After a while they moved mum to a side room on A&E. A totally private room, and brought chairs for us. The overhead light was very bright so the nurse said she would find a lamp which she did, From then on we had a nice subdued light. The nurses were so very kind, lovely to mum and so caring of us too. Cups of tea were produced straight away and a care package from a local charity.
We could have whoever we wanted with us as it was separate room. I messaged my DDs and told them how things were looking to give them the chance to come in to see Nanna. I had waited until then to let them know their nanna was ill as it was GS2's birthday party for school friends that afternoon and I didn't want to bother DD2 during that.
DD1 now a single parent was unable to find child care at the last minute so we kept in touch with her. She would have been able to sort something out for the morning and have come in then. DD2 and DD3 arrived and an extra chair was brought in. We could maybe had got another, but OH and DD3 shared one.
A change of shift at 7.30 and 2 new nurses. We only met one of those but my DDs met them both and said they were as wonderful as the first 2. So caring of mum and of them.
Mum was deeply sleeping when we left at 9. We had to go as my back due to the sciatica was so painful I need painkillers and to lie down , and we had 2 households of hungry cats to feed. DD2 and 3 stayed on and we were to return in the morning unless called out, in which case we would have gone back. Mum became a bit agitated again and was sick (I was so glad her GDs were still with her) The nurses sorted that all out, gave her anti sickness meds and made her comfortable and DDs both said she went into a very deep and peaceful sleep then. Unknown to me at the time they both stayed until 2.30, and left their nanna now breathing slowly and deeply and peacefully asleep. She didn't wake from that sleep and I got the phone call a couple of hours later.
We were all in praise of the wonderful kind and caring nurses. The Dr we saw was lacking in any bedside matter or much basic humanity I would say, but he was a small part of the picture so we shall forget him.
The hospital chaplain came in to see mum and she was a lovely lady who had been a nurse before joining the church. She calm and gentle and we are sure mum had awareness of what was going on and when OH and I discussed it later we had both heard her say Amen. My mum loved God, truly believed she would be reunited with my dad and her loved ones, and the presence of this lady would have given her comfort.
The paramedics were right to override my wishes and take my mum to hospital. The care, attention and drugs to keep her comfortable would not have been possible otherwise. It is a small care home not a nursing home and getting Drs and nurses to attend over the weekend is not easy or even possible maybe.
In our strained and troubled NHS of today, our experience of the passing of an elderly lady over Saturday night and Sunday morning in a busy hospital A&E department was as good as it gets I think.
A definite bouquet from us.
Her wish and mine for her was that she pass away in the care home and not be taken to hospital. I had power of attorney and told the paramedics over the phone that we didn't want mum taken to hospital unless absolutely necessary, and then for as short a time as possible.
I then heard from the care home that mum had been taken to hospital.
We waited to hear from the hospital and were contacted by A&E staff and OH and I went over.
The picture of a busy A&E department Saturday mid afternoon is not a good one. We imagined noise and mum in a trolley in the corridor.
This post however is in praise of the total experience that we as a family had.
We were told to report to A&E reception then shown to where Mum was. She was in curtained area where they had dimmed the bright lights and paramedic was with mum comforting her until we arrived. They had brought a hospital bed with the right mattress in for her and not left her on a trolley.
After a while they moved mum to a side room on A&E. A totally private room, and brought chairs for us. The overhead light was very bright so the nurse said she would find a lamp which she did, From then on we had a nice subdued light. The nurses were so very kind, lovely to mum and so caring of us too. Cups of tea were produced straight away and a care package from a local charity.
We could have whoever we wanted with us as it was separate room. I messaged my DDs and told them how things were looking to give them the chance to come in to see Nanna. I had waited until then to let them know their nanna was ill as it was GS2's birthday party for school friends that afternoon and I didn't want to bother DD2 during that.
DD1 now a single parent was unable to find child care at the last minute so we kept in touch with her. She would have been able to sort something out for the morning and have come in then. DD2 and DD3 arrived and an extra chair was brought in. We could maybe had got another, but OH and DD3 shared one.
A change of shift at 7.30 and 2 new nurses. We only met one of those but my DDs met them both and said they were as wonderful as the first 2. So caring of mum and of them.
Mum was deeply sleeping when we left at 9. We had to go as my back due to the sciatica was so painful I need painkillers and to lie down , and we had 2 households of hungry cats to feed. DD2 and 3 stayed on and we were to return in the morning unless called out, in which case we would have gone back. Mum became a bit agitated again and was sick (I was so glad her GDs were still with her) The nurses sorted that all out, gave her anti sickness meds and made her comfortable and DDs both said she went into a very deep and peaceful sleep then. Unknown to me at the time they both stayed until 2.30, and left their nanna now breathing slowly and deeply and peacefully asleep. She didn't wake from that sleep and I got the phone call a couple of hours later.
We were all in praise of the wonderful kind and caring nurses. The Dr we saw was lacking in any bedside matter or much basic humanity I would say, but he was a small part of the picture so we shall forget him.
The hospital chaplain came in to see mum and she was a lovely lady who had been a nurse before joining the church. She calm and gentle and we are sure mum had awareness of what was going on and when OH and I discussed it later we had both heard her say Amen. My mum loved God, truly believed she would be reunited with my dad and her loved ones, and the presence of this lady would have given her comfort.
The paramedics were right to override my wishes and take my mum to hospital. The care, attention and drugs to keep her comfortable would not have been possible otherwise. It is a small care home not a nursing home and getting Drs and nurses to attend over the weekend is not easy or even possible maybe.
In our strained and troubled NHS of today, our experience of the passing of an elderly lady over Saturday night and Sunday morning in a busy hospital A&E department was as good as it gets I think.
A definite bouquet from us.
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