Dear Heather,
Your story has made me feel so angry and disturbed. I know my parents, who
are regular church visitors at aged care institutions, dread & fear the
thought of ending up in a place like that. My father was furious the other
day at two young AINs reading aloud a tender, loving letter from a wife to
her husband who had had a stroke. They giggled at her loving remarks and
sentiments, destroying their intended meaning. Although the old fellow was
paralysed, his eyes & mind were not. Obviously the young women thought
that such love was absurd in an old couple and given his condition. My
father did not report their behaviour, he felt it wouldn't change their
attitude.
I pointed out to him that the crisis in aged care funding has meant that
professional, well- trained "nurses" are no longer affordable in many
hostels and homes. However, nothing excuses that lack of 'caring'.
Inservice training that could address such attitudes is also becoming
scarce. However, in your situation, the appalling care was in a hospital
where a higher standard should be possible.
As I am involved in teaching young nurses, and hopefully shaping their
atitudes, I would very much like to share your story with a group of year 2
students. May I have your permission?
Felicity
At 04:45 PM 08/20/1999 +1000, you wrote:
>Hi All,
>Have just finished going through the 200 plus em's awaiting my return to
>the computor.
>I've been away for 12 days-having been called to my dear Dad's bedside
>following his admission to hospital with an acute illness. In fact it
>was a drug induced nightmare (he was on A/B's for a tooth abscess-
>repeat by one) and developed a profound thrombocytopenia. Admission
>platelet count of 100 (no NOT 100,000) and bleeding from mucosa's. What
>a bloody night mare that little journey was. Essentially my greatest
>sadness comes from being around the most appauling nursing care I'd ever
>seen!!. What has become of good general nursing care? It was not just
>the three medication errors of my dad's first 4 days in hospital but
>more the neglectfull, disrespectfull, humiliating treatment that the
>other old folk received in the ward he was in. I suppose I feel like I
>have allways (the last 14 years anyway) been actively involved in
>political action for maternity choices, women's rights ect (yes I payed
>the $10 to get the senate inquiry submission delivered on time- I lost a
>day travelling down to see dad) and I've done my bit on a local level
>for years. But now I realize that there is another sector of society-
>middle aged/older men who are also being abused by our health system!!
>I just feel so very very sad about the lack of humility, undertanding
>or even basic care shown to my dad's room companions by the staff. It
>was interesting that the only health worker that offerred what I believe
>to be reasonable care was a young woman RMO. When it got to the stage of
>no improvement for dad- we'd exhausted platelet stores (he had 47 units
>infused) high dose steroids were ineffective, 12 infusions of intragam
>ect wasn't helping -her atitude was humble .....
>(medical management can cause damage that they are unable to repair) and
>she asked my dad to call on his own healing abilities, to use his
>thoughts, his own will, to focus on his body's ability to turn back the
>harmfull process that had become established. She responded to my dad's
>cynical, weary reply with such deep affirmation of him that I feel a bit
>teary when I think of it. And yes from the next day things began to
>change, and change for the better. Not that I was happy with many other
>incidents along the way, or his discharge with a platelet count of only
>500. But that RMO was a bit of a light in what was a gloomy setting for
>healing and yes death that occurred in medical ward 3. For me I say
>shame on those cruel staff and I prey/ask for their movement back into a
>heart space during their important work. And in many ways I feel
>gratefull for having had a chance to be midwife to those older men- sit
>them up so they don't drown in their sputum, or sit them up so they can
>drink their cup of tea without spilling it and scalding themselves, role
>one on his side and wipe his face so he didn't choke on his vomit
>awaiting a nurse to respond to a call bell, or actually putting the call
>bell in reach so help can be brought, or the bottle in reach, or the
>triangle in reach so some mobility is possibility and so on........
>Enough for the moment! I'm having to consider coming off the list for a
>while-It seems nearly impossible to fit in the time to read/respond to
>the list's fantastic diverse discussions.
>I'll close for the moment as I need to pack/check my birthing kit for an
>impending homebirth. I'll offer some closing responses tomorrow, and
>then it will probably be goodbye for a while.
>Thankyou for being a place to share my recent experience- so different
>to the wonderfull home death story I 've just read. Once again the
>shadow and the light.
>Heather Gulliver.
>--
>This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics.
>Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
>
>
______________________________________________________________
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has"
Margaret Mead
_--_|\,-- From Townsville ** Felicity Croker
/ \ in sunny ** Psychology & Sociology &
\_.--._/ North Queensland ** Centre for Women's Studies
v ** James Cook University
** TOWNSVILLE, QUEENSLAND 4811
AUSTRALIA
PH: (07) 4781 4909
INTERNATIONAL: 61747814909
FAX: 61 7 4781 5117
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