Frustrated with SIL care

[dekatn]

Hi everybody, just need to vent. My 73yr old SIL had quadruple bypass this last Thursday at a very well known hospital in the mid-south. She was moved out of the unit onto the floor last noc. She's doing great, but when we went to visit this a.m., she was beginning to experience some normal pain, she called for pain med. Thirty minutes passed, no one came, my husband, being the protective brother, went to the nurses station to inquire about SIL pain med. Fifteen more minutes passed before she finally got her meds. The dressings on her LLE were saturated, even the tape was wet and beginning to fall off, blood had run down into her TED's, a nurse looked at this and told SIL she would bring her a new pair of "socks". Didn't touch the dressing at all. I know how we all feel when family members start bugging us about their loved ones care, but geez louise, being on the other side of the bed, you get a different perspective. I know it's not always the nurses fault and I'm not trying to play a blame game, but this is ridiculous, I know we are stretched thin, but 3 hrs went by from the time the nurse looked at the saturated dressing and blood and still no response. I'm just really frustrated. There was only one nurse on the floor at the time we were there, it's unbelievable, I don't know how many pt. she was responsible for, but in my opinion it was too many. Thanks for letting me vent. By the way, the dressings did get changed eventually and all is well at the moment.

[clee1]

Keep advocating for your SIL.

I am not a proponent of our currently litigeous society, but the only way these facilities are going to learn not to keep understaffing is to get the shizzle sued out of them: high, hard, and continuously.

Document, document, document - then go get 'em.

[HARRN2b]

It is all about corporate greed. They do not care about the patients. The bottom line is what can they show the shareholders. And I am all for a company making a profit! My mom and I were talking about this tonight. We both agreed it is horrible to get sick in the United States. Something has to be done. I hate to get political but I do not believe that the current administration is going to do anything. They are too much "in bed" with corporations. Sadly, it does not even cost that much to add additional nurses to the facility. Just look at their profits. It is abhorent.

BTW, I hope your SIL is doing better.

[clee1]

I hate to get political but I do not believe that the current administration is going to do anything. They are too much "in bed" with corporations.

The current administration, the last administration, most previous administrations, and the next several administrations are ALL bought and paid for by corporate interests.

You could write the differences between the two dominant political parties inside a matchbook with a grease pencil; and have room to spare.

I am all for companies making a profit, but when profit come BEFORE patient care in a healthcare setting, something is terribly wrong. AND, socialized medicine is NOT the answer either; just ask the UK and Canada.

[pannie]

Clee, I agree with all your points.