Man finally discharged after 6 months in hospital
A man with an intellectual disability who was stuck in an Auckland hospital for six months has finally been discharged.
However, the operation he was admitted for is yet to be completed.
Arthur Brown was admitted to Middlemore Hospital in October for a hip replacement.
His hip has still not been replaced. He has also lost the ability to walk and began experiencing ‘‘excruciating’’ pain, his sister Fiona Brown said.
She said the bedridden 58-year-old had been ‘‘mistreated’’ and inadequately cared for.
In hospital, Arthur developed a pressure wound that needed surgery to close. At one point, he was down to 38kg – 30kg less than when he was admitted.
Fiona and Elaine Brown, Arthur’s mother, wanted him admitted into a private hospital in Pukekoke – but for months, it had been unclear whether the Needs Assessment & Service Coordination (NASC) or Taikura Trust were financially responsible for him.
Last Tuesday, he was transferred to a private hospital after Taikura Trust and NASC agreed to co-fund the service. However, due to the indecision over funding, no beds were available in the Pukekohe facility, so Arthur moved into a hospital in Franklin, his sister said.
It was a relief to have him out of Middlemore, but they were still desperate to get to the bottom of what was causing his pain, she said. Arthur had come back to life since being in the private hospital, she said.
‘‘He is like a pig in mud.’’ When he arrived he ate his first full meal in months and was reunited with an old friend from IDEA services, which supports people with intellectual disabilities, she said.
‘‘He was just so happy.’’
While in Middlemore, Arthur’s mum and sister stayed with him 24/7 because of his intellectual disability. This is no longer the case.
‘‘We feel OK about leaving him for the first time in months.
‘‘When we left yesterday, they put him in a wheelchair and rolled him out to the lounge – he was so happy, just chatting away.’’
Arthur was set to have an MRI last Thursday that would hopefully provide the family with some answers as to when the hip replacement could go ahead.
Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau has declined to comment on his case, despite the family providing a privacy waiver.