My daughter-in-law had to change me I felt very degraded
GRAN TELLS OF HUMILIATION AFTER TWICE BEING LEFT SOAKING IN HER URINE AT A&E
A GRANDMOTHER was found in A&E, ‘soaked in her own urine,’ on two separate occasions, according to her devastated family.
One of the incidents saw the 72-yearold being wheeled out of the hospital in a ‘wet-through gown, without any underwear’ as doctors said there were ‘no beds’ – despite other medics proclaiming that the patient needed treatment on a ward.
Stays in hospital are a familiar experience for Bury mother-of-four Bridget, says her family. Known as Bridie to her loved ones, she has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but does not yet qualify for oxygen treatment at home.
When Bridie’s oxygen levels drop and her breathing becomes difficult, which happens intermittently, Bridie has had to go into hospital by ambulance for a few days of treatment. But last month, Bridie was hit with two severe bouts of breathlessness and reductions in her oxygen levels.
The grandmother was rushed to Bury’s Fairfield General A&E to be seen by medics, but family members who care for Bridie say they were left horrified by her treatment in both instances.
During the first incident, starting October 10, Bridie’s family says she spent 36 hours in A&E, over 24 of which she spent ‘left on a trolley.’
During the three days she then remained in hospital, Bridie’s family brought her some fresh clothes.
Although visiting has been limited at the hospital due to coronavirus restrictions, Bridie’s daughter-in-law says a nurse allowed her ‘to sneak into a side room near A&E’ where Bridie was being treated. Daughter-in-law, Stacey, said: “When I went in she was curled up in a ball soaked in urine. All the nurse said was they were short staffed.”
Stacey says she had to change Bridie into fresh clothes herself. Bridie was discharged, only to suffer a similar oxygen dip last week. She was taken back to Fairfield by ambulance on October 27.
But, despite one doctor saying she needed to remain in hospital to have checks, another doctor told her she would need to go home ‘because there wasn’t a bed available,’ claim the frustrated family.
This time, Bridie’s sister was called to collect her from hospital on October 28, where the family claim she was brought out ‘in a wheelchair by a porter in a hospital gown and thin nightie, without any underwear on, again soaked in her own urine.’
Bridie, who wishes for her surname not to be shared, says she was left feeling ‘degraded’ by the shocking experiences and is demanding answers from hospital bosses.
“I couldn’t fault the medical team
whatsoever, they were great. It was the care after,” Bridie told the M.E.N.
“Being taken out of hospital in a nightgown over a wet hospital gown is very shameful.
“My daughter-in-law had to change me. It made me feel very degraded. It’s like you’re just a number and they’ve just left you there.
“I am very nervous about going back there. There was nobody around to help. I was shouting out for the toilet, but nobody was listening to me. There should be more care for people after the doctor has finished with them. There should be more nursing staff.”
Daughter-in-law Stacey added: “She is 72, she is quite frail, she’s lived in Bury most of her life and she’s got four kids, lots of grandchildren. She loves having everyone around, as far as she’s concerned she’s got plenty of life left in her.
“I took her in two weeks ago, you’re not allowed in but I went back with some clean clothes and a nightie. There was one nurse who let
me sneak into A&E because Bridie was in a side room.
“Bridie had been on a hospital trolley for 24 hours. They had managed to get her in a side room. And when I went inside, she was curled up in a ball, absolutely drenched in urine.
“I asked the nurse why she had been left like that, the nurse said ‘well, there’s no staff.’
“While I was there, I changed my mother-in-law, got
her dressed, managed to get a brew down her. Then I had to leave. She was in A&E for a total of 36 hours, and then she was moved onto a ward. “We were fuming. Once is bad enough, but you think ‘yeah, they’re short staffed,’ the nurse did let me in and I did change Bridie myself.”
Only, just over two weeks later, the family say they were faced with the same nightmarish scenario. Stacey said “They told her that she
did need to go back into hospital and that she would need monitoring for a couple of days.
“But then another doctor said there were no beds and that they would need to send her home.
“They called [Bridie’s sister] and when she got there, staff were wheeling Bridie out of A&E in a hospital gown, with a little nightie over the top, no knickers on.
“She was p*** wet-through with urine, absolutely drenched. Bridie was crying, she was absolutely humiliated, she said it was awful.
“We’re fuming. To send her out like that, in a hospital gown with no knickers on, soaked in her own urine. It’s just awful.”
I asked the nurse why she had been left like that, the nurse said ‘Well there’s no staff’ Bridie’s daughter-in-law Stacey