The agony and torture of the elderly during lockdown

[Bee]

Posted elsewhere on forum but will add here.

 

I've just spent 8 days in hospital after admission via A&E. I really don't like what I saw. Lots of elderly patients unable to feed themselves. Not being assisted to eat by staff. Elderly patients were also not drinking and yet no drips were put up for them. No mouth care being given. Three deaths on the ward in the time I was in. I've been in hospital 15 times in the last two and a half years and this is the first time I have seen this. Usually a referral to a dietician would be made, a feeding tube put in if necessary or high calorie drinks prescribed at the very least. This time, I was left wondering if this is part of the governments covid policy to basically off the 'useless eaters'. One ladys' son came in, he was in his late sixties and he was questioning it but just getting fobbed off by staff. He kept saying how when she had been admitted, his mum was 'bright as a button', could feed and wash herself etc. He said that she now looked like something out of a concentration camp. His distress was awful to witness.

 

It wasn't just me who noticed it. I was in a bed next to a lovely lady who trained as a nurse in the 1960's. We both picked up on it and were appalled. I feel the elderly continue to be thrown under the bus and are just being left to decline and die. The lady next to me (in her 70's) felt so strongly she was determined she would not end up at their mercy in hospital and would end her life before it got that far.

 

Patients are only 'allowed' on visitor a day for an hour. Thats not long enough for relatives to spot whats going on. Very convenient.

 

There were very few English nurses on the ward. Most of the nurses were foreign (many bought in from the Philippines) with many whose level of English was not up to standard; it was clear they did not understand what their patients were saying to them. Cant say anything though can you as straight away you will be branded as racist.

 

Was an exceptionally depressing experience and I did not feel safe. I have more confidence in my cats vets than I do the majority of the medical profession. This is not a society to grow old in. Perhaps it never was. If you are elderly and you end up in hospital at their mercy then god help you because the NHS wont.

Edited July 31, 2021 by Bee

[Grumpy Owl]

On 7/31/2021 at 11:29 AM, Bee said:

It wasn't just me who noticed it. I was in a bed next to a lovely lady who trained as a nurse in the 1960's. We both picked up on it and were appalled. I feel the elderly continue to be thrown under the bus and are just being left to decline and die. The lady next to me (in her 70's) felt so strongly she was determined she would not end up at their mercy in hospital and would end her life before it got that far.

 

Slightly off-topic, but sort of relevant to what you are saying: last weekend there was a 'police incident' at a local park, where the body of a 60-year old woman was pulled out of the pool.

 

Typically, the local news site just 'repeated' the statement given out by West Midlands Police, but the key thing that struck me was when the police said the death "was not being treated as suspicious". Hello? A dead body is found floating in a park pool on a Sunday morning, and the police don't consider this as 'suspicious'?

 

I know 60 years old is hardly 'elderly', but this reminded me of things covered in this topic, and it got me thinking about how this is the 'disdain' they have towards our older folks. Where a dead woman can be pulled from a park pool, but the police won't investigate further as they consider it 'not suspicious'.

 

I don't know who this woman was, but my sympathies go out to her family. And while I don't know the circumstances that led to this woman being found dead in the pool, I am appalled that the police consider this 'not suspicious', as it just goes against all my own human instincts.

[Bee]

On 8/1/2021 at 7:18 PM, Grumpy Owl said:

 

Slightly off-topic, but sort of relevant to what you are saying: last weekend there was a 'police incident' at a local park, where the body of a 60-year old woman was pulled out of the pool.

 

Typically, the local news site just 'repeated' the statement given out by West Midlands Police, but the key thing that struck me was when the police said the death "was not being treated as suspicious". Hello? A dead body is found floating in a park pool on a Sunday morning, and the police don't consider this as 'suspicious'?

 

I know 60 years old is hardly 'elderly', but this reminded me of things covered in this topic, and it got me thinking about how this is the 'disdain' they have towards our older folks. Where a dead woman can be pulled from a park pool, but the police won't investigate further as they consider it 'not suspicious'.

 

I don't know who this woman was, but my sympathies go out to her family. And while I don't know the circumstances that led to this woman being found dead in the pool, I am appalled that the police consider this 'not suspicious', as it just goes against all my own human instincts.

They do despise the elderly and I dont understand why more people arent speaking up about whats being done to them. The moment you are no longer considered economically productive you become a burden, a useless eater as they see it and they just want you dead. Why do so many people not seem to care? :(

[shadowmoon]

On 7/31/2021 at 11:29 AM, Bee said:

Posted elsewhere on forum but will add here.

 

I've just spent 8 days in hospital after admission via A&E. I really don't like what I saw. Lots of elderly patients unable to feed themselves. Not being assisted to eat by staff. Elderly patients were also not drinking and yet no drips were put up for them. No mouth care being given. Three deaths on the ward in the time I was in. I've been in hospital 15 times in the last two and a half years and this is the first time I have seen this. Usually a referral to a dietician would be made, a feeding tube put in if necessary or high calorie drinks prescribed at the very least. This time, I was left wondering if this is part of the governments covid policy to basically off the 'useless eaters'. One ladys' son came in, he was in his late sixties and he was questioning it but just getting fobbed off by staff. He kept saying how when she had been admitted, his mum was 'bright as a button', could feed and wash herself etc. He said that she now looked like something out of a concentration camp. His distress was awful to witness.

 

It wasn't just me who noticed it. I was in a bed next to a lovely lady who trained as a nurse in the 1960's. We both picked up on it and were appalled. I feel the elderly continue to be thrown under the bus and are just being left to decline and die. The lady next to me (in her 70's) felt so strongly she was determined she would not end up at their mercy in hospital and would end her life before it got that far.

 

Patients are only 'allowed' on visitor a day for an hour. Thats not long enough for relatives to spot whats going on. Very convenient.

 

There were very few English nurses on the ward. Most of the nurses were foreign (many bought in from the Philippines) with many whose level of English was not up to standard; it was clear they did not understand what their patients were saying to them. Cant say anything though can you as straight away you will be branded as racist.

 

Was an exceptionally depressing experience and I did not feel safe. I have more confidence in my cats vets than I do the majority of the medical profession. This is not a society to grow old in. Perhaps it never was. If you are elderly and you end up in hospital at their mercy then god help you because the NHS wont.

An elderly aunt came home here from living in south Africa since the 60s, she has many health problems. 

 

We have been saying to her family.. Whatever you do keep  her out of hospitals care homes and the like places as they will kill her off.

 

I think they thought we were quite mad at first to say this to them.!

[Useyournous]

There's another thread on informed consent regarding the needle but I just thought of adding here, my elderly parent has a favourite in the family which often happens and can be ok if that person has the person's best interests at heart. The thing with mine is they don't! They are fully into Convid and do tests on parent, deal with their money without feeling the need to consult legalities and other family and loved ones and generally get a free reign on said parent. I've tried my utmost to get help on this but the lockdown etc. has been the greatest thing for these people riding roughshod! I've talked to my parent and tried to make them see it's all wrong but end up making my parent hostile. My parent has money that should be used to make their life luxurious and comfortable but instead of that, the favourite is investing and all sorts with it! Because of Convid, my parent doesn't matter to anyone and it is like banging my head against a brick wall. I am advised that because my parent wants this coercive person to act for them, there is nothing anyone can do. They don't even have POA and should not be using bank. I just don't want to do something that will make my parents life worse, like being taken by social services in a home and isolated. Informed consent and human rights for them doesn't exist and they are being treated like a two year old.

[Observed]

On 7/31/2021 at 8:29 PM, Bee said:

Posted elsewhere on forum but will add here.

 

I've just spent 8 days in hospital after admission via A&E. I really don't like what I saw. Lots of elderly patients unable to feed themselves. Not being assisted to eat by staff. Elderly patients were also not drinking and yet no drips were put up for them. No mouth care being given. Three deaths on the ward in the time I was in. I've been in hospital 15 times in the last two and a half years and this is the first time I have seen this. Usually a referral to a dietician would be made, a feeding tube put in if necessary or high calorie drinks prescribed at the very least. This time, I was left wondering if this is part of the governments covid policy to basically off the 'useless eaters'. One ladys' son came in, he was in his late sixties and he was questioning it but just getting fobbed off by staff. He kept saying how when she had been admitted, his mum was 'bright as a button', could feed and wash herself etc. He said that she now looked like something out of a concentration camp. His distress was awful to witness.

 

It wasn't just me who noticed it. I was in a bed next to a lovely lady who trained as a nurse in the 1960's. We both picked up on it and were appalled. I feel the elderly continue to be thrown under the bus and are just being left to decline and die. The lady next to me (in her 70's) felt so strongly she was determined she would not end up at their mercy in hospital and would end her life before it got that far.

 

Patients are only 'allowed' on visitor a day for an hour. Thats not long enough for relatives to spot whats going on. Very convenient.

 

There were very few English nurses on the ward. Most of the nurses were foreign (many bought in from the Philippines) with many whose level of English was not up to standard; it was clear they did not understand what their patients were saying to them. Cant say anything though can you as straight away you will be branded as racist.

 

Was an exceptionally depressing experience and I did not feel safe. I have more confidence in my cats vets than I do the majority of the medical profession. This is not a society to grow old in. Perhaps it never was. If you are elderly and you end up in hospital at their mercy then god help you because the NHS wont.

I've had the same experience working in healthcare for the past few years. Its ghastly. It is less cruel being shot than going into a care home or being in and out of hospital when you're elderly. I must say the only thing worse is very frail and elderly people living alone in their home with no family around. And all these care homes and hospitals are constantly advertising how great they are, but its far from true. I've seen the most horrendous errors and cover ups committed by registered nurses trained in countries such as the Philippines, only having to do a brdging course to work in Aus. I've seen errors that have been fatal and it gets swept under the carpet. When you report it, you become public enemy number 1.