OH's mother, aged 85, fell and broke a leg. Into hospital and a cast was put on it.
Now she needs physiotherapy, having been laid up for a few weeks. Problem is, she's not getting it. Why not? Because she is bedridden, on oxygen, and on a catheter for urine passage.
How come? Well, she has smoked heavily for decades. Now suddenly they won't let her smoke. As anyone who has given up from heavy smoking knows, when you stop your body grasps the opportunity to clear out the junk. OK if you're younger, but if you're 85 and in bed, that's bad for you. All that phlegm obstructs your breathing. So they put her on oxygen.
Why the urine catheter? Well, with a cast on the leg and the oxygen, it's just too difficult to get her on the commode. She's not incontinent, it's just not convenient for the staff.
OK: plaster cast, oxygen, catheter. Can't do physiotherapy with all that lot. So she just stays in hospital, making no progress, becoming disheartened (like, there is no plan in place to clean her dentures: staff don't do it, she can't, she depends on visitors to do it). Not because of her medical condition, but because of hospital rules and convenience.
She advised us to join BUPA. I think I will. Or leave the country.
Now she needs physiotherapy, having been laid up for a few weeks. Problem is, she's not getting it. Why not? Because she is bedridden, on oxygen, and on a catheter for urine passage.
How come? Well, she has smoked heavily for decades. Now suddenly they won't let her smoke. As anyone who has given up from heavy smoking knows, when you stop your body grasps the opportunity to clear out the junk. OK if you're younger, but if you're 85 and in bed, that's bad for you. All that phlegm obstructs your breathing. So they put her on oxygen.
Why the urine catheter? Well, with a cast on the leg and the oxygen, it's just too difficult to get her on the commode. She's not incontinent, it's just not convenient for the staff.
OK: plaster cast, oxygen, catheter. Can't do physiotherapy with all that lot. So she just stays in hospital, making no progress, becoming disheartened (like, there is no plan in place to clean her dentures: staff don't do it, she can't, she depends on visitors to do it). Not because of her medical condition, but because of hospital rules and convenience.
She advised us to join BUPA. I think I will. Or leave the country.
Comment