I have a dear friend hospitalised in one of Adelaide’s major public hospitals who has serious physical and cognitive decline, to the point he is no longer well enough to go home and is waiting on the ‘system’ to approve him for an Aged Care Assessment (ACAT). The doctors and nurses cannot tell us what is happening, nor why. He has been there almost 3 months, and is now so de-conditioned he would not be fit to go home even if he was not deteriorating with the medical issues he is facing. His basic daily care is appalling, and many days I visit to find him still unwashed, and a food tray untouched on his overway table. He is probably not now able to exercise, but earlier on in his admission, he could have. No-one implemented any sort of exercise or even a very basic physical routine, there was no personal care routine in place; his physical, emotional and intellectual life has not been stimulated or cared for properly, as far as I have seen. I feel ashamed to have ever been a nurse, if this is what treatment of people has become. Why I keep asking myself has patient care become so bad? At the consultation with Mark Butler last week, it was discovered Personal Carers in the aged care sector earn about $17/hour, whereas if they were shovelling poo from cages at the zoo, they would earn $25/hour. Trained nurses surely earn enough money they care about basic patient care. Doctors definitely earn enough money they should care. So is it the wages? Is the training inadequate? Is it the lack of adequate funding in our health system? Are our nurses over academised, and untrained to care for a person’s basic needs? Now that he is so unwell he needs placement within an assisted accommodation facility, there is no age appropriate services and no age appropriate place for him to live. That is of course, if he is accepted into the aged care system! How is it our hospitals are not equipped to care for someone’s basic needs adequately, and nursing homes are not equipped to service someone his age (56)? Our health system, run by both State and Federal governments, is appalling, and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. My advice to you, is don’t get old or sick!
Ps. this is my last rant before NaNoWriMo as I will have to focus on my 50,000 words!
This is a very interesting and fascinating topic, Kate. In New Zealand nurses are having two strikes-one of the 5th July(next Wednesday)that lasts for 24 hours and one of the 12th July(two Wednesdays time)that lasts for another 24 hours. Nurses are having a strike because they want more money-they recently rejected a 9% pay rise in New Zealand, staff ratio, and working conditions. Sadly, Nurses are being abused and attacked in hospitals, and nurses are skipping lunch breaks and toilets breaks due to the workload, and the amount of patients they are required to look after/monitor. As a result of this extreme workload, nurses are getting exhausted and burnt out. The number of people(nurses)per ward and there working conditions are inadequate. Nurses work 8 hours some days without a lunch break, water break and toilet break due to the amount of people they need to monitor. I personally think it is the number of clients nurses are required to monitor is partly as a result of people living longer, and more older people having stint’s in hospital. I think nurses should be taught at university how to care for people with all different illnesses and conditions-such as Dementia, heart diseases, and Cancer etc. I also think it is the amount of pressure and stress, having to continually go from one patient to another patient very very quickly. Some nurses are also working long hours and doing extra shifts. As always, Kate, there are the good nurses and the not so good nurses, and we do have to remember that-some nurses are really nice, some are grumpy-just depends if we get “the best of the bunch”. Sometimes the training is inadequate to the persons needs.
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Nurses are usually brilliant, and always do thier best, in spite of low staff ratios and lousy pay! We rule the world… just ask a nurse!!!! hahahaha
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Thanks for that Kate,
My friend’s father had a similar experience. He, too, would have been mobile and semi-independent much longer had his pneumonia been treated better and had his assessment been more person focussed (rather than process focussed).
Sadly, all of this sets up latent fears in the minds of those who are reaching the age where a move to a nursing care facility (or similar) is approaching. We owe our elders better than this. We need a system that is transparent, predictable and one in which people can rightly have some confidence and some say.
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Hi Kate, I know all about this. The shocking conditions are hidden from most of us. It comes down to the model of aged care and the appropriate care for person centred care. Having assessed and managed many aged care facilities, I was consistently opposing the standards but to my detriment. Dont ever challenge those in power!! I remember a 21 year old Asian young man who was at University, but dived into a swimming pool and hit his head. He finished up in a nursing home with 80 and 90 year old people. He was abusive physically. I could see his frustration but the amount of energy and meetings I had to place him in more appropriate accommodation was exhausting – the meetings often including more than 12 people. Eventually one evening he became so violent that the police had to come to the facility. He eventually finished up in another more suitable facility but a facility that did not meet his needs. Where he finished up – I dont know. I often think of him and can still see his face and the faces of his parents. This was some 10 years ago. So where have we come???? Isnt it time to unite and with the power of people and funding changes can be made to ensure that younger people are placed in “age appopriate” facilities with age appropriate environment, treatment, activities, allied health, care staff and housing. I am a great believer in “united we stand”. So stand up for those who cannot stand up themselves. Thanks for reading this. I have been on my soap box as a advocate for over 15 years. Love to all those who read this. Robyn Smith
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fallopian tubes what a laugh that was, all the older nurses would know that by now, hahah those where the days hey, xx
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have tried to reply to u nothing but trouble, but will keep trying to post comments, love you xx
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Hi Kate, It is shocking to think this is so bad… we were excellent nurses when we worked together. Keep up he rants! x
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yep, even looked out for sterile fallopian tubes???!!!!! XXX
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