My aunt is currently in the hospital and she is super stubborn. Which I guess when I get into my seventies I will be as well but she insists on going to this little small town hospital. If it was something minor like a broken bone or such I would say okay but she has congestive heart failure and after spending several hours at this hospital her today I am appalled. Especially after reading this article on medical errors.
This place is one huge error just waiting to happen! The articles said that errors happen to 1 in 4 patients and result in 251,000 deaths per year. I did not know that and I realized that some of the things that I saw today might not have been medical error like one whole wall in her room had paint peeling. There were also bloody gauze on the floor in room when I walked in and no one picked them up. I had too, EWW! Not to mention this is like her third or fourth stay there and I can’t see any help they are giving her.
I swear I think she has been misdiagnosed or they are simply not helping her because she is difficult. Trust me she is super difficult and I want to pull my hair out sometimes when dealing with her. It seems that she gets worse while there and then gets better enough to go home only to end up right back. Like right now she can’t even lift her arms or pull herself up out of the bed. Prior to going there she could get around sort of. She could at least go to the bathroom by herself and pull herself up a bit.
Since she’s my aunt there isn’t much I can do and her children are doing what they can. I know one thing my mother is never going there, no matter what! The article I read on medical errors said that misdiagnosis or incorrect ones occur 10-20% of the time which and 96% of physicians surveyed (more than 6,000 were surveyed) said that they could be prevented.
I live in a small Georgia town that you most likely have never heard of and I LOVE it! My house is more than full as I am a single mother of four & caregiver to my aging mother and uncle. Lover of all things Outlander. Goes to the beat of her own drum woman.
ginette4 says
Hospitals are the dirtiest place ever..I was not aware about the amount of deaths per year due to errors..wow
Joni Koenig says
Smaller hospitals, as a rule, are cleaner and the patients get more oneon one care. If your aunt’s is not, complain, make lots of requests and they will do what you ask. If that doesn’t work ask her Dr to refer her somewhere else. You don’t have to be her daughter to ask the Dr for help or to voice your concerns.