Here's another funky one.
Would you like to hear my latest "MOM" story?
On Tuesday I had to take her to the Fracture Clinic (broken hip Feb. 26th fixed with one screw. Hmm, that sounds really dirty. Lets say fixed with one PIN.). She is only walking for short lengths with the physiotherapist, so she is in a wheelchair. Which means we have to take the Wheelchair Taxi to go anywhere. I get to the nursing home at 9:15 am. Taxi picks us up at 9:30. Arrive at hospital clinic at 9:50, nice and early for her 10:15 appointment. As we arrive in the waiting room, there are about 40 people already sitting. Crap. So, we sit down and wait. And wait. And wait. At 11:45 I go back to the desk and explain that we've been waiting over 90 minutes and Mom still has not been sent for the x-ray. They shuffle through the files and discover that her x-ray requisition was not standing up, so no one saw it. They stand it up and tell me to go wait. At 12:45 I go BACK to the desk and explain that we've been here since 10 am, and still have not been sent for the x-ray, Mom is 91 and trapped in the wheelchair, and I'm pretty sure she is getting very uncomfortable. They make a call, tell me 'they are just backed up' (whoever 'they' are?) and to go wait. !!!!! Five minutes later they call us in and we go to x-ray, but by now Mom is VERY CRANKY. She does not want to get out of her chair. She does not want to lay on the nasty, cold, hard x-ray table. The nurses finally have to put an x-ray gown on me so I can keep Mom still, because she is shaking and frightened, and in a lot of pain now that she has to move around to get the pictures done. At this point I am just about ready for the tears to spill over in sympathy and frustration, but I manage to keep myself together. Next - they take us to an examination room where we wait a little bit MORE for the doc. He tells us she's healing well and should be doing a bit of weight bearing. Come back in a month. (he's kidding, right?!!!) OK, now we can go call the Wheelchair Taxi to pick us up. The time is 1:30, we've had no lunch, I've had no pee break because I can't leave Mom alone in the hallway. sigh. The dispatcher tells me the taxi should arrive in 30 minutes. This gives us time to grab a snack from Timmies, listen to the trio that is playing in the lobby, then roll over to the entrance to wait for the taxi. Another hour later and we're still waiting. As I call the taxi company AGAIN, the van finally drives up to the entrance. After getting Mom back to the home, having the Care Conference with the nursing director (?), and stopping for groceries, it was 5 pm by the time I got home. I made myself a 'girlie' supper of salmon, sweet potatoes and mango salad because DH was out to his Kinsmen group for supper. Then I drank half a bottle of wine, had a girlie bath, and poured myself into bed. Honestly? If she's not having any problems I may not take her back for the next appointment. I'll probably cool down a bit by then and guilt myself into it, but right now...
Helen, why don't these wonderful facilities we deal with have a bit more compassion. It sounds like the day I took my mother to the hospital for her broken arm. I could have clobbered someone that day, including her family doctor. It would be interesting to know, how she did ship that quilt to Cincinnati.
ReplyDeleteYou have my sympathy Helen. My Mom (92) broke her femur last year, and the hospital experience was a nightmare!
ReplyDeleteI understand your frustration. My Mum has had 2 hip replacements and a knee. She fell after her first hip replacement and fractured her knee (she was trying to protect her hip as she went down). After the emerg. Doctors were finally convinced she had broken a bone she went to X-ray. We had to come back the next day on pillows in the back of the van because there was only 1 wheelchair taxis. We were told to go to 4 different places in the hospital by 4 different departments before we figured out her appointment was in another hospital! Not one staff member was able to tell us that!
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