General Chat

Age wearies many sickens many more.

In these modern times there's queues for medical treatments for illnesses that didn't exist when we were younger and active.

Some of these illnesses being debilitating in mind and body.

With the financial burden on the NHS I get the impreesion some times that solutions are denied the elderly.

Do thread members share this opinion or have one of their own?

well although I am old, my GP practice treats me exactly the same as it did thirty years ago - excellently :-D :-D

Depends which Health Authority you are under I think.

My sister was in hospital aged 71 with brain cancer. Her treatment was dreadful, dose and ignore. Other patients in her ward were treated no better and some were not terminally ill.

Took her home and nursed her there for 3 weeks until she passed away.

I have been an inpatient more times than I care to remember and if there were patients who were over 70 they were classed as geriatrics and didn't have the fight in them to question their treatment.

The hospital my sister was in has a dreadful reputation and has done for 50 years. Sadly I see this lack of active intervention becoming more acceptable in other hospitals.

Sue

2 ladies I know locally(both 89) have broken their legs during the last year.
Both were successfully operated on and after a stay in hospital, - good reports from both on care, food and staff, both are now living independant lives back in their own homes,
When my mother was in hospital in Hampshire in 2006, she kept on commenting about how kind the staff were. The senior staff too were very approachable and agreed for her to stay in the same ward, when it became apparent that she was terminally ill. This meant alot to us, knowing that she liked the nurses there and wasn't bewildered by unfamiliar faces and location in her final days.

I think it depends alot sometimes on where you live, but personalities of individual staff play a major part too.

Gwyn

My younger brother was in agony for a long time needing a replacement hip.
From presenting his symptom he was put on a strong dose of codeine.He became chronically constipated so he was prescribed Fibergel to ease the constipation.At long last he had a replacement hip at Wasnsbeck General Hospital.It became infected and his two week expected stay lasted for two months as he contracted HRSA.He also got an infection in his arm from the drip.

At long last he was dischargedSix weeks later he was diagnosed as having bowel cancer.He's on the mend after three operations.
He asked the consultant why didn't the hospital that did the hip replacement detect the cancer.The reply was they weren't looking for it.

Don't talk to me about hip replacements....check my board name! Butchered nearly 5 years ago and at last I found a surgeon earlier this year who is prepared to correct the gross errors.

Brother was telling me that the prolonged constipation should have been a potential bowel cancer symptom to a competemt Doctor.

Lucky your brother's cancer was found, I wish him good health.

My mum had one of her faulty heart valves (diagnosed at birth, should have been dead by 9, should never have had children, when she lived beyond 9 - had 4!) operated on aged 79!!
They found 2 faulty valves, but only operated on 1. She's 82 now.

But dad - had his spleen removed - no-one checked for cancer. 5 years later eventually ( they wasted time looking for AIDS - as he'd had a wife when he lived in Nigeria) diagnosed with cancer of the lymph glands. Died aged 68. Same NHS area - different times.

We have recently had 3 elderly family members in hospital. My Mum's partner has fared the worst and is still suffering, although no longer in hosp. To my mind, he has had appalling care. My Mum had a hip replacement and was in and out quickly (in the same hospital). She commented that there was a marked difference in the quality of care since her knee operation 3 years ago, i.e. it was worse. Both Mum and partner also had to fight to get operations in the first place - Mum was fobbed off twice until she saw the senior consultant, he immediately put her on the urgent list! Just not joined up..... :-( I assume the thinking is that you'll 'pop off' if told to wait another 6 months.....

. I assume the thinking is that you'll 'pop off' if told to wait another 6 months.....

That's what iv'e often thought Sheila.
GPs are working to a budget and as good as they are their budget will only stretch so far.

My wife was formerly a nurse at Sanderson Orthopeadic Hospital and St Nicholas Hospital for more than 40 years.

Before retiring she commented many times on the decreased level of hygene on the wards.Cleaners had been paid off and replaced with contract cleaners to save money.

You can go into hospital with a broken hip and die of some disease you cannot pronounce. Progress?

My mum was in hospital when she broke her hip and she also had bowel cancer, went into visit her one day and she told me she was in awful pain so l asked her if she had had her morphin and she said no, when l went to ask the nurse why she hadn't had her pain relief her reply was .........she didn't ask for any !!!!!!! :-|

Well, all I can say is my experiences with the NHS service has been brilliant, and don't forget its FREE unlike most other countries.

George

I think the heath services is going down hill and im only 46 and have experienced this....Been left alone for hrs in pain and when you ask for something they say they will get you something and then forget about you....I know they are busy but it's their job...
I'm going for an op on 11th Dec as a day patient, got to be there at midday and told I should be home by late teatime!!

Jules x