Panorama 20072005 care of the elderly
Posted by: DAVOhorn on 20 July 2005
Dear All,
I watched this program this evening.
First off i am an NHS employee.
I work in a Community Hospital which does provide beds for the very frail sick and dying.
I do not work for the PCT that runs the wards.
What caused me most concern from this program was two things.
1: The look of total exhaustion and despair, from the Nurse who was the reporter for the program, after just ONE shift.
2: The apparrent confidence of the Chief Executive when given an opportunity to comment on the program. Also the follow up when the Chief Exec was again asked for comments. Were the comments Deliberate lies and falsehoods, or were they based on profound ignorance on what is actually happening in the Hospital.
Certainly the Chief Exec of the Community PCT i work for is regularly stating that the buck stops with him and he can be pusued through the courts for his conduct and his PCT's conduct.
There is life and then there is death.
So why do we make the TRANSITION between the two SO FUCKING UNPLEASANT AND UNPLEASANT FOR ALL PARTIES.
Patients Relatives Friends and Staff of all levels.
I know i do not have the personality to be either a Medic or a Nurse so i have chosen not be either of those two.
I do believe that i make a good and Compassionate Allied Health Professional though.
I am regularly asked by my patients who are terminally ill why the arduous task of Dying has to be so ghastly lonely and frightening.
Many would prefer to be taken out and shot or Euthanased .
The above is not confined to the elderly.
One of my patients recently had a 4 month slow progressive relentless demise. She is one year older than myself. CHILLING.
So what are we to make of the program?.
What do we feel the outcome of the program will be?
A few years ago a good friend who got something quite horrible (2 brain Tumours) elected to accept her fate and not fight it. Had just a few months earlier had to watch her Father In Law go through a horrible demise due to cancer, so she decided to hurry up the process.
She chose a Hospice.
Strange place when i visited.
No lies, fantastic pain management, amazing staff and more than enough of them.
I spoke to the Sister and compared this Hospice with the establishment i worked in.
She said simply that everybody who came to the Hospice came to die with dignity.
It was her job and her colleagues job to ensure that this is precisely what was achived.
A peaceful dignified end with friends and family present as per the persons wishes.
I was truly humbled by the Hospice.
I hasten to add that the Hospital that i work in is a far more professional and compassionate one to the Brighton Hospital.
regards David
I watched this program this evening.
First off i am an NHS employee.
I work in a Community Hospital which does provide beds for the very frail sick and dying.
I do not work for the PCT that runs the wards.
What caused me most concern from this program was two things.
1: The look of total exhaustion and despair, from the Nurse who was the reporter for the program, after just ONE shift.
2: The apparrent confidence of the Chief Executive when given an opportunity to comment on the program. Also the follow up when the Chief Exec was again asked for comments. Were the comments Deliberate lies and falsehoods, or were they based on profound ignorance on what is actually happening in the Hospital.
Certainly the Chief Exec of the Community PCT i work for is regularly stating that the buck stops with him and he can be pusued through the courts for his conduct and his PCT's conduct.
There is life and then there is death.
So why do we make the TRANSITION between the two SO FUCKING UNPLEASANT AND UNPLEASANT FOR ALL PARTIES.
Patients Relatives Friends and Staff of all levels.
I know i do not have the personality to be either a Medic or a Nurse so i have chosen not be either of those two.
I do believe that i make a good and Compassionate Allied Health Professional though.
I am regularly asked by my patients who are terminally ill why the arduous task of Dying has to be so ghastly lonely and frightening.
Many would prefer to be taken out and shot or Euthanased .
The above is not confined to the elderly.
One of my patients recently had a 4 month slow progressive relentless demise. She is one year older than myself. CHILLING.
So what are we to make of the program?.
What do we feel the outcome of the program will be?
A few years ago a good friend who got something quite horrible (2 brain Tumours) elected to accept her fate and not fight it. Had just a few months earlier had to watch her Father In Law go through a horrible demise due to cancer, so she decided to hurry up the process.
She chose a Hospice.
Strange place when i visited.
No lies, fantastic pain management, amazing staff and more than enough of them.
I spoke to the Sister and compared this Hospice with the establishment i worked in.
She said simply that everybody who came to the Hospice came to die with dignity.
It was her job and her colleagues job to ensure that this is precisely what was achived.
A peaceful dignified end with friends and family present as per the persons wishes.
I was truly humbled by the Hospice.
I hasten to add that the Hospital that i work in is a far more professional and compassionate one to the Brighton Hospital.
regards David