| Hospitals are a difficult and maddening maze to | | | | resource for any and every patient that can be |
| traverse. | | | | called in to mediate or facilitate concerns or issues |
| Add an elderly patient to the mix, and often, you | | | | that a patient or family member has. |
| are left spinning from trying to manage their | | | | We have used such an individual twice, each time |
| fears as they try to adapt to an unknown | | | | successfully to ensure that Dad's best interests |
| environment, doctors and nurses that may not be | | | | and safety were protected, because with today's |
| familiar with your parent's other health issues | | | | budget woes, we can no longer say that a |
| (thanks to the lack of electronic health records in | | | | patient's best interests and health is the overriding |
| Ontario), an often hurried and incomplete | | | | concern for all healthcare workers. It can't be, not |
| assessment, and a rush to send the sick home | | | | in the manner in which emergency rooms are |
| sooner rather than safer. | | | | crowded, health issues missed, programs |
| If an elderly patient has the good fortune of | | | | cancelled, diagnostic tests short-shifted, life-altering |
| having family members that can speak up for | | | | physiotherapy short-circuited or cancelled |
| them, then you just may have a chance at | | | | altogether, and nurses overworked beyond |
| getting respectable health care in a hospital, or | | | | exhaustion. |
| any health care setting for that matter. This post | | | | The first time, we fought with Toronto Western |
| is the first of several that will focus on our | | | | Hospital for a sitter to stay with Dad overnight, |
| family's learning from having experienced often | | | | as he had clearly become a danger to himself. We |
| the darkest corners and niches of Ontario's | | | | had spent the first three weeks rotating shifts |
| healthcare system. | | | | ourselves, watching over Dad day and night. But |
| Through Dad's several hospital stays, we have | | | | we couldn't keep that pace up forever. He |
| learned through trial and error when, how, whom | | | | remained there for 11 weeks. |
| and how often to push the buttons necessary for | | | | For a patient that was supposed to be on strict |
| Dad to get the necessary health care he required. | | | | bed rest due to a spine infection, and one that |
| It was and isn't easy, requires intestinal fortitude | | | | had Parkinson's and dementia, they stood by as |
| and sheer will and determination that you just will | | | | he repeatedly put himself in danger by forcing his |
| not accept what doesn't and often isn't right. | | | | way out of bed, standing and falling by the bed |
| With different members of our family playing | | | | side, and roaming the halls at night. Clearly, we |
| good cop/bad/cop, we have had to stay on top | | | | needed a sitter to watch over him, until the drugs |
| of nurses who, due to sheer lack of numbers, | | | | took effect, the infection cleared, and he could |
| rush from room to room trying their best to | | | | once again place pressure on his spine. We were |
| assist their charges, but will ultimately be unable to | | | | willing to do our part, but needed obvious help |
| respond to most patient's needs; doctors who | | | | from them. |
| don't always take the time to fully understand the | | | | It was the Patient's Advocate that stepped in, |
| patient's previous history, rushing to conclusions | | | | arranged for this sitter, brought in a more helpful |
| and assessments that may miss the mark | | | | and supportive tone to our discussions and also |
| entirely or only just so; the overuse of | | | | suggested weekly meetings between the hospital |
| prescription drugs in trying to manage difficult | | | | staff on Dad's care, and our family. |
| patients (those that may require extra resources) | | | | We used the Patient's Advocate again, when two |
| so that those resources are freed up elsewhere; | | | | years later, Dad was hospitalized again, this time |
| the consequences and hazards of the end of shift | | | | at Trillium Hospital, for a broken hip. The short |
| to new shift of nurses, whereby things get | | | | term care facility there is abysmal, indescribable |
| missed, forgotten or simply ignored; and the | | | | and to be avoided at all costs. We know of |
| hospital administration that directs its staff to free | | | | several families in the community that have had a |
| up all beds as soon as possible, often far too | | | | family member end up there, that will not leave |
| early, thus placing your aging parent at risk. | | | | that member alone for any length of time. Often |
| You see, the elderly have it particularly difficult in | | | | you would find husbands, wives, daughter, sons, |
| a hospital environment. Confusion will set in for | | | | nieces and the like camped out overnight and |
| most elderly patients: confusion as to what ails | | | | during the day, unwilling to trust the staff there |
| them, unfamiliar hospital staff, new environments, | | | | with their ailing family. |
| foods that may not agree with them, new drugs | | | | The Patient's Advocate was used to |
| that may have problematic side effects, and even | | | | communicate with a difficult and belligerent staff |
| language barriers. | | | | and nurses, who were more passengers than |
| Woo to be an elderly all alone, without family to | | | | actual drivers of the healthcare that you expect |
| speak for them, in this day and age, in any health | | | | in a short term care facility. |
| care setting. They will be forgotten, ignored and | | | | So, if you are concerned, upset or just scared |
| missed. We have seen it time and again, for | | | | when you find yourself in a hospital, contact the |
| elderly patients in joining rooms to Dad's, when | | | | Patient's Advocate in the Patient Relations |
| they either did not have families in town, or none | | | | Department. They're there to help ease your |
| in general. Our hearts often broke at the | | | | situation, and bring some semblance of humanity |
| treatment they received, or short cuts that were | | | | back into hospital care. |
| taken by hospital doctors and staff. A couple of | | | | Perhaps at some point, our healthcare workers, |
| times we stepped in, but with no real ability affect | | | | staff, management and leaders, will recognize that |
| any changes. | | | | families energies are better expended dealing with |
| For Dad, we battled doctors, nurses, and | | | | serious health issues and concerns, and not in |
| administrators, sometimes making headway, and | | | | unnecessary and unhelpful battles with them. Until |
| other times, just banging our collective heads | | | | then, a Patient's Advocate can prove to be an |
| against the wall. Until we learned about the | | | | important resource when hospital care becomes a |
| Patient's Advocate role. | | | | reality. |
| Every Ontario Hospital has a Patient's Advocate, a | | | | |