The daughter of a Scots gran has hit out after hospital staff failed to tell her the pensioner had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
Joanne Weir had been bringing in fizzy juice for her 88-year-old mum during her stay at Monklands Hospital in Airdrie earlier this month.
But the family only found out about the OAP’s condition following a ‘flippant’ remark about administering insulin from a nurse on Ward 22.
Joanne, 49, has hit out at the level of care provided to mum Sarah after the pensioner was also allowed home despite suffering severe delirium which was caused by bacterial pneumonia.
After being readmitted within 24 hours of her original release on February 2, the family were told to come say their final goodbyes.
Thankfully, the grandmother-of-20 began responding to stronger antibiotics and is now preparing to return home.
Worried daughter Joanne said: “We didn’t find out she had diabetes until she was in Ward 22 when one of the nurses made a flippant remark to my daughter.
“She said she had been in giving my mother insulin and my daughter asked what on earth she was talking about.
“She was told that her gran is a diabetic. My mother had been asking us to bring her fizzy juice in and the staff had been letting us - even though they knew she had Type 2. We just couldn’t believe it.
“When they sent my mother home, they said they were putting her on tablets but they sent insulin and a blood sugar testing kit. We weren’t told what to do with it or how it worked.”
Sarah was initially admitted to the hospital on December 6 after suffering from chest pains.
Her family claim they have been kept in the dark about her treatment and the cause of the initial symptoms.
They were told Sarah could be released shortly before Christmas but that she would have to isolate after being exposed to covid.
Joanne explained: “I got a call saying my mother was coming home but that she would need to isolate until December 21.
“I asked why and they said she had been in contact with someone with covid. I asked who that was and they said it was her son, meaning my brother.
“But he lives in Northern Ireland and hasn’t been here since October. Then she said that if it wasn’t him, they don’t know who it was but she would need to isolate.
“I asked for a medical update with regard to her chest pains but she said she didn’t know anything and put the phone down.
“The next thing I know, my mother gets dropped off at the front door despite being unable to walk. I had to physically lift her into the house and onto her chair.
“Before she went into the hospital, my mother was able to walk up and down stairs, she was very independent although she did have a carer coming in once a day to help her shower.
“She was very upset and told me that the whole time she was in, she hadn’t been washed once, her bedding was changed once and her room was never cleaned.
“She was left in a room on her own with the door shut and told us that she thought she was dying because no one came near her or were telling her what was happening.”
The pensioner continued to be unwell and was rushed back to hospital on January 9 after getting a chest infection and coronavirus.
Her family made repeated phone calls asking for updates and were told she was doing well.
But just hours later, a doctor called and told them she had taken a turn before asking about a Do Not Resuscitate Order, which the pensioner had allegedly refused.
A few days later, Joanne was told her mother was well enough to return home before a swift u-turn just hours later after fluid was found on her lungs.
She was eventually released on February 2 but readmitted the following day after suffering severe delirium caused by an infection.
On February 7, Joanne was told her mother had bacterial pneumonia before being asked to call the extended family so they could say their final goodbyes.
Joanne explained: “It turns out that she had been turfed out with pneumonia. My mother lost 10 days of her life where she didn’t know where she was.
“The doctors had changed her antibiotics and that had worked. From the 6th of December until now, our family has been through absolute torture.
“What gets us the most is the lies we’ve been told about my mother’s condition throughout.
“It’s been horrible, especially for my mother, and I would not like anyone to go through what we’ve gone through.
“It was just a catalogue of failings by the hospital staff. If they had treated my mother properly back in December, my mother probably wouldn't be in the state she’s in just now.
“The staff on Ward 2 where she is just now have been absolutely fantastic in comparison to the other wards. But we’re still waiting to hear back about our official complaint.”
Karen Goudie, University Hospital Monklands chief of nursing services, said: “We regret any instance where someone feels we have failed to provide the highest standard of care.
“We have a complaints process via our patient affairs team and we would always encourage anyone to contact us in this way if they wish to raise any concerns to allow them to be fully investigated.
“We can confirm that NHS Lanarkshire is managing a complaint through our complaints process.
“We will respond directly to the family and apologise for the delay in our response. Due to patient confidentiality, we therefore cannot make further comment at this time.”
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