Hospital is woefully deficient in protecting the sick and helpless...

[Barque]

A few weeks ago I had to call 911 to go to the ER because my stomach pain was unbearable, it was around 10:00. I got to the ER and was examined by a doctor, had a sonagram of my entire abdomen done then give 3 different drugs for nausea and a shot of something for the pain. OK, now it's way past midnight, no taxis are running, I had no one I could call and they just discharge me out into the night.

I think this obvious disreguard for a drugged up sick person is outrageous. I am thinking that the hospital, with all it's resourses couldn't retain at least one or two vehicles with drivers on call to get people home.

Should I talk to someone AT the hospital about this? There is a definate need for this but no one seems to give a flying carp. If you have to go to the ER late at night, figure on getting stranded.

[Ging]

Wow ! good point.. something should be put in place to cover this, maybe talk to the patient advocate office and let them know, talk to the Editor of the local news paper ...write "a letter to the editor" this definatly needs to be addressed ! Thanks for telling a different side of the 911 story ! Hope you are better now. Ging

[Barque]

I plan to but I'm sure it will fall on deaf ears. Hospitals aren't about the patient, it's about the hospital and it's procedures and staff.

I sat in my bed last stay, blind and with food tray at shoulder height and barely reachable. I had to ask what was on the tray and where then everyone was gone. I had to reach up and feel around for my food. Is THAT good patient care? I lost weight in hospital because eating was so difficult AND I have gastritis along with everything else so an empty stomach causes me pain and problems

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Barque)))))

Yes, I agree with Ging. Most hospitals have a patient representative/advocate, who would be the appropriate contact in this situation. Our hospital also has social workers, who participate in discharge planning.

I'm not sure whether the hospital could actually provide transportation. I'm thinking that insurance, liability, vehicle maintenance, etc. might preclude that service. However, the hospital might be able to identify an available transportation service, even contract with one on an as-needed basis. The patient would be responsible for the cost of the transportation, of course, but the hospital might be able to coordinate their use. For example, the clerk could call the service as part of the discharge process. In fact, the admitting clerk could ask patients whether they have transportation upon admittance, then offer the service to the patient at that point to get the ball rolling.

While you are visiting with the Patient Representative, you might mention the problems you encountered during your last stay as well. That's what that Representative is there to do ~ listen to your complaints, then seek resolutions and improvement in care.

And remember, when you're hospitalized, that you can always speak to the nursing supervisor about your care.

How did you finally get home after your last ER visit?

Sending healing thoughts your way and hoping that you are able to improve the service at your hospital. Speak up! It's your right as a patient.

Love & Light,

Rose

[Barque]

I called 911 and the Police gave me a ride home.

[Mal L]

I called 911 and the Police gave me a ride home.

It is worth knowing, in case any of us get "dumped" by the hospital, that we can try calling the police.

[Barque]

It's a HOSPITAL!! With all the revenue they pull in I think retaining a couple of vehicles and people on call to drive them home in the middle of the night is in no way a flimsy request.

What if someone in need of this service ventured out walking trying to get home and got killed? How much is that worth?

[LaBella]

I agree you should call the representative and see about making a formal complain, I had an issue a few months back with my daughter and the doctor took the issue on her own hands.

My 13 years old daughter had been very sick, I have posted the issues somewhere else in here, 1 day school called me told me that she was reaaly sick, in pain and could not work striaght, since she had been on treatment by the Neurologist I called her up and she told us that she was on call at the Hospital's Pediatric ER right that moment, to go there and have them paged her so she could treat her there. We did, she came gave her some medication and told us that she would be back in about an hour to see how she was feeling. Well the ER need it the bad and told us and I am quoating "that they could not do anything else for my daughter, even when she was still inpain and dizzy, that she was take space and they need ti the bad, that she could sleep the same way at home that at the ER to go home, and against our wills rolled her out of there. The Doctor called us 15 minutes later and said that she had not discharged B why we left, she was told that we wanted to leave. So she made a big fuss about it.

And this was a PEDIATRIC ER, not just a regular one.

[Barque]

I purposely left the ER one time because the nurse attending me was so horrible. She left me sitting in the room 5 hours. I told here I needed food since I have gastritis and an empty stomach is very painful. My blood sugar had dropped 50 points and my heart was racing and she just ignored me. Finally she put in an IV but after an hour I told her I wanted to go home and she still ignored me for another 2 hours. I was starting to remove the IV myself because I called a friend to come get me, she took it out and yelled at me saying I was leaving AMA. I said my ride was there and he wasn't going to wait endlessly and I wanted to leave, this now after 7 hours. I needed food. It was a freaking nightmare. As I was leaving I saw her on the computer with some kind of graphics thing and PMing someone. THAT'S WHY SHE WAS IGNORING ME!!! She was playing on the computer.

[roadracer]

I have been to the ER tons recently, and my experience was that it totally depended on the doctor and nurses I got. Three of the trips, the whole 'crew' was AWESOME. It seemed if the doctors were great, then so was the nurses. It seems if the doctor takes you serious, it sets the attitude for the rest of the staff to act the same way. On the other side, when I got a not so good doctor who didnt want to help me, it seemed like the doctors and nurses just wanted to get me out the door as fast as possible. It also seems to depend on there volume of patients, and there subsequent stress level! Unfortunately, you throw in human error with the high volume of patients and things got bad on a couple trips! On one visit, they left me laying for hours, all hooked up to a IV and monitors, with the door closed, and the call button on the other side of the room, still in my own cloths, with nothing to vomit in, no way to go to the bathroom, and no way to call for help!!!!! Only time I had to deny treatment, was when they sent a rough Arnold Schwarzenegger looking guy, covered in tattoos, in to give me a catheter no thanks, think I will pass!

[clouds z]

what city was this?the hospital here i think was great when i was in it

once an er doctor offered me a ride when i was through

[Barque]

cloudz. This thread is not for bragging about the good care you got. That makes the rest of us feel subpar.

[houghchrst]

Barque you are the only one feeling subpar so please make sure you do not include anyone else.

Cloudz getting good care is hard to find. It is wonderful that you had a positive experience.

May want to post, Barque, in your title if your threads are strictly for whining or if other input can be used.

[Barque]

Please note the title of this thread.

I don't think you know how EVERYBODY feels.

[houghchrst]

why on earth would you berate another member for staying on topic, if I read correctly roadracer had THREE good experiences yet you say nothing to him. Rarely are any of your posts, feedback or comments positive. When you prefer to live such a dark life I would appreciate if you would exclude me the next time you are feeling subpar.