Friday, February 8, 2013

Medical Nightmare!


Last Thursday, my mother-in-law fell and broke her pelvis in three places.  She was in the hospital until Wednesday.  It took that long for the hospital to read her MRI and figure out what the best plan was for her to recover.  Surgery was an option, but one that should be the last resort.

The family chose to have her recover at home.  First she needed to be transferred to a nursing facility for rehabilitation.  Wednesday morning she arrived in her temporary home, which would be about a week.  We were told the staff at the nursing facility would show her how to get up and down, move about and even shower in a safe and pain free manner.

That was until wednesday afternoon, at 4pm, when my MIL called me.
First, they didn't give her any of her heart medication or pain medication throughout the day.  She had to ask for pain meds.
Second, the nursing facility gave her the wrong medication. Instead of a pain pill they gave her  an antihistamine.  Luckily it was nothing dangerous towards her health.   Her pain medication is Tylenol 3.  There is a '3' on the pill.  A trained nurse would know this.  A trained nurse should not have made that mistake!
Third, they were feeding her the wrong food.  My MIL has a heart condition and must have a low sodium diet.  When this was brought to the nurses attention, she insisted that my MIL was being fed the correct diet.  We had to show her the dinner ticket to prove it was a 'regular' diet and not a 'cardiac' diet.

Let me tell you, I was VERY ANGRY!

Ridiculous! That night the staff was informed she was going home!   It was arranged to have a hospital bed, wheel chair and walker put into their home.

Tomorrow she will be home, safe and sound!


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27 pretty purplexing comments:

  1. Oh, no! I'm glad to hear she'll be back home soon, though. How about you? How are you doing?

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  2. Oh good, home is the best place.
    What on earth is wrong with that place!!??? Thankfully your MIL wasn't harmed, but messing up medications is a very serious thing!!! For crying out loud! You have had a rough week, I am so hoping your next one is much better!!

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  3. Oh wow. I'm glad nothing life threatening occured while she was there! My mother had knee surgery in May and went to rehab for two days. Nobody got her out of bed the first 24 hours she was there, which can be so dangerous following surgery. My brother went over and took her to his house, but yikes. You really do have to be on top of your own medical care anymore. Hope she heals soon!

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  4. Just reading this makes me angry. It sounds like that rehab center needs some help! Thank God the mistakes didn't hurt your MIL.

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  5. OH.MY.GOSH!! I'm angry FOR you! That's ridiculous! What always freaks me out if older people who have no family & wouldnt know any difference then to rely solely on the nurses... who screw up so BADLY!!!... & I'm sure your MIL is getting charged a pretty penny too for that service. Wonder why we have health insurance crisis going on?... can you tell I'm angry for you?

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  6. What a nightmare! My mother-in-law broke her hip two years ago, and it was an ordeal (and we didn't have a fraction of the complications you and your family have experienced)!

    Tell Todd you need a vacation to somewhere warm and relaxing after this is all behind you!

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  7. I've seen your facebook posts and can't believe you are dealing with such a nightmare! When my dad went to a rehab center they were awesome! Thank goodness she wasn't harmed in any of the mistakes!

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  8. oh dear! it does sound like a nightmare. good luck with everything going on..

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  9. i'm so sorry to hear about your mil and all the pain she had to endure. she is lucky to have you. keeping you in my prayers and hoping she has a happy return home. <3<3<3
    maria

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  10. Ugh!! That is pathetic Tami, I am sorry your MIL has had to go through all of this after already going through breaking her pelvis :( Hope she recovers fast in her own home with people who love her and will look after her properly!!

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  11. I'm so sorry! My mom broke her pelvis early in December and there is hope. She didn't have surgery and wouldn't go in rehab. She came home and had in home therapy it has been a long rode. Those first three weeks were the hardest. But now some almost 12 weeks later she is walking with a cane and driving again. She is still slow in her movements. My Mom is 74. I hope and pray your MIL has strength and stamina because it will not be easy. Keeping her in my prayers! xo

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  12. Your MIL is so lucky to have family paying attention and making sure she gets good care! SO many people don't. Keep advocating for her, GO YOU!! And I pray she heals quickly.

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  13. Wow. I always say patients leave the hospital/rehab sicker than when they went in. My 86 year old neighbor caught bacterial blood infections twice while in the hospital for different issues and came home sicker and weaker than she went in. It's sad when that happens... and scary. Hope you MIL has a safe and speedy recovery at home!

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  14. That is so unbelievable! Praying that your MIL will recover fully and be back to normal quickly.

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  15. Thank you Cyndy! She is home now and doing so much better!

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  16. That is comforting to know. Thanks Kathy. Todd's mom is turning 70 this fall. Luckily she is very active and has a strong will! xo

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  17. It's so sad to know the people who are in those facilities and do not have a family member looking out for them. My heart breaks!

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  18. I was so scared and angry at the same time! I am glad the outcome wasn't a bad one.

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  19. I told him about the vacation! :-D

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  20. I KNOW! Walking through the hallways of the nursing home totally broke my heart. All those people looking defeated. My MIL is home now and doing well.

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  21. What makes it really bad is that the rehab center is BRAND NEW!!

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  22. My MIL sat the first day too. Horrible!! Is you Mom okay now?

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  23. She is home now and doing well. Me? I am tired but doing what has to get done. Now that she is home, things will get a bit easier.

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  24. She got home yesterday morning and already looks so much better. There is color back in her face and she is smiling again. :)

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  25. I'm very sorry to hear that bad news about your poor MIL, but I'm very glad she has you to advocate for her. I'll pray for strength for you and your family as you step in to get her well again.

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