A couple of weeks ago I posted on how our son was rushed to hospital with suspected Covid 19, and how the doctor tried to refuse my wife the right able to stay with our son.
Our son is 31 has Down’s Syndrome with the age mentality of a toddler, as well as having very limited speech, (he would have had no idea what was happening to him).
I also gave an account of how my 56 yr old wife had to sleep in an upright chair for the duration of our son’s stay, as well as having to leave the Corona virus ward to use toilets and should have used the hospital cafe to get food ( but for some of the staff feeding her).
As any carer knows this is nothing new, but after 31 yrs I’ve had enough.
I have contacted my local MP, Dehenna Davison, (yep, I’m a hillbilly).
The MP’s secretary got back to me, asking for more details, as she said she was amazed that something like this would be allowed to happen.
After looking into the situation, she gets back in touch to say she would “contact the lead nurse learning disabilities” (I wasn’t even aware there was such a person). Then told me she was getting the runaround from the management.
Then the lady was amazed, “after looking into the situation, that none of the carer’s charities have done nothing about this”.
What I have found though after all these years of being a carer is that we just don’t matter to whichever political party is in power.
If you have had the same thing happen, (and I bet you all have similar or even more horrifying stories), please contact your local MP.
What are hospital passports?
Healthcare passports
A healthcare passport is a document about you and your health needs. It also contains other useful information, such as your interests, likes, dislikes and preferred method of communication. Healthcare passports can be very useful if you have to go into hospital.
What is the purpose of a patient passport?
A patient passport provides immediate and important information for doctors, nurses and administrative staff in an easy to read form, promoting a positive experience for people with learning disabilities going into hospital.
Most large hospitals have a Learning Disabilities Nurse. My ex neighbour is one. They don’t always advertise this service as well as they should. Their role is to welcome their patients with LD and meet them and their family or carers and make their stay in hospital a positive and enjoyable experience.