"Medical Treatment and OT Assessment"

My elderly parent in their late 70s was taken to Bunbury ED recently where it was discovered after having a fall at home they had fractured their L4 vertebrae.

My parent was kept in hospital and moved to Med Ward at Bunbury Hospital for treatment and monitoring. My parent was having ongoing issues with their back along with other health related issues where they were having regular blood tests.

The following day the doctor signed the discharge paperwork for my parent and they were sent home without any pain medication.  Arrangements had been made for a Wound Clinic Nurse to attend my parent's house every day (now every second day) to change a wound on their head along with other wounds (including an ulcer on their leg.)

At discharge my parent was advised that the OT Team would be attending the following day to do an assessment of my parent's home and what further assistance my parent required.  No-one attended only the Wound Clinic Nurse. 

The next week I contacted the Med Ward and spoke with a Ward Clerk - I explained the situation, and they advised they would look into it and get back to me. I waited 2.5hrs and had not heard anything and again spoke with the ward clerk. They clarified my parent's initial attendance in ED and I advised them that from ED my parent was transferred to Med Ward.  They advised that they would look into it and call me back. 

A further 2.5 hours later they called back and advised that they had looked into it and was advised by another person (unsure who this was) that my parent will need to go back to their GP for a referral for the OT Team to attend and assess.  This was completely contrary to what we were advised prior to my parent's discharge. 

We are extremely angry with the situation as my parent is having difficulty in managing at home - which I believe would have been evident at the time of their discharge.  We are further angered by the fact that my parent will now be waiting anywhere up to six or more weeks before they can be assessed by the OT Team - because we are now waiting for a GP appointment. 

I feel that my parent was just pushed out to make way for others when they still required hospitalisation as it is difficult for my other elderly parent to manage at home.