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"My story is about the terrible care my parent received while in peel hospital River ward"

About: Peel Health Campus / Emergency Department

(as a relative),

My parent was admitted to the River ward in Peel Health Campus after a fall recently. I received a call the following day from one of the Doctors involved in their care. Since then 3 days later there have not been any other updates on my parent's care.

My parent is in their late 80s and is at high risk of developing Delirium  and lack of sleep contributes to this. They are is in a bed directly next to the  fire doors that staff are using constantly and banging all through the day and night.  My parent had told the staff they couldn't sleep due to this and they haven't been moved. Their injury happened and when my sibling visited them on the following day and again the day after that my parent was still in the same dirty gown that was covered in their blood.

My sibling asked for a clean gown to change my parent and ended up changing them into their own clothes. I visited my parent two days after the fall and the day after that their sheets had still not been changed since the night of their fall, I asked for clean sheets and helped change them. My parent had not been showered or clean bed linen in 4 days. As a clinician my self I am horrified at the lack of basic nursing care my parent is receiving.

My parent is a high falls risk and is not allowed out of bed without supervision. 5 days after their fall they had still not been showered. My relative and their friend went to visit my parent 5 days after the fall, and my parent was not in their bed. The cleaner found my parent alone and half dressed in the toilet, my parent had rung the call bell, when they didn't come they took themself to the toilet unsupervised and didn't quite make it and defecated in their pants. This is extremely dangerous for my parent and how degrading that this happened.

My relative showered my parent with no help from the nursing staff that had seemingly not even noticed my parent was not in their bed. When we rung the ward to complain we were informed my parent had been moved to another ward, again myself and my sibling had not been informed that my parent had been moved.  

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Responses

Response from Kellie Blyth, Executive Director, Peel Health Campus, South Metropolitan Health Service 4 days ago
Kellie Blyth
Executive Director, Peel Health Campus,
South Metropolitan Health Service
Submitted on 13/05/2026 at 12:19 PM
Published on Care Opinion Australia at 12:21 PM


picture of Kellie Blyth

Dear lacertaq745,

Thank you for taking the time to share this deeply distressing account of your parent’s recent experience in our care. I want to express my heartfelt apology to you, your parent, and your family. The situation you have described falls well below the standard of care, dignity, and communication that every patient and family should rightfully expect from us.

The concerns you have raised are extremely serious. The lack of fundamental nursing care, the absence of timely hygiene support, the inadequate communication with your family, and the unsafe circumstances in which your parent was left unattended are unacceptable. Given your parent’s age, vulnerability, and high risk of delirium, these lapses are particularly concerning. No patient should ever remain in a soiled gown, be deprived of rest due to environmental noise, or feel compelled to mobilise alone because their call bell was not answered. This is not the level of care we strive to provide.

Your feedback has been escalated for a comprehensive review, and we are examining each aspect of your parent’s care to understand what occurred and why. The outcomes of this review will guide immediate and longer-term improvements, including staff education, process changes, and any necessary adjustments to practice to ensure this does not happen again.

I would welcome the opportunity to speak with you directly so we can discuss your parent’s experience in more detail and ensure every concern is addressed. If you feel comfortable, please contact our Patient Liaison Officer on 9531 8177.

Thank you again for bringing this to our attention. Your advocacy for your parent is invaluable, and your feedback will play an important role in helping us improve the care we provide to all patients and families.

Kind regards

Kellie Blyth

Executive Director

Peel Health Campus

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