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Care Opinion

After my fall

Posted By cyclonebr74

"After my fall"

About: Swan Hill District Hospital / Emergency Department

(as the patient),

I passed out about 36 steps from my ride at the gate. No idea why I fell just woke about 1/2 hour sitting on the road, my walker upside down. I called and help came 3/4 hour later, the ambulance came and took me to the hospital where I was admitted. I had tests done and I kept complaining about my tail- no one took any notice, only of my foot. The other three patients in my room were also asking the nurses who came in to look at my sore tail but no one did, not even in the shower.

Quite a few days later someone looked and said it was just a small burn and has to wait til it burst and never put anything on to stop it being so sore. I couldn't get comfortable or roll onto that side because it was so sore. I wasn't able to lift my tail up to get myself off or up the bed and it dragged and hurt each time. They finally put a dressing on it, but as big as my hand.

I went up the rehab bit for 12 days. I had young nurses of the opposite sex come in the bathroom after a little knock, they also dressed my burn so I guess it didn't matter, but took me a bit to get used to after all these years. I didn't like the nurses seemingly telling everyone who came about my ailments and the one who should have known, it seemed was last to know. The person I shared the room with had TV going all night and the curtain did not go up far enough so flooded my room and in my face- because my tail was so sore I had to face that way.

On the whole, the boys were very good and the older girls were good too. I found some of the physios were abrupt and I felt rushed to get to the exercise room and to meals. I live on my own and do not go anywhere without being washed and dressed and my hair brushed. I did not like going to sit with patients of the opposite sex for breakfast straight out of bed in my bed clothes and dressing gown. Tina was wonderful and very kind and it seemed to me does everyone else's job as well as her own. It seemed to me the nurses upstairs were much kinder and respectful to me than in the other ward. I could not have many of my friends visit because it was too hard for them to get to where I was.

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Responses

Response from Chloe Keogh, Executive Director of Clinical Care, Executive Offices, Swan Hill District Health 11 months ago
We are preparing to make a change
Chloe Keogh
Executive Director of Clinical Care, Executive Offices,
Swan Hill District Health

Overall responsibility for the running of the health service, reports to the Board of Management. Acting for 3.5 months to replace Long Service Leave.

Submitted on 6/06/2023 at 9:29 AM
Published on Care Opinion at 9:43 AM

picture of Chloe Keogh

Dear cyclonebr74,

Thank you for taking the time to write about your experience at our health service. It certainly was a journey for you.

I feel so disappointed that you had so much discomfort and pain in your tail bone and were not able to get the comfort and relief that you needed. I am sorry for this pain that you had, and that the staff didn't understand this pain.

The curtains in Subacute are disposable and we have two options for these curtains, and there is a longer varitety available, which can be installed. Whilst this will not help you, by writing about your experience the Subacute nurses can be more aware of people who may benefit from longer length curtains that will improve their sleeping or their privacy, so I would like to thank you for bringing this matter up.

You raise a really important issue about being in the "Breakfast Club" in your sleep wear, and that this was not comfortable for you, and again, I know the staff will now be a lot more mindful of asking for peoples level of comfort with sitting in the shared space in this attire.

I hope that you are slowly recovering, and that your tail bone is not hurting as much.

We will monitor peoples need for longer curtains, and continue to monitor patients pain releif (and location of pain), and their comfort in being in a shared space in their pyjamas.

Kind Regards

Chloe

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Response from Emma Pay, Physiotherapy Manager, Physiotherapy Manager, Swan Hill District Health 11 months ago
Emma Pay
Physiotherapy Manager, Physiotherapy Manager,
Swan Hill District Health

Submitted on 6/06/2023 at 9:53 AM
Published on Care Opinion at 10:12 AM

picture of Emma Pay

Hi cyclonebr74,

Thanks for taking the time to write about your recent experience at Swan Hill District Health. Our hospital vision is to provide 'connected care, best experience'. I sincerely apologise that this wasn't your experience and will ensure staff are aware of your feedback.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you would like to discuss anything further epay@shdh.org.au.

Kind Regards,

Emma

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Response from Chloe Keogh, Executive Director of Clinical Care, Executive Offices, Swan Hill District Health 10 months ago
We have made a change
Chloe Keogh
Executive Director of Clinical Care, Executive Offices,
Swan Hill District Health

Overall responsibility for the running of the health service, reports to the Board of Management. Acting for 3.5 months to replace Long Service Leave.

Submitted on 7/07/2023 at 12:54 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 1:07 PM

picture of Chloe Keogh

Dear cyclonebr74,

I would like to provide some final feedback. The team in Subacute have taken on board your comments about the local of the patient pain and ensuring that they address people pain levels in a timely manner. Also, they are monitoring individual patients level of comfort with being in the communal areas in their pyjamas.

The matter of longer curtains has some further information. We do have longer curtains, and they can be used, however they do fall so much lower and when in use patients and staff find that they are a trip hazard as they are so much lower to the ground and closer to the wheels on the wheely walkers and to the shoe level. The staff are now assessing the need for longer curtains very carefully, because we do not want to create any falls risk, or have a patient getting their feet or wheely walkers tangled in the curtains. The NUM of the unit has arranged to have the height of the curtain rail changed slightly to lower the current curtains without causing a falls risk.

We will continue to monitor these things that you brought to our attention. Again, I would like to thank you for taking the time to write about your experience and bring these things to our notice. I hope you are well and keeping warm.

Kind Regards

Chloe

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