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Lack of care and assessment of elderly patient

Posted By perseuskq56

"Lack of care and assessment of elderly patient"

About: Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital / Emergency Department

(as a relative),

My elderly parent was brought to the ED recently by a friend. They had been diagnosed with bilateral pulmonary embolism within the last 3 months at the hospital and was currently experiencing pain in the upper left thigh. In that previous experience of care it was noted that my parent has been experiencing cognitive decline and confusion.

Once at the ED, my parent became further disorientated and confused. They were left waiting for an extended period of time in which their understanding of why they were there deteriorated further. My parent left around 7 hrs later, still not admitted and now confused about the process and outcome. Given my parent’s history, I feel either a next kin should have been advised, or my parent should have been assessed sooner. Their signs of confusion and dementia were not recognised as such, leaving them with no care and little understanding.

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Responses

Response from Jodi Graham, Executive Director, SCGOPHCG, Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group 17 months ago
We are preparing to make a change
Jodi Graham
Executive Director, SCGOPHCG,
Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group

Submitted on 13/12/2023 at 8:12 PM
Published on Care Opinion Australia on 14/12/2023 at 10:30 AM

picture of Jodi Graham

Dear perseuskq56,

Thank you for sharing your story with us on Care Opinion about your parent’s recent visit to the Emergency Department (ED) at Sir Charles Gairdner hospital (SCGH). I am sorry to hear that they have been unwell recently and developed a decline in their cognitive functioning.

I acknowledge that the ED can be a very distressing and challenging environment for patients, particularly for those who are confused, disorientated, and experience extended wait times before being reviewed.

We recognize the importance of letting the family know when elderly patients arrive in ED, however, there are some restrictions on the information that can be provided to family members. At the patient's request and with their permission, staff are able to contact loved ones and provide them with information. I am sorry to hear that you were not contacted, and I appreciate this would have been distressing for you.

I am concerned that your parent reports being confused about the process and outcome of their ED visit. To allow us to follow up, we would encourage you or your parent to please contact the Consumer Liaison Service (phone: 6457 2867 or email CLS@health.wa.gov.au) to provide further personal details, which will allow our staff to investigate and respond to any outstanding concerns.

We are always keen to look at ways to improve services and reduce the wait times in ED. I am excited to share with you the news of a new pilot project that will be launched next year. It involves a self-registration app 'My Emergency Visit' which we hope will assist us to reduce wait times for patients in our ED.

Once again, thank you for sharing your parent's experience of our services, and I will ensure your feedback is shared with our ED staff so they can identify any areas for improvement in our communication processes.

I do hope your parent is feeling a little better and we wish them all the best for the future.

Warm regards

Jodi Graham

Executive Director, SCGOPHCG

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