Medicine is changing...

When I started the blog, it was to inform people with Disabilities in Retirement of things they may encounter. For the last week we have been experiencing a bump in the road with hospitalization.

Had some issues on Sunday that our wonderful caregiver brought to my attention. After talking to Curly he agreed to go to our local ER room after church on Sunday.

They ran a series of test and suggested that he needed to be hospitalized. However, because of a shortage of workers their small hospital could no longer accommodate patients. The ER physician said he would call and try and find him a bed. I suggested the next nearest hospital. The doctor chuckled, “ah, yesterday I had to call 4 hospitals to get one room.”

This was around 2 pm and by 8 pm they had found him a room. I mentioned that I could take him by our van, “sorry to say if you do that you will have to wait in the waiting room to be admitted. If we transport him by ambulance, they will take him right to the room.”

Okay, I can step back and let them handle it.

Curly had been in the Honor Health Osborn hospital in May, I had given them the page of all his specialist and medications. Sunday night the nurse called and verified the medication. Great. He was assigned a hospitalist doctor. He never saw her (Sunday evening through Tuesday). The nurse called to say the cardiologist they were going to have come in. We had this doctor before and had some issues. My response was firmly, “No, not him!” I had given them the name of his current cardiologist that serviced that hospital and I wanted him or someone from his group.” I was home by this time so I called Curly and started a little rant and rave. I suggested he mention this to his nurse as well. Curly’s comment, “I don’t have to, he has been standing here listening to this conversion on speaker.” Oh well, it worked he was seen twice the next day by our chosen cardiologist!

Last night I gave them the name of his kidney doctor who has privileges at that hospital. They never contacted him just sent their own up. That did not please me as we have been currently working with our specific doctor.

Wednesday came and a new hospitalist came in. She started suggesting he did not have the infections that the tests had proven. I asked her the update on the blood cultures, uhm, she did not see any blood cultures. The small hospital had notified the larger hospital on Tuesday that they showed an infection and the current hospital had taken new blood cultures to verify and see what medication they would use to treat this….the hospitalist was rather defiant so I spoke to the nurse when she came in. Not wanting to talk against her, she did agree that yes the tests proved he had the UTI and they had done the new blood cultures but the results were not back yet. This may be a reading of the chart issue. Today was another day….hospitalist came in. making small talk that Curly may be discharged tomorrow if medications go well. Her question was, “Would you like him to meet with the physical therapist so he can walk around a bit?” I did inform her that would be great if she could get him walking after 8 years! I question if she has read the chart…probably not!

Now on to the food service, Curly is not able to walk, voice is shallow, and he is not able to use his left hand to help with the phone to call down for meals. I usually do this for him. I suggest the time for his meals, and they bring it up and put it on the bed table in the room. They do not ask if I would be able to help him unwrap his plastic wrap and the food is left on the bed table. I am starting to wonder if they have any training. Just a simple question, will you be able to help him would show some concern. Today when his lunch was delivered, I noticed that his dessert was not on the tray. His selection is slim on his diet, I called down and said the sheet shows the dessert but there was none. “Oh, that may be because he had to much calcium” my response was a call would have been nice to switch to something that was better suited, they did bring the apple pie up in its place.

Moving forward….We are so fortunate for wonderful nurses and medical assistants that are overworked but never complain. They get an A+ and we need to get more people going into this profession. The hospitalist doctors that I have experienced do not have the dedication that the nurses show in their job. They work for a certain number of days and then you get a new one. Reassuring for patient/doctor confidence?

Our medical system needs work. Hospitals need workers. Our small Fountain Hills hospital called me today to make sure that I had received the message of his first blood cultures. It was the doctor and I made sure that I shared how they go beyond expectations at the Fountain Hills Medical Center making sure the patient is taken care of and I truly hope that they can open the hospital portion soon. Their doctors are right up there with a high rating!

Moving forward with disabilities in retirement make sure you have an advocate. In a hospital setting, listen, take notes and when the survey comes fill it out honestly!