A low week just got lower

[otherclive]

After having our old dog put to sleep on Tuesday this week was proving quite difficult as we started to sort her things out. In parallel we had my BIL go into hospital in Coventry a week last Friday. After 36 hours in A&E because ward beds were not available he then went through three wards quite quickly. Yesterday we spoke to him and he was anxious that his "hospital bag" had been missing since he left A&E. So we contacted the ward staff and they initiated a search. This morning we were advised that it could not be located anywhere. Problem is that the hospital want to discharge him tomorrow and his bag contained his house keys. His house has a front porch UPVC door, and an inner door to the hall way. His neighbour has a spare key to the inner door, but because he never locks the outer door she has no spare key. Unfortunately the paramedics locked both doors, and without key for the outer door one cannot go into the house via the inner door. Hospital said he had signed a disclaimer with A&E for personal belongings, but he's registered as a vulnerable adult with hearing, communication and anxiety difficulties, as.well as his Parkinsons and Cardiac.conditions.

So this morning I have had to arrange for a locksmith the unlock the front porch door and fit a new lock. Tomorrow we once again visit Coventry and if everything has gone to plan and he is discharged and can enter his home I can check to see if his keys for rear door, patio door, garage and rear gate are all on the same key ring, and does he have any spares. If not its replacement locks all round which will not be cheap, as the front outer porch door will cost around £170. We won't even consider his wallet and phone stuff etc that were in the bag. Fortunately he is pay as you go, its a "classic" old style mobile and he doesn't use plastic apart from his bus pass.

Once the dust has settled I need to see if his unexpected costs can be claimed from the hospital. I've only just finished seeking reimbursement of my father's care costs which took a claim, two appeals and hours of work since July 2019. But there must be better ways to spend ones time.

 

[Jcloughie]

After having our old dog put to sleep on Tuesday this week was proving quite difficult as we started to sort her things out. In parallel we had my BIL go into hospital in Coventry a week last Friday. After 36 hours in A&E because ward beds were not available he then went through three wards quite quickly. Yesterday we spoke to him and he was anxious that his "hospital bag" had been missing since he left A&E. So we contacted the ward staff and they initiated a search. This morning we were advised that it could not be located anywhere. Problem is that the hospital want to discharge him tomorrow and his bag contained his house keys. His house has a front porch UPVC door, and an inner door to the hall way. His neighbour has a spare key to the inner door, but because he never locks the outer door she has no spare key. Unfortunately the paramedics locked both doors, and without key for the outer door one cannot go into the house via the inner door. Hospital said he had signed a disclaimer with A&E for personal belongings, but he's registered as a vulnerable adult with hearing, communication and anxiety difficulties, as.well as his Parkinsons and Cardiac.conditions.

So this morning I have had to arrange for a locksmith the unlock the front porch door and fit a new lock. Tomorrow we once again visit Coventry and if everything has gone to plan and he is discharged and can enter his home I can check to see if his keys for rear door, patio door, garage and rear gate are all on the same key ring, and does he have any spares. If not its replacement locks all round which will not be cheap, as the front outer porch door will cost around £170. We won't even consider his wallet and phone stuff etc that were in the bag. Fortunately he is pay as you go, its a "classic" old style mobile and he doesn't use plastic apart from his bus pass.

Once the dust has settled I need to see if his unexpected costs can be claimed from the hospital. I've only just finished seeking reimbursement of my father's care costs which took a claim, two appeals and hours of work since July 2019. But there must be better ways to spend ones time.

Sorry to hear that story. What a complete pain. Hope it gets sorted soon.

John

 

[Buckman]

After having our old dog put to sleep on Tuesday this week was proving quite difficult as we started to sort her things out. In parallel we had my BIL go into hospital in Coventry a week last Friday. After 36 hours in A&E because ward beds were not available he then went through three wards quite quickly. Yesterday we spoke to him and he was anxious that his "hospital bag" had been missing since he left A&E. So we contacted the ward staff and they initiated a search. This morning we were advised that it could not be located anywhere. Problem is that the hospital want to discharge him tomorrow and his bag contained his house keys. His house has a front porch UPVC door, and an inner door to the hall way. His neighbour has a spare key to the inner door, but because he never locks the outer door she has no spare key. Unfortunately the paramedics locked both doors, and without key for the outer door one cannot go into the house via the inner door. Hospital said he had signed a disclaimer with A&E for personal belongings, but he's registered as a vulnerable adult with hearing, communication and anxiety difficulties, as.well as his Parkinsons and Cardiac.conditions.

So this morning I have had to arrange for a locksmith the unlock the front porch door and fit a new lock. Tomorrow we once again visit Coventry and if everything has gone to plan and he is discharged and can enter his home I can check to see if his keys for rear door, patio door, garage and rear gate are all on the same key ring, and does he have any spares. If not its replacement locks all round which will not be cheap, as the front outer porch door will cost around £170. We won't even consider his wallet and phone stuff etc that were in the bag. Fortunately he is pay as you go, its a "classic" old style mobile and he doesn't use plastic apart from his bus pass.

Once the dust has settled I need to see if his unexpected costs can be claimed from the hospital. I've only just finished seeking reimbursement of my father's care costs which took a claim, two appeals and hours of work since July 2019. But there must be better ways to spend ones time.

Not as bad as your issue, but originally in early 2022 when OH was admitted into A&E they lost one of her shoes. It was a Sketchers so not cheap and although we searched it could not be found. Felt bad dumping a good shoe into recycling. When you are ill and almost a death's door, the last thing on your mind is taking care of your stuff however she managed to hang onto her phone.

More recently in week Christmas to New Year OH phoned by doctor and told to go into A&E urgently. It took them over 24 hours to attend to her due to unprecedented demand for beds by those with cold and flu symptoms.

Eventually OH was put in a cubicle meant for one bed, but had to share with a screen between patients. Eventually ended up spending 2 nights in A&E for "urgent" treatment befroe being discharged and then having to take her back on New Year's Eve as no beds on wards.

A&E was understaffed and the doctors and nurses doing their best to resolve issues. If it wasn't for the flu or cold outbreak they probably could have coped so cannot blame staff.

 

[otherclive]

Sorry to hear that story. What a complete pain. Hope it gets sorted soon.

John

Thanks. Locksmith has now fitted a new lock to the outer door and given keys to neighbour. Cost £211. So we need to be there when BIL is discharged tomorrow to go through things with him. Good news is NHS are again paying for four Carer’s a day for four weeks to settle him down. Good value compared to keeping him in hospital taking a bed plus staff attendance too.

 

[otherclive]

Similarly BIL was in AE for 36 hours mostly waiting for a bed in a medical ward as AE checked him out quite quickly.
My fathers teeth were lost during his travails in Leicester hospital in 2018. Never did find them.

There’s an interesting set of charts on the BBC news app. Since 2010 the NHS funding pretty well dropped off the cliff in real terms. Combined with the staffing shortages for doctors, GP and nurses it’s been a crisis waiting to happen prior to the pandemic or COLC.

 

[Beachball]

After having our old dog put to sleep on Tuesday this week was proving quite difficult as we started to sort her things out. In parallel we had my BIL go into hospital in Coventry a week last Friday. After 36 hours in A&E because ward beds were not available he then went through three wards quite quickly. Yesterday we spoke to him and he was anxious that his "hospital bag" had been missing since he left A&E. So we contacted the ward staff and they initiated a search. This morning we were advised that it could not be located anywhere. Problem is that the hospital want to discharge him tomorrow and his bag contained his house keys. His house has a front porch UPVC door, and an inner door to the hall way. His neighbour has a spare key to the inner door, but because he never locks the outer door she has no spare key. Unfortunately the paramedics locked both doors, and without key for the outer door one cannot go into the house via the inner door. Hospital said he had signed a disclaimer with A&E for personal belongings, but he's registered as a vulnerable adult with hearing, communication and anxiety difficulties, as.well as his Parkinsons and Cardiac.conditions.

So this morning I have had to arrange for a locksmith the unlock the front porch door and fit a new lock. Tomorrow we once again visit Coventry and if everything has gone to plan and he is discharged and can enter his home I can check to see if his keys for rear door, patio door, garage and rear gate are all on the same key ring, and does he have any spares. If not its replacement locks all round which will not be cheap, as the front outer porch door will cost around £170. We won't even consider his wallet and phone stuff etc that were in the bag. Fortunately he is pay as you go, its a "classic" old style mobile and he doesn't use plastic apart from his bus pass.

Once the dust has settled I need to see if his unexpected costs can be claimed from the hospital. I've only just finished seeking reimbursement of my father's care costs which took a claim, two appeals and hours of work since July 2019. But there must be better ways to spend ones time.

So very sorry of your story i hope everything gets sorted and you can get some of your costs back good luck

 

[Mel]

Never rains but it pours. Glad you are finding a way through but it all sounds pretty stressful.
Mel

 

[audiorob]

Just a thought that he might have household insurance that may cover the costs. Hope it all works to the good for you and BIL.

 

[Hutch]

OC , it is a sad tale that you have told us, and yet again a failure of our NHS system, this time not a lack of our wonderful nursing staff, my God daughter does a 12 hour shift in Intensive Care at Milton Keynes Hospital, she never knows if the person she looks after is going to be there on her next shift. Looking after a set of keys are not her first concern.
A thing like keys needs to be looked at by people, three sets of neighbours have sets of keys for our houses,a key box can be fitted with a accessable key to the house, for under £30 . Where a family member has access to to the code for access.

 

[otherclive]

OC , it is a sad tale that you have told us, and yet again a failure of our NHS system, this time not a lack of our wonderful nursing staff, my God daughter does a 12 hour shift in Intensive Care at Milton Keynes Hospital, she never knows if the person she looks after is going to be there on her next shift. Looking after a set of keys are not her first concern.
A thing like keys needs to be looked at by people, three sets of neighbours have sets of keys for our houses,a key box can be fitted with a accessable key to the house, for under £30 . Where a family member has access to to the code for access.

Hutch all very well but BIL has no one else in Coventry and only the next door neighbour has a single key, but they don’t get on at all well. Notwithstanding your granddaughter‘s nursing priorities my BIL took his “hospital bag” in with him which unfortunately he’s had to use regularly, (cancer, heart, Parkinsons) and it should not be impossible to move it with him. The keys were in it along with personal effects, Jim jams etc, He removed the key box that I fitted to his front wall on account of security grounds. ☹️

It’s okay to sit remotely and imply that he should be doing things differently but he suffers extreme anxiety and these days would be categorised special needs, with audio and verbal communication difficulties. You have no idea how long my wife and I have spent trying to get him to do things differently.

 

[Hutch]

OC, I do understand your problems, but fitting a keybox, out of his sight available only to yourselves can be done. I have friend to whom this has been done, I even think they have forgotten about the keybox.
On a slightly different point, is the fact that along rivers, I have noticed, rescue points where you have to ring a phone number to get a release code for a rescue ring or pole. Not great of someone is in difficulties.

 

[Hutch]

Hutch all very well but BIL has no one else in Coventry and only the next door neighbour has a single key, but they don’t get on at all well. Notwithstanding your granddaughter‘s nursing priorities my BIL took his “hospital bag” in with him which unfortunately he’s had to use regularly, (cancer, heart, Parkinsons) and it should not be impossible to move it with him. The keys were in it along with personal effects, Jim jams etc, He removed the key box that I fitted to his front wall on account of security grounds. ☹

It’s okay to sit remotely and imply that he should be doing things differently but he suffers extreme anxiety and these days would be categorised special needs, with audio and verbal communication difficulties. You have no idea how long my wife and I have spent trying to get him to do things differently.

I have a Hospital bag ready at home, for myself and Mrs H's NHS numbers on them, supplied by Milton Keynes Hospital, prescription drug info, etc. And thankfully only used twice, for emergency. Ask about them at your local hospital.

 

[Christhecaravanner84]

Sorry to hear about all this Clive, Sometimes life just seems to throw one thing after another at you. Hope happier times are not too far away.

 

[otherclive]

I have a Hospital bag ready at home, for myself and Mrs H's NHS numbers on them, supplied by Milton Keynes Hospital, prescription drug info, etc. And thankfully only used twice, for emergency. Ask about them at your local hospital.

Hutch
He lives in Coventry but after this experience we have decided to use luggage tags on his next bag with relevant information in it. But he resists so much, such that he even refuses to entertain a SIM emergency call lanyard, despite us explaining the benefits to a single medically vulnerable person. In truth he would have a better life quality in a care home.

 

[audiorob]

I suppose these days technology might provide an alternative with an AirTag small enough to be used as a key fob or concealed within the bag so it could be traced from a linked iphone

 

[Buckman]

OC, I do understand your problems, but fitting a keybox, out of his sight available only to yourselves can be done. I have friend to whom this has been done, I even think they have forgotten about the keybox.
On a slightly different point, is the fact that along rivers, I have noticed, rescue points where you have to ring a phone number to get a release code for a rescue ring or pole. Not great of someone is in difficulties.

We have a keybox and a friend who sadly has now passed on had access, but as the daughter is in the next village she now has access.

However keybox or not, once your keys go missing for security and peace of mind you still need to have all the locks changed.

 

[Raywood]

Sorry to hear of the problem. Frankly I doubt the disclaimer he allegedly signed is worth the paper it is written on and if the costs justify it then pursue them.
My own mother went into hospital this Wednesday as an emergency after suffering a severe blood clot and frankly had superb service with a minimum of delay and was treated successfully and discharged yesterday. It does seem there is a postcard lottery in the NHS as to how you are treated.

 

[Jcloughie]

In my limited experience, hospitals do not seem to have a standard system and security for belongings with the exception of signing a disclaimer, (get out).

I have had a few day surgeries at Cheltenham. Clearly everyone will bring a bag in and will not be able to attend it when in surgery. What seemed to happen there is a bit make do and mend. Bags are put into a general storage cupboard. But it has worked fine for me. One time the ward would not let me return. It seems the staff were trying to make some point regarding staffing which I still don't understand. I was looked after very well in recovery who would send spies down to the ward because it made no sense to them. The surgeon kept popping in between procedures asking why I was still there and giving me a check over. As I was parted from my phone they allowed me to use their phone. They also gave me lots of tea and biscuits.

John

 

[otherclive]

Arrived in Coventry around 1000 to be told BIL will not be discharged today yet last night it was all ready to go. The problem was that that the pharmacy could not put his very complex dosettte box together until tomorrow. So we’ve cleared out old stuff from his fridge, explored Coventry to have some keys cut. Fortunately all keys for garage, rears doors and shed were in a kitchen unit. Hospital very good allowing us to visit BIL outside visiting time. But it would have been better to have been available for his discharge home to settle him down. C’est la vie.

 

[Buckman]

Arrived in Coventry around 1000 to be told BIL will not be discharged today yet last night it was all ready to go. The problem was that that the pharmacy could not put his very complex dosettte box together until tomorrow. So we’ve cleared out old stuff from his fridge, explored Coventry to have some keys cut. Fortunately all keys for garage, rears doors and shed were in a kitchen unit. Hospital very good allowing us to visit BIL outside visiting time. But it would have been better to have been available for his discharge home to settle him down. C’est la vie.

Ditto same thing happened to OH and ended up spending an additional extra night in hospital as they cannot cope with the Covid and flu issues plus staff off due to illness.

 

[Beachball]

OC , it is a sad tale that you have told us, and yet again a failure of our NHS system, this time not a lack of our wonderful nursing staff, my God daughter does a 12 hour shift in Intensive Care at Milton Keynes Hospital, she never knows if the person she looks after is going to be there on her next shift. Looking after a set of keys are not her first concern.
A thing like keys needs to be looked at by people, three sets of neighbours have sets of keys for our houses,a key box can be fitted with a accessable key to the house, for under £30 . Where a family member has access to to the code for access.

The key box is a good idea often on our holiday breaks now that is where we find the keys to the place and just put a code in My son has a spare set to our bungalow because he can let anyone who doing any work for us i hope OC you can get it sorted asap

 

[Hutch]

Mrs H, had a stroke, very mild, 7 years ago, when it came to discharge time, the Senior Nurse was fantastic and stated " I think you should stay another two days" Nurses, know and understand what's going on to a patient, more than the consultant, who do a wonderful job with surgery.
I am so pleased we have wonderful staff in the NHS.

 

[Jcloughie]

Mrs H, had a stroke, very mild, 7 years ago, when it came to discharge time, the Senior Nurse was fantastic and stated " I think you should stay another two days" Nurses, know and understand what's going on to a patient, more than the consultant, who do a wonderful job with surgery.
I am so pleased we have wonderful staff in the NHS.

I see your point, but that did not happen with my son. The doctors insisted he should be in the hospital, but the ward made it clear to him that he should not be there as he felt fine. His symptoms were double vision and high calcium. They thought the calcium was very dangerous. He was there for ‘flushing out’ with saline.

My son needed to tell the ward sister that he had had a major kidney operation just 2 weeks before and show her the massive scar. After this they were OK.

They seem to have got to the bottom of it and he needs a Thyroid op in the near future. But, he felt and still feels fine.

The double vision went on its own as the doctors though it might.

John

 

[ProfJohnL]

I'm sorry to read of all the difficulties that you've all had, but as a slight aside, and I don't know if it would be appropriate for anyone mentioned here, but the use of a key box means the security of a house is only as good as the security code on the box, and if it's hidden out of plain sight, any person with a mind could try the box multiple times until they hit the code, and then the property is effectively open to them.

You would be better off fitting a pushbutton coded lock to the front door, at least no keys to loose, and if there is a suspicion of the code being known beyond those who have a legitimate need for it, it can be changed. Combined with a house hold tamper alarm it's potentially a better bet than mechanical keys for some people.

 

[otherclive]

Just to close out my BILs lost bag.. On leaving Walsgrave hospital yesterday my wife spoke to the Reception Desk to inform them of the lost bag containing his personal effects and keys. This morning she received a phone call from the hospital general office informing her that the bag was where it should be wrapped and sealed in a secure locker. It seems the process in AE is to remove personal items securely bag them and place in a dedicated secure locker. The patient notes should be updated to reflect this. So the bag will be returned as part of the discharge process. But none of the two ward admin teams or discharge teams seemed to be aware of this process, and wasted staff time looking for it. Not to say the cost to us of £211 for a new front door look plus visits yesterday to Timpsons to have other keys cut. It’s still not clear if he will be discharged today as the external commercial pharmacy that makes up the dosette box may not return it in time to get available ambulance slot for discharge. Yesterdays and todays four carers have been stood down. So three days of bed blocking with carers all arranged and funded. At what financial and staff time costs to the hospital and the patients anxiety?