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Loved ones in hospitals....Drs and Nurses with poor communication skills...

Kern Dog

Life is full of turns. Build your car to handle.
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My Brother in law had to be brought in to a hospital last week due to a sudden "Brain bleed" that left him dizzy, disoriented and unable to speak. They took him by ambulance to a well respected hospital.
Since this whole Covid mess, family members are not allowed in for visits so any and ALL information has to go through the Hospital staff. Usually an "in person" visitor can see the patient, speak with him/her, watch the Doctors and Nurses, ask questions and stay informed on the issues. Most of that is gone now.
This Hospital does not call with frequent updates, my Sister has to make most of the calls.
They don't go into detail, she has to dig like an investigative reporter.
He is dealing with a neurological issue and they are NOT explaining a course of action for now or for the future. This has been extremely stressful. One certainty is that is was NOT a stroke. He speaks and responds to the staff.
This Covid isolation protocol has been going on for almost a year. The ONLY way to know of the condition of a patient is through the staff of the Hospital. For these people to be stingy with updates and information is just terrible.
 
With all due respect to those in the medical community I completely agree that dealing with hospital staff is unfortunately usually an exercise in futility and frustration. While some are much better than others, it seems that most staffs are very used to talking to one another in an almost abstract manner with regards to patients which I suspect is a condition of having to deal with people and families on a daily basis where the medical situation is a very significant situation however the hospital staff are dealing with 100 or more of similar or worse issues; this tends to harden one's feelings and attitudes which unfortunately translates to how some of them deal with the public.

The medical world is unto itself and a host to a wide array of personalities many of which are not competent or capable of dealing with people outside of it with regards to the condition or treatment of a family member. Obviously there are good people there but finding them can be a challenge on a good day. This is even more exasperated with the military medical system especially when you are no longer active. Personally, I hate hospitals, doctors, etc. universally and consider them an necessary evil on a good day. I will go well out of my way to avoid them at all costs.
 
I can't imagine not being able to be there for a loved one when they need you most, given the circumstances I'd be irrate as well!

It's especially frustrating when it's not standard practice everywhere, I had a back surgery in July, wife was there the whole time then she was hospitalized... same deal I was there the whole time? The only difference is we had to wear a mask so why is it OK in Ohio but not in Cali?
 
Sorry to hear about your brother in law, KD.

As with most things, there are varied experiences. I just want to give the fiip side, too. 5 weeks ago yesterday I had a total hip replacement. My wife had to drop me off at the door and then I was on my own due to Covid protocols. But from beginning to end, everyone from the prep nurses to the phlebotomist to the anesthesiologist to the surgeon to my care nurses and nurses assistants to the food service people to my physical therapists were absolutely fantastic to me. I couldn't have been happier with the service I received and the outcome. And I'm a stickler for customer service, believe me. For me to be inpressed is no easy feat. My surgeon called my wife and told her how it went after he was done, so we had good communication there. My hat is off to these people - who were real angels to me. I suppose my experience can be partially credited to living in the midwest and a smaller population than a lot of you guys deal with, too.

I hope things get better for your brother in law, KD, and that the communications improve somehow.
 
Sorry to hear KD. Yes it's a mess right now. My wife is a Director at a Hospital and a couple months back both her parents had COVID. She could hardly get any information from them Nurses. She said most of the time when she goes to visit on floors they are just sitting on there butts.
 
Sorry to hear that Greg. One thing you can have your sister try is to find out who the accreditation certification comes from, usually it's The Joint Commision or DNV, they ensure healthcare facilities maintain regulatory compliance for CMS ( Center for Medicare Services) and file a complaint.
Part of the requirements is that hospitals have to adhere to is a Patients Plan of Care, which includes the correct transfer of information to the guardian/caregiver.
You can also go online and see what their "Patient Satisfaction" score is, in today's healthcare that score has a lot to do with how much hospitals are paid/reimbursed. That being said many facilities focus on improving those scores and are very sensitive to negative feedback.
Have your sister ask for a Case Mgr and explain her difficulties also have her "inquire" who they are accredited through, what is the pt sat score... and see if that helps motivate them to become more cooperative.
 
She was able to speak with a member of the hospital who then made a few calls.
The President of the hospital called to apologize and said he would make a few calls of his own.
An hour or so later, the Dr called and was a P R I C K ! He obviously didn't like being questioned or called out for his shitty behavior.
 
WTF you gonna find anyone not ESL in this California 3rd world environment. Join the club. Lots of good people in healthcare out there. That said, just because they wear a smock doesn't mean they walk on water. Unless they are black. Then they walk in water.
 
Sorry to hear this KD, just went through the exact same thing with my wife Dec. thru Jan. Twice in hospital and twice in rehab center before she passed on Jan. 31st. Sad situation to not be with them at that time. :BangHead::BangHead::BangHead:
 
Sorry to hear this KD, just went through the exact same thing with my wife Dec. thru Jan. Twice in hospital and twice in rehab center before she passed on Jan. 31st. Sad situation to not be with them at that time. :BangHead::BangHead::BangHead:
sorry to hear about the wife passing
you have my deepest heartfelt condolences
may she RIP
 
Sorry to hear about that Kern Dog. Was in a similar situation last year my dad and I were working outside my house. He didn't feel good and wanted me to call an ambulance. Ambulance came and toke him to the VA hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. I picked up his wife and we went to the VA expecting to be able to see him. We were turned away at the door and told to call the nurse helping him. First one we talked to was not very helpful. We waited at the hospital for a while and called again a few times and finally got to talk to a nurse that was very helpful and he actually walked out to the hospital exit to talk to us in person. My dad spent two weeks in the hospital and nobody was ever able to visit him. It was a tough two weeks not being able to see a loved one when they need it.

A couple months later, my grandma broke her hip and had to have it replaced at the age of 90. She was at a hospital in Erie, PA and at that hospital one person was allowed to visit her a day. Maybe the VA is more strict, but I didn't understand why one hospital let visitors in but another didn't.

Hoping for a speedy recovery for your brother in law.
 
Sorry to hear this KD, just went through the exact same thing with my wife Dec. thru Jan. Twice in hospital and twice in rehab center before she passed on Jan. 31st. Sad situation to not be with them at that time. :BangHead::BangHead::BangHead:
Oh man, that is terrible. Sorry for your loss, friend.
 
Sorry to hear this KD, just went through the exact same thing with my wife Dec. thru Jan. Twice in hospital and twice in rehab center before she passed on Jan. 31st. Sad situation to not be with them at that time. :BangHead::BangHead::BangHead:

So sorry for you loss.
 
KD, prayers to family!! My mom (78) had stroke on friday, FORTUNATELY, NJ allowed 1 visitor to be/see her. Dad (79) was able to spend time with her; Unfortunately, their explaining of what med staff said kind of an issue, fortunately my sister was able to get floor staff to explain things to her, thereby family. NO she did NOT get her shot for COVID (heart, diabeties issues), which figures!! BEST TO YOU & FAMILY & HAVE SISTER BE A PAIN IN MED STAFF'S BUTT, IT'S HER HUSBAND!!
 
I have spoken with Doctors before. Most seem to speak in the most complicated medical language possible and need to be asked to repeat it in simpler terms. You'd think that these eggheads would want to just say it once and just speak in a simple manner. I know that they have to think on a higher level than the average person to be so skilled but it appears that common sense cannot be taught in Med School.
I had a Surgeon that was excellent at explaining procedures and recovery. Lucky me!
 
ABSOLUTELY TRUE KD!! Then again, very few can speak in terms like a house plumbing, electrical, structure, etc... no less CAR terms that the average person can, put gas in & go/ house breaks, call cheap "handyman" Surgion, fortunately, mustve been a car guy!! lol lol
 
I had a mini-stroke about a week and a half ago and was recently released.. @Kern Dog I get your frustration and pray for a speedy recovery for your brother-in-law.
That was exactly my frustration with the doctor.. Didn't explain **** and just expected me to understand. I just had a ******* stroke! I didn't understand ****. So he talked to me like an I am an idiot, and still explained nothing. He got pissed when I got my wife on the phone and asked her to put this crap in plain english (she is a nurse and agrees doctors suck at communicating). They didn't allow visitors, so I would put her on speaker whenever they came in. LOL... They were not fans of that.
I wasn't a complete *** because my wife is a nurse at that hospital and she didn't want the drama.
 
BEST WISHES AND PRAYERS CRASH89!!! SPEEDY "FULL THROTTLE & JAM THEM GEARS" RECOVERY!!
John
 
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