My Dad passed not so quietly into the night after struggling with a MRSA staff infection aquired at the hospital. It is a cruelly intolerable and hard-driving bug, presenting as a UTI that went into his bloodstream.
I cannot say enough about the hospice nurse taking over his care in the last few hours and working to get, and keep him comfortable.
The hospital is in the business of keeping people alive,not so good at helping people pass.
What I learned is to vigilant and more vigilant with your loved one. You are all they've got.
I was vigilant, but not more vigilant. I pressed for a urine culture, but the Dr refused, even though my poor Dad had had a poorly inserted catheter that failed the previous day. He had been admitted for a GI bleed that stopped on it's own. After arguing for that test 3 times I stopped. They sent him home (to assisted living) the next day with the infection and 105+ temp. in an ambulance. I can't believe the EMT's left him there.I can't believe the hospital let him go. I arrived shortly after and he was convulsing. We got him back to the hospital and he passed away 2 days later.
This shouldn't have been. And oddly enough, it's a relief that he passed because he was suffering so much with the Alzheimers.

I've suppressed the anger, but feel it rising as we're getting thru the week, wake, funeral today ect. As usual, I've been handling all the business ( with great support from my family), and have kept myself very busy and occupied.
We won't be pursuing and financial compensation.
We do expect a huge apology and comittment to (re)-training and attention to these situations.
I will be more vigilant about this.

Dear Sophia - I'm so very sorry for your loss and the way it ended. It's hard to have faith and trust in the medical profession when things like this occur. At least the Hospice nurse did her job well. I hope you carry this message to the manager at the AL facility as well as having a blunt conversation with the president of the hospital. I wouldn't accept anyone less to talk to. They need to hear it from you face to face. Sometimes such a conversation will bring them back in touch with reality rather than a softened version from staff. And of course, sometimes people are just jerks and don't get it. I know our lcoal hospital's CEO and I know he's an intelligent, caring person who would want to know if something like this happened on his watch.
I'm thinking of you today and hoping a warm breeze touches your cheek to remind you of better days ahead. I understand Hospice offers counseling services too.

Sophia, I'm sorry at the passing of your father. I applaud your goal to hold the hospital responsible for the outcome...but remember to take care of yourself while you grieve and pace yourself while you deal with all of this. The hopital may not apologize or even acknowledge what happened because it might legally make them liable...but I hope they do.

May you have some peace as you go through all of this.

///

I am so very sorry for your loss.
My mother acquired MRSA in the Nursing Home. We were not compensated for anything, and no apology was asked for or received.

I was heartsick when her leg had to be amputated at the hip.

I hate this damned disease and I am only happy my precious mama is free of it.

The NH seemed to do all they could, the dr was uncaring but the staff at the home was kind and helpful. I fired the Dr, hired Hospice and held my mama's hand until God took her home.

A year later, it seems like forever ago- and like yesterday. I miss her terribly, the disease not at all.

I wish for peace for you, and strength.