Last updated 14:12, Thursday, 08 January 2009

THEY say you can judge a society by the way it treats its old people.

If that be the case then we, if judged by a recent experience, would be found sadly wanting.

Just before Christmas, during the middle of the night, my 90-year-old diabetic mother-in-law was admitted to Furness General Hospital with a chest infection.

The response from paramedics was first rate . . . as usual.

Once at FGH it was explained to those present that she was no longer capable of eating or drinking unaided or without a straw.

Ms L visited her mother later that day to find her with a cup of cold tea and an unopened carton of orange juice in front of her.

A well meaning auxiliary asked if her mother took sugar in her tea.

Mrs L explained she was a diabetic, of which there was no indication on her bed.

Nor were there were any records of whether she had been given a drink or indeed eaten anything since she was admitted at 3am.

Understandably Mrs L was extremely upset and again informed those in charge as to her mother’s needs.

This was reinforced with a forthright but polite phone call to the ward sister who assured us a food chart would be produced and that our concerns would be passed on to “the next shift”.

When we have related this tale to others, many have had a similar story to tell of frustration, dismay and downright anger at the way elderly relatives had been treated.

Anyway, following the call, at least for a day or so, things improved and regular family visits ensured their own mother was taking on liquids and suitable food.

A day later there was a hand written line on her chart – “refused food”.

Following questioning it would appear that if a patient refuses food, despite their frailty, they cannot be forced to eat or drink.

A strange concept for a health service supposedly concerned with patient welfare.

Consequently we were back to square one.

The food chart disappeared and we had no idea of whether she had eaten or drank.

What we did know was that Mrs L’s mam’s blood sugar level fell dangerously low and she had to be fed glucose intravenously.

Feeling she was wasting her time with hospital authorities, Mrs L contacted her mother’s GP for advice as to what to do and was told to obtain the name of the consultant.

This she did, or at least spoke to his secretary, and voiced her very real concerns for her mother’s health.

And, to be fair, the very next day her mother was being treated like the Queen of Sheba.

That it should need to get to this stage when only the top man can get things moving is a sad indictment.

Who would have spoken up for my mother-in-law if she did not have a caring family?

In two recent reports the NHS has been accused of showing a lack of compassion towards its patients – I cannot disagree with the findings.

Oh yes, her mother’s GP told Mrs L there was another course of action; “Call the Evening Mail” she advised.

Thanks doc but I think we have that one covered.