"The care of my mum"

Beyond belief what we as a family have went through recently. My mum was first admitted with memory problems that happened over a weekend, so she was admitted to Victoria Hospital. Various tests & scans done and the  diagnosis was delirium caused by high blood sugar only diagnosed with diabetes when admitted. Told it would get better just take time.

After a few weeks was sent to ward 6 of the Victoria to be prepared for, it was arranged for Icas to do temporary home care . We personally didn’t think she was ready for discharge, home one day then admitted back in the next day due to her being unsafe at home refusing medication etc.

So another few weeks on ward 41 which the staff are great and don’t get enough credit. More tests, more scans all come back to the same conclusion, still a delirium. Then my mum deteriorated - not eating, drinking, sleeping all the time. They then decided it was mental health related and consulted with a physc team after weeks already of the psych team saying it was something organic and not mental health already.

So they sent her to Stratheden Hospital,l said she would get the support she needed. That couldn’t be further from the truth, we found it to be a horrible place, and the nurses are far from friendly. My mum gets slightly  better over the next few weeks and was told she was ready to be discharged. Big surprise at this she had only started remembering who was coming to visit her and was told she was taking her medication which we were surprised about as she hadn’t taking it in weeks ( this being because of her cognitive memory ) so we asked various questions and were told by a doctor that she had no mental health issues, depression etc and it was the delirium. Asked about carers etc, was told she was of full mental capacity, which I believe she was clearly not.

Arranged to collect my mum the next day then was told my niece that had changed that they asked for a occupational assessment, if the doctor hadn’t arranged meetings with my niece rather than her daughters then the back & forward this is happening then not wouldn’t have happened. Me and my sister collected my mum the next night then just found out that the doctor said my mum left discharged herself, and she handed me my mum’s prescription.

Discharged 4 days and we're now back in ward 41 of the Victoria where they now want to do a detention form to medicate her.  Still no proper diagnoses after 11 weeks. Me and sister aren’t kept up to date have to keep asking. Doctor from Stratheden is now back on the scene and will only communicate with the next to kin, but quite happy to sit and discuss it with my nieces.

We have no power of attorney and we are powerless to my mum's care, not right at all. If my mum gets sent back to Stratheden I will contact the care commission. Thank you to all the lovely nurses in the Victoria, but I don't feel my mum's level of care is acceptable.