My mother has been a patient in a ward on the 5th floor of this hospital since Dec.21, 2015, when she was moved up there from the third floor.

On the third floor while very ill with an urinary track infection she and I were made to feel welcomed, cared for and valued… that disappeared when she was moved to the 5th floor…the floor of WAITING… waiting to die or waiting to move out. I have been there almost everyday including Christmas and New Year’s Eve and Day… only one nurse in this time entered the bedside with a smile, a compliment and a happy positive attitude…even using my mother’s name to address a question to her… I can not beleive the total and complete lack of compassion or positiveness. Most of the nurses do not talk to my mother and I have never heard them use her name. Even after all these weeks, the nurses have not connected me to the women in the bed by the window as she was described to me. They do their job…I guess, I would not really know as in all this time I have yet to meet the doctor. I have heard from him ONCE… a call to my home, after I complained, ranted and paged him twice…. Not familiar with hospital rules, routines or medical conditions, I was completely left on my own… nurses did not know answers to my questions, nor did they seem to think it was important that I had not met the doctor. I can will list daily instances of an apathetic, negative, or lack of connection that permeates the ambience of this floor. Even after a very emotion rage rant which brought a few people’s attention nothing has changed in the day to day communication with patient or family. It is appalling, It is very frustrating. I find it rude and sterile, in a place that needs to demonstrate caring and respect, the dignity of patients needs to be upheld … they may be old, deaf, sick and at times non-compliant… they are scared and uninformed… medical care is more than IVs and pills….. there is a strong emothional component to health…being totally ignored on this floor. I challenge any doctor or CEO to spend a weekend in that ward and not feel depressed and unwanted. Be the undercover Boss… do they have any idea what is really going on besides the bottom line. This issue has nothing to do with the medical treatment… I will assume that it is fine… and I do know that there are many issues around our needs to fund and care for the elderly…but what i am witness to has everything to do with attitude and respect… that is FREE to give and receive but is sadly lacking on the 5th Floor!
L.OGrady