A Fife widow feels robbed of precious months with her husband and says he “went through hell” during a lengthy stay in a local hospital.
Maureen Hodge, from Lochgelly, says she is speaking out to “prevent other families having to go through the heartbreak I suffered”.
Eddie, who passed away in 2021, was very active before being admitted to hospital.
He was first in Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital and later Cameron Hospital, near Windygates, for rehabilitation after a dementia diagnosis.
The couple were told Eddie would benefit from physiotherapy and keeping active, Maureen says.
‘Outside once in six months’
But she claims his health deteriorated in Cameron Hospital, where he was mostly confined to his room with few instances of physio or rehabilitation.
“I’m very bitter about it all,” says Maureen.
“He got no rehab. I felt they weren’t interested. I feel this needs to be highlighted to other families.”
She says Eddie developed a grade four pressure sore from being in bed and lack of movement, and that she was helped to take him outside just once in six months.
Maureen says she feels let down by Cameron Hospital’s “poor care” during her husband’s last year.
Fife Health and Social Care Partnership say they aim to provide high quality care to people with dementia and have been in contact with the family.
Maureen, 73, has granted permission for us to share graphic photos (shown below) of Eddie’s deterioration, insisting she wants to warn others about “falling standards”.
‘Desperate to get out of bed’
“My husband used to walk three or four miles every day, played bowls and loved jiving,” she says.
“But he started to take little turns where he was falling.
“Eddie was admitted on July 21, 2021 to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. He was walking, talking and continent when he went in.
“He had some muscle wastage in his legs but they did get him standing, and out of bed and sitting in a recliner chair.
“But between the two hospitals he had about seven falls out of bed – because he was desperate to get out and get up and walk.
“But he couldn’t do that on his own, he needed support.
“I wanted him home as I’d cared for him here previously, with carers’ support.
“But unfortunately I landed in hospital myself with a knee injury.”
She adds: “My issue is with Cameron Hospital. He should have been getting physio but they said his cognition wasn’t good.
“If they had worked on his legs it would have helped. But he was more or less in bed 24/7.
“It must have been soul-destroying for him.”
Maureen says one caring nurse arranged a wheelchair so she could take Eddie out in to the grounds.
‘Grade four sore on his back’
“He really enjoyed that,” says Maureen. “But that was the only time he got out in six months.
“I went in one day and he had his feet up on the windowsill lying down the bed and a nurse was sitting there.
“He was so active and to think he ended up like that, I think, is appalling.
“He developed a grade four pressure sore on his back. I don’t think he should have been discharged from Cameron until it was healed.
“No wonder he needed morphine for the pain. The poor soul went through hell.”
After six months in Cameron, Eddie’s final days were spent in Benore care home, which Maureen rates as “an excellent place”.
He passed away last October.
Long wait for a response
Maureen says: “As we all know, there are too many chiefs in the NHS.
“They’re needing to come down from their ivory towers, find out what’s going on in the wards and perhaps do some work in them.”
Maureen received a lengthy response to a complaint she sent to NHS Fife.
She says: “It took almost a year to arrive. By which time Eddie had passed away.”
A spokesperson from Fife Health and Social Care Partnership told us: “Our aim is to provide high quality care which supports people with a diagnosis of dementia.
“Because of the complex nature of the illness, patient care has to be tailored to the changing needs of each individual.
“In some instances, interventions like physiotherapy cannot be carried out with those who are cognitively impaired due to the significantly increased risk of falls.
“Although we cannot comment on specifics due to confidentiality, we can confirm we have been in dialogue with the family previously and remain happy to meet to discuss any concerns and answer any questions they may have.”
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