Another Healthcare Rant

Okay, so my mom is in a military hospital that at one time was the jewel in the crown of the air force training facilities. It no longer is that sparkling jewel. The building is showing its age and with all the BRAC changes it is no longer a teaching hospital. While the majority of doctors at the facility are still Air Force Physicians - the support staff - primarily the nurses are contract labor and boy does it show. While the majority of the patients now seen at this facility are basic trainees and retired military and their dependents, there are still some active duty that are seen here and the quality of care received on the floors is atrocious. I've had the pleasure....or displeasure of spending several days on the wards the last few weeks and the nursing staff and the medical assistants are slow to respond, often not very polite or sociable, and don't even follow their own protocol for their patients. If my mom is a fall risk and you have her tagged that way, then when she needs to use the ladies room you don't make a 74 year old woman wait 15 minutes and finally respond when we set off the bed alarm because I got her up to take her. Me being my charming self had to let the charge nurse tonight know exactly how I felt. After spending the day with my mom - her in pain - 4 hours out of a kidney removal surgery - left sitting in a chair for 4 1/2 hours and having to ask repeatedly to be helped back to her bed, it took me being bitchy to get it done. But I tell you what - at 2000 hours - that charge nurse had her snotty self in there telling me visiting hours were over. I was left with no choice but to tell her it was unfortunate they didn't spend as much time tending to their patient's needs as they did running my ass out at the end of visiting hours. I don't know why they do that anyway since the whole time I'm there I do their job! She didn't care for my attitude .

If no one speaks up - we will never put the care back in to healthcare.

Again, a tired and somewhat beaten up Pandora is wishing you the best. Pet your significant others and hug your pets.

xoxo

Pandora