Thousands Dying of Hunger, Thirst and Bedsores in NHS Care - Is it happening Here ?

[C. Flower]

I was struck on a hospital visit to a friend to see food put in front of an old woman who was clearly unable to feed herself (due to ill health and possibly medication) with a tray plonked down in front of her and no help in eating.
- also windows were wide open and she was far too cold and unable to cover herself.

A report in the UK has shown that thousands of people are dying in hospital and nursing home care due to lack of basic nursing.

One young man died in hospital of dehydration after having phoned 999 to get the policeas he was so dehydrated.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/he...tal-wards.html

UK hospital food is notoriously inadequate and malnutrition an ongoing problem. Irish hospital food can be good, but only if the person can eat it.

Does anyone have any experience of this ? I always take in food when visiting people, but what can be done for people who don't have friends or family to visit and feed them each day ?

Is there a need for a new grade of nurses who don't have degrees, but do know how to look after patients basic needs ?

[C. Flower]

This study says that there is a greater chance of malnutrition in Irish hospitals than in U.K., although less chance in nursing homes. The majority of patients lose weight in hospital, and there is no routine screening for malnutrition when patients arrive in hospital, although it is common for people to arrive malnourished.

http://www.irspen.ie/wp-content/uplo...2011-01-07.pdf

[fluffybiscuits]

This study says that there is a greater chance of malnutrition in Irish hospitals than in U.K., although less chance in nursing homes. The majority of patients lose weight in hospital, and there is no routine screening for malnutrition when patients arrive in hospital, although it is common for people to arrive malnourished.

http://www.irspen.ie/wp-content/uplo...2011-01-07.pdf

My mam was in for an op this week. She was eating vegetarian and thought the food was good but it was along the lines of pie and chips, jelly and ice cream and all the usual stuff. Not going to starve but not providing a great balance either...

[C. Flower]

My mam was in for an op this week. She was eating vegetarian and thought the food was good but it was along the lines of pie and chips, jelly and ice cream and all the usual stuff. Not going to starve but not providing a great balance either...

Happy to hear she was well fed. I know of one hospital that has excellent food. The problem mainly seems to be patients who can't feed themselves because they are too sick - some of whom are already malnourished because of their illness when they arrive at hospital.

There are a lot of food supplements prescribed, I guess mainly to older people, but problems about whether they get eaten, or stacked up in the larder. They may not be too appetising. Patients who have malnutrition get iller, and stay ill longer, with big costs to the health service.

[fluffybiscuits]

Happy to hear she was well fed. I know of one hospital that has excellent food. The problem mainly seems to be patients who can't feed themselves because they are too sick - some of whom are already malnourished because of their illness when they arrive at hospital.

There are a lot of food supplements prescribed, I guess mainly to older people, but problems about whether they get eaten, or stacked up in the larder. They may not be too appetising. Patients who have malnutrition get iller, and stay ill longer, with big costs to the health service.

There is a lot to be said for the hospital food. Its wholesome and filling but nutritionally its poor. Deep fried chips ffs? (I could live off that!). A proper diet in particular can help fight off secondary infections which is what most people experience when they have something like HIV or cancer and these are the things that kill more often than not so the importance of diet cannot be over emphasised!

[C. Flower]

I suspect it varies from one hospital to the next.

The problem mainly is where patients are too elderly and unwell to cope with eating a meat and two veg on a tray, unaided.