Yesterday we came back from England having gone over on Friday to visit an aunt. She is 101 and has lived at home with no problems and just a little paid help. A new GP arrived a few weeks ago and for some unknown reason gave our aunt anti depressants. Within days they had caused postural hypertension and she fell. She wears an emergency button which she was able to press alerting the paramedics. As her blood pressure was low and her heart rate fast she was taken into hospital. The paramedics found the anti depressants and worked out they had caused the problem. This all happened on the Wednesday. We were informed on Thursday she was in hospital. I immediately called the hospital and was told she was very agitated and for her own safety was sedated! Going into the weekend nothing else was done. During the next week I phoned the hospital a couple of times for updates and my brother in law told me he was worried. So we decided to go over.
Her son had seen her into hospital and then he and his wife went off to Florida for a month. He is the power of attorney and had arranged for her to go into a nursing home should the hospital decide to discharge her. Her daughter lives nearby but failed to visit!
On our first visit she had a supper tray in front of her. Puréed food in a plastic bowl! I went and found the nurse in charge to ask why? The nurse barely spoke English! Apprently Elsie had gagged when eating. I challenged this saying it did not mean she needed puréed food. They need to tempt her to eat not put her off! I explained that at home she ate normal food and loved Chinese. She had a KitKat every day and crisps with her teatime sandwich! She also read the Telegraph and did the crossword. She was also always dressed and made up complete with jewelry! The nurse clearly did not believe me. A bit later on the nurse came back and asked me to confirm that Elsie came in from home! I told her it should be in the notes..admitted from home by ambulance.
I do not think Elsie will be with us much longer. She told me she loved me when I said goodbye and asked me to forgive her if she had ever upset me. It was all I could do not to cry in front of her.
We came home last night, exhausted emotionally and physically. There is no more I can do. I am not the Next of kin and she is my aunt through marriage not a blood relative.
It also settled my unrest over whether to stay in France. The treatment him indoors had, by French speaking nurses was faultless. I worked in the NHS for many years and was proud to wear my uniform. I was ashamed of it this time. It seemed to me the The England I knew no longer exists. I could not live there again willingly. Next year I will be 60 and applying for French citizenship is easier. That is what we will do.
The world is restless now and who knows exactly how the future will go! For me I will continue to live simply in a green way and do what little I can to protect the environment.
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