Washing Old Relative's Hospital Clothing

Caleo

Miss Adventure wrote:

"I don't see that a laundry collection service would cause too much of a problem.
Police checked workers, with photo id, coming in, collecting it up, and taking it off to wash."

I agree. I guess some entrepreneur would do it if it was financially viable and the health authority acceded. The worker could also be employed to clean up the bedside area like some of the poster here have described they do as relatives.
The laundry person could also be required to give a friendly smile and a brief chat. If properly paid, this should be a pleasant job to have, and indeed should be provided free for people who can't afford to pay.

When I win the lottery (which I don't do) I shall set up a free service to do just that.

I bought a DNR bracelet inscribed appropriately, for five or six £s off Amazon, It's made of a washable slightly stretchy rubbery substance and is so light weight it is no trouble at all.

For years now I have had an advance directive with copies for the GP, my sons, the ward manager if I go to hospital, and my solicitor. It is a legal document and must be obeyed.

Miss Adventure wrote:

"I don't see that a laundry collection service would cause too much of a problem.
Police checked workers, with photo id, coming in, collecting it up, and taking it off to wash."

I agree. I guess some entrepreneur would do it if it was financially viable and the health authority acceded. The worker could also be employed to clean up the bedside area like some of the poster here have described they do as relatives.
The laundry person could also be required to give a friendly smile and a brief chat. If properly paid, this should be a pleasant job to have, and indeed should be provided free for people who can't afford to pay.

No idea.
Hence, I'm not a business person.

£20 a week seems fine to me, considering the person is in hospital, and presumably not paying for other things.

MissAdventure

I don't see that a laundry collection service would cause too much of a problem.
Police checked workers, with photo id, coming in, collecting it up, and taking it off to wash.

So police checking costs, collecting laundry costs, laundering items costs. I just did a check- laundry cost for dropped off laundry is between 90p and 60p per item, with less -35p for underwear. Collection would cost more. Items which are contaminated and in the washable plastic bag would have to cost more Would people pay £15-£20 a week to get washing done?
That's without the bother of someone finding all the laundry and returning it to the right patient.

Do not talk to me about the terrible goings on in hospitals. When my late husband was admitted to hospital by blue light ambulance, I stayed with him the rest of the day to ensure he had everything he needed. In the afternoon a nurse came to take bloods so I asked him what they were for and he said to check his blood sugar levels. I asked him why he was checking blood sugar levels and he told me because my husband had diabetes. I told the nurse he didn't have diabetes, the nurse checked his chart and said, sorry, wrong patient and walked off. I decided to check my husbands notes and noticed he was down for an enema. When the specialist came round I asked him why the enema as my husband was going to the toilet okay. He looked at the notes and then his notes and said, oh dear, crossed the enema off both sets of notes and walked off. After that I was at the hospital for 10 am and stayed until 10 pm and I checked every single thing that was written on my husbands notes.

When the nurses came round in the morning, they called him by a different name so when I arrived my husband told me and I stood in the middle of the ward and said, 'will someone please put my husbands name above his bed'. I then spoke to the registrar, told them what had been happening and told him I would be with my husband all day on a daily basis until he was sent home. Three weeks later he was discharged but there were so many mistakes made with his oxygen, medication etc. Half of the nursing assistants could not understand the then Queen's English. I heard them shouting at patients and telling them to be bloody quiet. I saw food being taken to patients that were lying down and then taken away, they never got any help feeding. I told the nurses and I was told, they did not have time to feed patients.

I reported the goings on to the complaints board, got a thank you for letting them know and they will do better.

After my husband died, I went to see my GP and made out a DNR which states to not resuscitate if I die, and only give me palliative care if I am diagnosed with a life threatening illness. I am 81 years of age, have had a fantastic life and without my husband, I am just plodding along day by day. Death no longer frightens me but going in hospital terrifies me.

I chose to go into a Care Home for two weeks to see what it was like. They had a special laundry bag in each room and this was collected on a very regular basis. I didn't make use of it myself it as my daughter dealt with all my laundry from choice and my garments were not labelled with my name from my brief stay. In hospital daughter collected and delivered clothes for me.

I don't see that a laundry collection service would cause too much of a problem.
Police checked workers, with photo id, coming in, collecting it up, and taking it off to wash.

Caleo

Glorianny

Caleo

I agree Miss Adventure. May we will live to see these entrepreneurs on Dragons Den.

I have been ringing round local laundries to seek such a service; one of them said they would do so but the bag of washing would be collected from Reception not the bedside , so obviously there has to be cooperation with the hospital authority at the appropriate level so institute a suitable collection point and personal to fetch and deliver to the collection point, or else special permission for laundry personal to be at the bedside as there is for cleaners.

Most wards with elderly patients now are locked wards where you need to be admitted by staff. Most people only go in at visiting time. I was in and out regularly as mum needed food from home and encouragement to eat. I would imagine admitting people to collect laundry would cause a major security problem.

I agree there is a security problem, but it is solvable:
The laundry service would need to employ an identifiable individual who would ave undergone security checks.

After all, in wards I have been in as a patient there were many elderly or otherwise helpless patients(including myself) whose relatives were not required to do any security checks at any point. One ward even had 'open visiting' !

My elderly and dementing friend was in a locked ward, however this was to stop patients wandering and getting lost. I who was a complete stranger to the nurse who admitted me was not required to do any security check.

But the locked wards do not do "security checks". Usually it is staff with a pass who can scan themselves in. These are photo IDs. So the laundry service would have to ensure that the same person who had been enhanced DBS checked, and given a photo ID always collected the laundry. This would be another expense. It simply wouldn't be financially viable.
Visitors are not required to do security checks but anyone working in the hospital has a pass. Visitors have to be admitted to wards where vulnerable patients are, and can be asked to leave at any time.

have

Glorianny

Caleo

I agree Miss Adventure. May we will live to see these entrepreneurs on Dragons Den.

I have been ringing round local laundries to seek such a service; one of them said they would do so but the bag of washing would be collected from Reception not the bedside , so obviously there has to be cooperation with the hospital authority at the appropriate level so institute a suitable collection point and personal to fetch and deliver to the collection point, or else special permission for laundry personal to be at the bedside as there is for cleaners.

Most wards with elderly patients now are locked wards where you need to be admitted by staff. Most people only go in at visiting time. I was in and out regularly as mum needed food from home and encouragement to eat. I would imagine admitting people to collect laundry would cause a major security problem.

I agree there is a security problem, but it is solvable:
The laundry service would need to employ an identifiable individual who would ave undergone security checks.

After all, in wards I have been in as a patient there were many elderly or otherwise helpless patients(including myself) whose relatives were not required to do any security checks at any point. One ward even had 'open visiting' !

My elderly and dementing friend was in a locked ward, however this was to stop patients wandering and getting lost. I who was a complete stranger to the nurse who admitted me was not required to do any security check.

Granmarderby10

The consultant shouted at you !! That is outrageous Sparklefizz

Yes. He was quite intimidating and I came out shaking.

sazz1

Isn't CQC available for complaints about hospitals?

You need to contact Pals in the first instance.

Isn't CQC available for complaints about hospitals?

Caleo

I agree Miss Adventure. May we will live to see these entrepreneurs on Dragons Den.

I have been ringing round local laundries to seek such a service; one of them said they would do so but the bag of washing would be collected from Reception not the bedside , so obviously there has to be cooperation with the hospital authority at the appropriate level so institute a suitable collection point and personal to fetch and deliver to the collection point, or else special permission for laundry personal to be at the bedside as there is for cleaners.

Most wards with elderly patients now are locked wards where you need to be admitted by staff. Most people only go in at visiting time. I was in and out regularly as mum needed food from home and encouragement to eat. I would imagine admitting people to collect laundry would cause a major security problem.

Yes!
That's what is needed.

the NHS is dying as is obvious from most of these anecdotes on the topic of duty of care.

It's scary that the government does not address the problem with honesty , energy, and money for educating and training staff in their duty of care including:

1. ethical attitude towards patients., i.e. ordinary everyday politeness at the very least.

2. Infection control and at least common domestic hygiene

3. Adequate supply of comfortable safe clothing and bedding. Comfort includes caring for the patient's dignity and respect for the patient as a person , even when they are unconscious and even when they have died and gone to the mortuary.

4. Enough staff to provide proper care without burn-out.

5. Safety for whistle blowers guaranteed.

6. Top quality communications at all levels and in all departments including clear use of English and other languages as necessary.

Its usual to clean someone up, and roll them onto clean bedding regularly when they are at the end of life.

Particularly when visitors are coming.

Seagull, people often feel bad about how their loved one died. I am writing to suggest that she may have been unconscious and expected to die soon and they did not want to disturb her so they did not try to feed her or change the bed.

The carelessness with the urine did not necessarily indicate lack of care in other in other duties.

Sweats were down to infection, BTW, nothing to do with the menopause, which I’m long past now.

Must say I’ve wondered how I’d have managed in hospital last year - having drenching sweats once or twice every night - without good old dh coming in twice a day with clean things.*.

I did once have to ask for hospital PJs but didn’t like them - not warm enough and not absorbent.

*Luckily our hospital is a 15 minute walk away - something we never gave a thought to when we bought the house aeons ago.

The consultant shouted at you !! That is outrageous Sparklefizz

Sorry, I went off piste from hospital washing onto careless nurses.

I had an appointment at the hospital allergy clinic, and a nurse was supposed to give me "the scratch test" before I saw the consultant. This test involves a small scratch on the inner arm, then a couple of drops from a phial of food to test. There were about 25 phials and they had to be used in order otherwise if my skin reacted, no one would know which phial had been used.

The nurse doing the test was chatting the whole time to a colleague who just stood there watching - she actually said "Oh, I've lost track of where I've got to." The whole test was meaningless because she was so busy chatting about her social life and had no idea which phial she had just tested.

I wanted to say something but didn't think it would work in my favour.

Then I saw the consultant who shouted at me because I have a lot of allergies and intolerances and he obviously didn't want to listen to my long list of them. At the end he said that the scratch test is only 80% accurate anyway! (even less accurate with nurses not concentrating!!) Then he sent me on my way.

personnel