Phoenixpower
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quote:
ORIGINAL: sirsholly quote:
I felt similar when I worked in a nursing home during a university placement, where a 95 or 98 year old person got hospitalised as she broke her shoulder after having a fall at the toilet at night time. Due to her age they refused to operate her, where I could not believe it when I heared that. The nursing home explained to me then that this would be as it looks worse for their statistics if patients die whilst being in the operation theather than when they aren't...she then died about 2 days later. I felt awful that she was left like that as I am a firm believer that it is always worth to give it at least a try when otherwise she would die anyway....and she was still incredible fit for her age, much fitter than my granny was aged 79... whoever said that was a boob, Phoenix. The "nursing home" does not reach a decision of that caliber...a doctor does. And if the nursing home was stupid enough to use the opinion of their in-house physician in relation to an in-house accident, they should lose their license. In my experience, unless the injury is life-threatening, the age of the patient will prevent any invasive action. The anesthesia would have possibly been fatal at that age. Perhaps the family was consulted and a plan of "comfort measures only" was implemented? I know very welll that this wasn't the decision from the nursing home Holly, it was only their explanation why that decision was taken by the hospital. The incident happened in that nursing home, not the decision...nevertheless I would still prefer to at least give it a try or to offer the option with knowing the potential outcome, then just to let it go like that....I do agree and was told that probably the anasthesia would have been fatal, the matron in that home did work in hospitals for a long time before she took on that job and we had our lovely clashes between their medical model and the social model from my profession, but just because rules and regulations do exist doesn't mean I have just to agree with all of them as I prefer to allow taking risks. And I only stated what I was informed during my supervision with the management, when I asked about how it continues with that client, where I was informed that there the hospital does consider the aspect that it looks worse in their statistics if she dies in the theater than outside of their theater. That was the view of the management to show me what other aspects hospitals have to consider and was only an example that age can prevent from getting certain procedures done at times, not more and not less.
< Message edited by Phoenixpower -- 1/12/2011 11:06:25 AM >
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