Hello, I have just joined this forum and am worried sick about my dad (82) who has had type 2 diabetes for about eleven years.
He had a fall in his his home on 9/11/12. He could not get back into his chair so my sister (she lives along way away, but was up here for her mother in law's funeral) and myself went round to help him up and into his chair. It was obvious that he was very ill and the excellent Paramedics (ordered by NHS Direct) took a blood glucose, which was 24 mmol/l. They said he needed to go to the A & E and on his arrival, he was assessed as having 'multiple health issues' and was admitted as an inpatient.
Over the next few days, he was diagnosed as having dementia and also as possibly having hydroencephalis (excessive fluid around the brain) as diagnosed by a brain scan.
They said that he would be going to another hospital and a spinal tap would be performed to draw of some of the excessive fluid and the results monitored to decide whether a shunt would help his symptoms of difficulty in walking, incontinence and dementia.
To cut a long story short, he never went for the spinal tap...
He has now been in hospital for three weeks.
About a fortnight ago, I became concerned that his notes were showing that is glucose measurements were still consistently high (especially in the evenings).
A week ago, I purchased a brand new monitor and started taking my own measurements each evening around 7:00 pm.
The readings were: 24.2, 25.7, 27.4, 19.9, and today's was a sky-high 30.8.
They at present, only doing the test once a day...
I have mentioned this on each occasion to the hospital's care team. The first response was that he was late taking his medication, so a Glipizide tablet was given to him and the hospital's own meter was produced about fifteen minutes later. I think that they hoped that their equipment would show mine to be inaccurate. It only went down to 22.6 and they said that the diabetes nurse would see him in the morning.
This did not happen.
The third occasion they said that he shouldn't have all of the sugary foods and drinks that were on the top of his bedside cabinet. He hadn't touched any of them, other than drinking about half a litre cranberry juice over the period of three days.
They are discharging him on Monday.
We have already had a meeting regarding the standard of care given to him.
Tonight's reading was reported to the staff, they just said "OK" and that was that.
I haven't slept more than a couple of hours per night - if at all - and cannot believe that nobody seems to take the issue of getting his diabetes under control.
Am not interested in blame, or getting anybody into trouble, just my for dad to have a fighting chance of getting better.
Do I just accept that he will be discharged and have to sort his uncontrolled diabetes through his G.P. ?
Am I worrying too much?
Sorry about the epic post, but my dad was one a proud and highly intelligent man and to see him in this way is truly heartbreaking.
Any suggestions on the course of action that I should take.
There is a care plan in place for him when he comes home.
In his notes, next to one of the reading was written "has been eating sugary foods & drinks" This is not true, and even if it was, why didn't someone say this weeks ago?
He has the signs of advanced dementia so cannot be blamed for his eating habits whilst in hospital.
I have asked his family why they brought in the snacks when they knew he was a diabetic: It does not really matter though, as he definitely hasn't been eating them other than mentioned earlier.
I need to make my actions as effective as possible as I have severe mobility and health problems myself.
We are not after pity, just advice, as there are people with far worse problems than ours.
Sorry if this doesn't make sense, I never knew that it was possible to stay awake for so long up until now!
Just looked at this post on the forum: what an idiot it's ridiculously long! Will edit it tomorrow night-night xx
Thank you, Donald.
He had a fall in his his home on 9/11/12. He could not get back into his chair so my sister (she lives along way away, but was up here for her mother in law's funeral) and myself went round to help him up and into his chair. It was obvious that he was very ill and the excellent Paramedics (ordered by NHS Direct) took a blood glucose, which was 24 mmol/l. They said he needed to go to the A & E and on his arrival, he was assessed as having 'multiple health issues' and was admitted as an inpatient.
Over the next few days, he was diagnosed as having dementia and also as possibly having hydroencephalis (excessive fluid around the brain) as diagnosed by a brain scan.
They said that he would be going to another hospital and a spinal tap would be performed to draw of some of the excessive fluid and the results monitored to decide whether a shunt would help his symptoms of difficulty in walking, incontinence and dementia.
To cut a long story short, he never went for the spinal tap...
He has now been in hospital for three weeks.
About a fortnight ago, I became concerned that his notes were showing that is glucose measurements were still consistently high (especially in the evenings).
A week ago, I purchased a brand new monitor and started taking my own measurements each evening around 7:00 pm.
The readings were: 24.2, 25.7, 27.4, 19.9, and today's was a sky-high 30.8.
They at present, only doing the test once a day...
I have mentioned this on each occasion to the hospital's care team. The first response was that he was late taking his medication, so a Glipizide tablet was given to him and the hospital's own meter was produced about fifteen minutes later. I think that they hoped that their equipment would show mine to be inaccurate. It only went down to 22.6 and they said that the diabetes nurse would see him in the morning.
This did not happen.
The third occasion they said that he shouldn't have all of the sugary foods and drinks that were on the top of his bedside cabinet. He hadn't touched any of them, other than drinking about half a litre cranberry juice over the period of three days.
They are discharging him on Monday.
We have already had a meeting regarding the standard of care given to him.
Tonight's reading was reported to the staff, they just said "OK" and that was that.
I haven't slept more than a couple of hours per night - if at all - and cannot believe that nobody seems to take the issue of getting his diabetes under control.
Am not interested in blame, or getting anybody into trouble, just my for dad to have a fighting chance of getting better.
Do I just accept that he will be discharged and have to sort his uncontrolled diabetes through his G.P. ?
Am I worrying too much?
Sorry about the epic post, but my dad was one a proud and highly intelligent man and to see him in this way is truly heartbreaking.
Any suggestions on the course of action that I should take.
There is a care plan in place for him when he comes home.
In his notes, next to one of the reading was written "has been eating sugary foods & drinks" This is not true, and even if it was, why didn't someone say this weeks ago?
He has the signs of advanced dementia so cannot be blamed for his eating habits whilst in hospital.
I have asked his family why they brought in the snacks when they knew he was a diabetic: It does not really matter though, as he definitely hasn't been eating them other than mentioned earlier.
I need to make my actions as effective as possible as I have severe mobility and health problems myself.
We are not after pity, just advice, as there are people with far worse problems than ours.
Sorry if this doesn't make sense, I never knew that it was possible to stay awake for so long up until now!
Just looked at this post on the forum: what an idiot it's ridiculously long! Will edit it tomorrow night-night xx
Thank you, Donald.
