I am sharing this experience in the hope that it serves as a warning to families of elderly patients--especially those who do not have a strong advocate present during their hospital stay.
My 87-year-old mother, who has congestive heart failure, underwent a scheduled 4-hour surgery to repair both her bladder and bowel. We arrived at 5:00 a.m. for a 7:00 a.m. procedure. We were told by the surgeon that she would recover for approximately three hours, be up walking, eating, and likely discharged the following day.
She was finally brought to her room around 2:00 p.m. At that point, she had not eaten in over 24 hours. I called the cafeteria to order her lunch, supper and breakfast to ensure that she would have her meals.
When we left later that afternoon, staff were gathered in the lounge talking, and this became a recurring observation throughout her stay. All staff were in their twenties and it brought back memories of the Lord of the Flies.
That evening, my mother called me in distress. She had not been walked, was unaware she had a catheter, and was in significant pain. While on the phone with her, we timed her call button--no one responded for 15 minutes.
The following day, I attempted multiple times to get updates from a physician, Dr. Erika Ong, and request an additional day of observation, given her condition. Communication was extremely poor--calls go through a general number, and no one identified themselves clearly or provided direct answers or direct call back numbers.
When I arrived at the hospital that evening (after a 1.5-hour drive), I discovered my mother had received neither lunch nor dinner. She was also dehydrated, with 3 empty water containers. When my husband raised this concern with staff, instead of addressing the issue, the situation escalated unnecessarily. A nurse accused him of using inappropriate language, which did not occur, and security was called. Meanwhile, the real issue--an elderly patient missing two meals--was not promptly addressed. She was eventually given a microwave pizza at 8:00 p.m.
Over the course of her stay, several critical issues arose:
* She was not walked for over 24 hours' post-surgery
* No one explained the meal ordering system - for which I have attached a photo of the system
* Communication from doctors and staff was inconsistent or nonexistent
* We were not notified of a heart episode she experienced at 3:00 a.m.
* Staff repeatedly avoided providing names or clear answers
One nurse, Appithany, and another, Olga, were compassionate and helpful, and I am grateful for their efforts. Unfortunately, they were exceptions.
I also attempted to escalate concerns through a patient advocate, but was misinformed, denied the ability to document the conversation, and ultimately never received the promised follow-up.
My mother was discharged at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday from a Thursday operation, and it truly felt like an escape from Alcatraz. The entire experience felt chaotic, disorganized, and lacking accountability. Basic patient care--nutrition, mobility, communication--was not consistently provided.
This experience highlighted serious concerns about staffing, training,
communication, and patient advocacy. I strongly urge families with elderly loved ones to ensure someone is present to advocate on their behalf at all times.
I would not feel comfortable taking my family dog for treatment here.
This will be escalated to the PA Department of Health as well as Medicare. read more