Shaen patient ‘begs’ to stay
An elderly resident of Shaen hospital has wrote a letter, through her daughter, begging not to be removed from the hospital.
Ann Duffy wrote the letter on behalf of her seventy-seven year old mother, Ann, who she explains has maximum dependency dementia.
“What this really means is that I have come the full circle of life and am back where I started, i.e. I am fed, changed, put to bed, and any other needs I have are catered for by “adopted family” in Shaen Hospital.”
Ann explained that the staff were so familiar with her that they knew her every mood and how to handle her in general.
“The staff who look after me know my every mood, they know exactly how to handle me when I wont eat, have a pain, am generally unwell, am in good form or any other feeling or mishap that befalls me.
“They know all of this through years of dealing with me, learning how to handle me, trying things, some that worked, some that didn’t! Years of care that is now down to a fine art.”
In a week when the nurses layed the blame for almost 2,000 people waiting on trollies to be admitted to hospital on the number of nursing home beds that are closed, Ann says in her letter that she would not able to move somewhere else, where she will have to start the process of the care staff getting to know her all over again.
“And now you want to move me to start the whole process again!!!!!!! I am not able for that anymore.”
She finishes the letter by begging not to be moved from the nursing unit, which has come to be her home.
“I am begging you not to take me from my cot and place me somewhere I cannot, and will not, get the care and love that I get in Shaen Hospital.”
An online petition has also been set up and to date has received almost 250 signatures. The committee plan to make a hard copy of this petition available to sign in local outlets in the next couple of days.
Some people who have signed the online petition have been leaving messages in support of keeping Shaen open.
“The uniqueness of Shaen Hospital must be recognised as one of a kind and outstanding in the level of loving care and expertise extended to all its patients,” Carmel Nolan wrote.
While Lorna Fitzpatrick wrote: “Disgrace to be closing such a beautiful home. Not just a hospital it’s a place where people call their home.”
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Monday 21 May 2012
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