What would you do in this situation? This post contains nanas

[reggiep]

My Nan, who is 103, lives in an old folks home.

My dad goes to see her every week, it's a hour away from where we live.

He received a call from the person in charge the day before yesterday saying that they had given her room mates medication to her. It was an anti psychotic drug that slows down the heart. My nan has a weak heart so not really good for her. They called a doctor and he told them it could kill her.

They kept her awake for the night and the next day she was still ok.

 

Anyway it's all over now but my dad doesn't want to cause a fuss and is even worried for the nurse (or equivalent) who gave her the medicine.

Should I try to persuade him otherwise or do you think we should just try to move on?

[kmount]

Firstly, my sympathies for such a situation to have occurred at all.

 

I think it's a difficult call and if your dad doesn't want to do anything that's his right to have. Mistakes happen, but this is a serious one and something _should_ be done, even if it's an apology from the residential care home whom I'm sure for "x years" have otherwise cared very well for your Nan.

 

Have they told your Nan?

[laserblazer]

Good for your dad IMHO. My Gran died just short of her 100th birthday and in a similar position I know she would not like to make a fuss and certainly not get someone into trouble. Just be thankful it wasn't any worse. I'm just pleased she is ok.

[tech_guy]

It's gross negligence. They need reporting.

 

The person responsible may need training / sacking / whatever.

 

If it was my Nan / relative I'd report it and try to make sure it didn't happen to anyone else.

 

In this case just because of your Nan's age it shouldn't be ignored. Too many bad things go on in care homes.

Edited January 29, 2009 by tech_guy

[witch]

I don't think it is necessary to get someone into trouble. If the care home has done a good job up until now, then how about a word to the management so that they can look at ways of stopping it happening again - better procedures, or something?

[reggiep]

It's gross negligence. They need reporting.

 

I suppose when you compare it to losing two days worth of back ups and being suspended, as somebody else has on here, I guess it is.

[laserblazer]

It seems it was a mistake but they recognised this and took the necessary steps to remedy the situation. If you are thinking there's a claim to be made and let's get the "no win-no fee guys involved" then that's up to you but to be honest I can't see what's to be gained by making a big issue.

 

But then we don't know the full story as is the case with the failed back-up tapes.

[MkII]

I think that you need reassurance that the 'accident' has prompted a check on procedures and preventing any future re-occurance. If I were your dad i'd be a lot happier if the home manager invited me in to run through the above. Certainly going like a bull at a gate would be counter productive imho, unless you want to burn your bridges.

[witch]

And I am definitely losing it: I read the thread title as something concerning yellow fruit, not Grandmothers....

[FN-GM]

I wouldn't peruse it. It was an accident, if you do something about it that person could have there career ruined.

[SteveBentley]

My guess would be that if they have been in contact and admitted the mistake rather than sweeping it under the carpet and hoping, the management are already aware already.

 

The person responsible for the cockup is probably feeling pretty bad about it enough as it is, either of their own conscience or via a word from management.

[CHR1S]

I would ask for a report to be written on the issue and have all the problems highlited with solutions and procedures so it wont happen again.

[Pottsey]

Ask for it to be investigated but make it clear that if it was an accident and not incompetence you don’t want the person to get into trouble. Even the best of us get things wrong at some point. If its a one off from a otherwise good staf member I would say leave it. If the person does it a lot then thats another thing alltogather.

[fafster]

Glad to hear she was ok. My opinion is that your dad's a good man for not wanting to get the nurse in trouble, but then it's still a mistake, and something needs to be done accordingly. Even if it's a review of procedures as has been mentioned.

[OutToLunch]

I wouldn't peruse it. It was an accident, if you do something about it that person could have there career ruined.

 

As opposed to someone's life being ruined? Odd train of thought.

[Crispin]

The fact they told you about the incident is a miracle in itself.

From my experience staff in care homes often don't report mistakes like that.

 

Once, in a BUPA care home no less, a foreign worker forgot to replace my nans oxygen supply after changing the cylinder. She was without this supply of oxygen for 24hrs before it was noticed. As someone who had serious emphezyma, we were utterly shocked.

 

In a case like that we had no choice but to complain.

 

I personally would say report anything. Care homes get away with a lot and personally if someones career gets ruined due to their gross negligence its their own fault.

 

If there was a genuine mistake which wasn't serious / life threatening then fair enough, further training and guidance should be given.

 

Giving someone the wrong meds is not a minor error and they should be pulled up on it.

[reggiep]

I think we are off to see her tomorrow and get a feel for how the home are dealing with the situation. I don't think it should be a knee jerk reaction from us along the lines of "where there's blame there's a claim" but I think we will look at how we can make sure it doesn't happen again.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions and support.

[Pyroman]

The fact they told you about the incident is a miracle in itself.

From my experience staff in care homes often don't report mistakes like that.

 

Once, in a BUPA care home no less, a foreign worker forgot to replace my nans oxygen supply after changing the cylinder. She was without this supply of oxygen for 24hrs before it was noticed. As someone who had serious emphezyma, we were utterly shocked.

 

In a case like that we had no choice but to complain.

 

I personally would say report anything. Care homes get away with a lot and personally if someones career gets ruined due to their gross negligence its their own fault.

 

If there was a genuine mistake which wasn't serious / life threatening then fair enough, further training and guidance should be given.

 

Giving someone the wrong meds is not a minor error and they should be pulled up on it.

 

I agree, it's a 2 second job to check a name against a list of tablets it shouldn't have happened i'm not saying go for money from them but it has to be reported, had it been someone else with different problems it could potentially kill someone

[elsiegee40]

In hospital, when nurses do the drug round, there are 2nurses working together... ione reads out what she's giving and the other checks against the patient notes that it's correct. Surely, the home should be doing something similar?

 

PS witch - I read it as 'yellow fruit' as well!

[JJonas]

In my wifes nursing home (shes not an resident she works there) they have blister packs made up for each patient by the local pharmacy. Each pack contains all of the drugs needed for the patient durring that time period (morning,lunch.teatime etc) they are colour coded for the different time periods So you cant giive a patient their morning medication at night and they also have the name of the patient, DOB, expiry date and the name of the pharmacist preparing the pack printed on it.

 

If you want to complain you should start here. Commission for Social Care Inspection - Homepage

[MkII]

they have blister packs made up for each patient by the local pharmacy

 

Could do with that for my Mum who's suddenly lost her short term memory. Wonder if they do that for anyone??

[tomscaper]

I think if you don't report it, then next time someone else may not be so lucky. Yes maybe it was an accident, but that person really should be making certain the right medication is given to the right patient.

 

If the outcome was different, yes it was an accident but you were not so lucky this time, would you still want to just keep it quiet and say it was an accident. Same thing happened but it was the outcome that was different, doesn't make the mistake an less serious.

[Edu-IT]

In my wifes nursing home (shes not an resident she works there) they have blister packs made up for each patient by the local pharmacy. Each pack contains all of the drugs needed for the patient durring that time period (morning,lunch.teatime etc) they are colour coded for the different time periods So you cant giive a patient their morning medication at night and they also have the name of the patient, DOB, expiry date and the name of the pharmacist preparing the pack printed on it.

 

If you want to complain you should start here. Commission for Social Care Inspection - Homepage

Somebody I know used to own and run a a residential care home and that is how it worked their too with the odd exception.

 

In your situation I would do what I could to make sure such mistake didn't happen again as the next person may not be so lucky.

[goaliepride]

I'd make sure the person responsible knows the severity of the situation, which it sounds like they are already aware. Past that the only thing you would get out of going further is self gratification. IMHO

[Red_Barchetta]

Long ago when I was a nurse, it always had to be 2 members of staff giving out drugs. One to check the other. Surely a care home should have some similar procedure/protocol in place? If a patient couldn't confirm their name, we had to check their ID bracelet to make sure it was the right person.

 

I would want an enquiry held into what happened if that were my relative.