Sucky Patient

[FormerCallingCardRep]

Hubby is currently in the hospital after having an emergency appendectomy. This is what I observed last night from his roommate.

Roommate is an older "gentleman" that was broght in from a nursing home. When the nurses asked him if he needed any assistance he told them no. WHen they asked about diet restrictions he told them that he had none.

About twenty minutes after the nurses got him settled they brought hubby a tray for dinner. The older "gentleman" started demanding his tray. About 20 minutes later they brought his tray in. The "gentleman" just looked at the tray. A couple of minutes later he started yelling that he needed help. Hubby pushed his call button and a nurse came in. this "gentleman" started yelling at the nurse that she should have known that his arms and legs are paralyzed and that he could not eat anything on his tray but the fruit because he was allergic to everything else on his tray. The nurse proceded to feed the "gentleman" his fruit, which he spat into her face.

[telecom_goddess]

what an asshole. That's about the time he should be hooked up to a nutritional iv of some sort and then left the hell alone.

[Sapphire Silk]

If he were truly paralyzed I would think the nurses would have known it before he came up to the floor.

Could be that he was "sundowning," but I find it hard to believe he was allergic to everything on his tray except fruit.

[FormerCallingCardRep]

Found out he is a dementia patient. He is allergic to wheat and milk. Since he was a late tray, they brought him a carton of milk, turkey sandwich on wheat bread and a fruit cup. He really is totally paralyzed due to a stroke. Hubby is trying to help him by pushing his nurse call button if the old guy needs help.

Hubby is getting better, but is having trouble getting his legs to work again due to stroke damage from a couple of years ago.

[Sapphire Silk]

That explains the behaviors, then.

Poor guy.