"My parent's last 10 days of life"

My parent had a fall at home and sustained a subdural haematoma. They were elderly, fit, well and the sort of person who never stayed indoors much. They still managed gardening, mowing, weeding fixing water pumps for themself and their close neighbours - so a very active person. They were also the main carer for my other parent who has had a stroke and has some mobility issues. My parent had survived cancer of the tongue and subsequent radiotherapy.

Recently, my parent fell/ blacked out and sustained their injury. They waited a few hours before deciding to go to hospital as by then they had developed a headache.

At our local hospital my parent had scans and their subdural haematoma was diagnosed. The doctors and staff there were very good with their communication and treatment. As a family we were kept in the loop so to say and all the staff were professional and helpful. We were told my parent was to go to Royal Perth Hospital for treatment under the neuro surgical team. My parent arrived about 20 hours later by road as the RFDS had been re allocated. After some time in emergency my parent was sent to ward 5H.

My parent’s treatment plan from the neuro team was to wait 5 days and re-scan as my parent was on Aspirin prophylactically as they had some stents in their heart. My parent, although they had private health care (I realise in a public hospital the most in need of facilities get the facilities) was put into a two bed ward, the ambient temperature was very cold for visitors so totally freezing for my parent who had very little excess flesh on them. My parent had a view of their window into an internal very dim tunnel. Opposite wall did have some art work but very hard to see. So the room never had any natural light. My parent was able to walk the corridors but no windows anywhere, no visitors room or communal space at all. I asked if  my parent could be taken out for a roam in a wheelchair but although staff said they would try it never happened, more demanding/ ill patients has the nurse assistance time.

I would like to say the nurses, physios, OT and the gerontology medical staff were all great, they were respectful, helpful and pleasant. I saw my parent everyday in hospital except one (I was on a shift during visiting hours). When I was on early shifts I saw my parent after and if I was on a late I saw them in the morning, for the first few days I had leave and was there all the time with my other parent. In that time I saw the Medical / gerontology medical staff nearly every day catching up with my parent, also nurses, OT's and Physio's. I did not see or hear from the Neuro medical staff at all. My parent saw them once in their last 10 days to say their bleed had extended a bit and they would have to stay put, this was 7 or 8 days after my parent arrived. There had been talk of my parent being transferred to another hospital for rehab.

Around 10 days after my parent’s fall, I was rung by a doctor on the neuro team while I was driving to pick up a big thick doona as my parent was still cold (despite blankets, socks etc I bought previously to warm them) at peak hour. I cannot recall the doctors name. They stated their name said they were from the neuro team and that my parent had had a catastrophic extension to their subdural haematoma and that they may well have passed before I would make it into the hospital. I was devastated, shocked and very lucky I made it into Curtin University car park before I totally broke down. Up until then my parent was coherent and orientated.

I did make it to RPA ward 5H before my parent passed. The nurses were great and put my parent in a single room with a window, shame they could not see it as they were in a coma. The palliative care doctor was very good and the social worker was fantastic from the palliative care team. All the family in Perth had a chance to say goodbye. My other parent and I sat with them overnight watched their breathing deteriorate and gurgle, sounded like they were drowning. Towards the morning my parent vomited masses of blood up twice. The nurses were good but it seemed this was not their normal work day and not all that familiar with suctioning patients. It was a distressing last few hours for my parent and myself.

My parent spent their last 10 Days in a dark, cold place with no way to the outdoors.

It seemed to me if all the absent neuro team was going to do was to sit on my parent then they would have been better off in our local hospital with its windows and gardens, or another one nearby. Just about anywhere else. I feel it was like a prison. I believe it was a dismal place for anyone to spend their last days on earth. My parent joked they were going to abscond and go to the Hyatt for a comfortable night sleep, I wish they had now.

I am angry that this is what we have for anyone, a hospital without windows, no outside area to sit. RPA is meant to be one of our main hospitals. This may seem petty but if it was your last day on earth wouldn't you like to see the sun or natural world.

On one side of the 5H ward there is an expanse of concrete, wouldn't it be nice to turn just a bit of that into a fenced outdoor area with garden to make such a horrible place just a bit more liveable for those who have to spend time or are out of time at RPH.