Abuse at Rosepark Hospital Bloemfontein

Below is a message i have sent to Me Lida Oberholzer at Rosepark Hospital Bloemfontein after my Mother in Law was severely neglected and abused by staff. Up until today we have received no proper feedback or response to the matter.

Mrs. B.H. van Zyl ( Hospital Nr: *** ) was admitted in Rosepark Hospital 09/07/2019. Her admission diagnosis was pyelonephritis and bronchopneumonia. Mrs. Van Zyl have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 40 years ago. This degenerative disease left her paralyzed with only movement of her head. She is totally compos mentis. All physical care is managed by her daughter in her own home. After her Admittance , Mrs. van Zyl was not bathed neither did she received mouth care in Rosepark Hospital until 12/07/2019 (3 Days). The family eventually asked Dr. G Gibson the treating physician to phone the staff and request the staff to bath the patient ( Friday 12/7/2019). The nursing staff bluntly ignored the family’s requests, this is a very serious disregard of patients primary care, and common knowledge that personal hygiene is a fundamental need for a person who cannot help themselves through a disability. Nurses are bound to treat every patient with significance, compassion and respect. This was surely not provided by the nursing care conveyed to Mrs. van Zyl in Rosepark Hospital. Mrs. van Zyl is unable to use a call bell. It was practice for the staff to draw the curtains around her bed for up to 4 hours by the attending nurses who would the ignore her calls for assistance . This blatant disregard for patient safety is a considered to be abuse , as the patient – being a paraplegic was left completely alone and ignored. The above is abusive behavior from Rose park staff is deliberate, cruel, inhumane and degrading . According to the Patients Rights charter every patient have the right to: • Friendly health care providers • Special needs care for disabled persons • Continuous care. From admission till 12/07/2019 the patient was not fed a single meal. The family had to take turns to feed her and ensure she take enough oral fluids, as the nursing staff did not assist. 10/07/2019 no dinner was ordered and the family had to buy dinner for the patient. The patient was not once offered a menu to choose a meal from the menu. As she has a soft diet most of the meals she was unable to eat. It is the nurses responsibility to ensure that the patients nutritional needs are met. Once again, this basic need was deliberately ignored and the paraplegic patient left to fend for herself. Mrs. Van Zyl was also discharged from Rosepark Hospital with two pressure ulcers. One on her left heal and one on her left hand. Prior to the development of these, the family voiced their concern from admission about the poor hygiene and their concern for developing pressure ulcers. The lack of care from Rose park staff is the direct and only cause for these pressure ulcers. Prior to the admittance to Rose park, and the abusive and deliberate neglect by staff, the patient has never had a pressure ulcer before . Her daughter has been caring for her the last 17 years she is aware of preventing pressure ulcers and the complications of pressure ulcers. She made staff aware of their lack of care, and warned them that pressure Ulcers would develop. She requested a Huntley mattress from staff on numerous times but was ignored buy staff. She also asked two extra pillows to relieve pressure and was told that Rosepark Hospital do not provide extra pillows and that the family must bring their own pillows from home. The complete disregard for patient care, and don’t care attitude by staff proved to much for Mrs van Zyls frail body to handle, and as a result she developed pressure Ulcers. Pressure ulcers is considered to be predictable and preventable, as the family has proofed by caring for Mrs. van Zyl at home. Hospitals and nurses have a duty of care to ensure and assess the patients risk for developing pressure ulcers. Nursing care to prevent it should then be implemented to prevent it. This was clearly not done or implemented for Mrs. van Zyl. The hospital acquired pressure ulcers caused unnecessary pain. The effect is also extremely dangerous, especially in the patients frail and vulnerable condition as is evident in Mrs. Van Zyl’s admission diagnosis on the 10/09/2019 She was admitted with sepsis due to cellulitis and bronchopneumonia. With the second admission Mrs. van Zyl was told numerous times that her daughters is “difficult “ and demanding, which left her quite vulnerable to them as she is 100% depending on them for the most basic care. We as the family of Mrs. van Zyl have the right to demand basic nursing care with dignity for our loved one. As we have to deal with the complications which is a direct result of the appalling nursing care provided by Rosepark Hospital. My wife travelled from Durban to Bloemfontein to see Rosepark Management on 16/7/2019 regarding the above complaints. No written communication has been received as promised. With the second admission Mrs. van Zyl was told numerous times that her daughters is “difficult “ and demanding, which left her quite vulnerable to them as she is 100% depending on them for the most basic care. We as the family of Mrs. van Zyl have the right to demand basic nursing care with dignity for our loved one. As we have to deal with the complications which is a direct result of the appalling nursing care provided by Rosepark Hospital. My wife travelled from Durban to Bloemfontein to see Rosepark Management on 16/7/2019 regarding the above complaints. No written communication has been received as promised.