Inhumane Medical Care at Wilgeheuwel Life Hospital - 81 year old Alzheimer Patient

Attention: Complaints Department

15 December 2023

Dear Life Hospitals and Wilgeheuwel,

I hope this email finds you well. I am Jonine Meadon, the daughter of Mr. Johannes Daniël Steyn, an 81-year-old Alzheimer's patient recently admitted to Life Wilgeheuwel. I am writing to bring to your attention specific incidents and concerns regarding his care and the breakdowns in communication observed during his stay.

Communication and Authorization Delays:

On or about December 7, 2023, my father's doctor app**** for medical aid authorization to move him to a step-down facility, following the prescribed protocol. Regrettably, the hospital's case management team has failed to provide timely updates or clear communication regarding the delay in the authorization process. Discovery, our medical aid, reported a lack of communication from the hospital's case manager, M..... R......, until two days after their initial inquiry on November 12, 2023, apparently Discovery only received an update on the authorisation on Thursday 14, 2023 at 10:02. Lack of Case Manager Responsiveness:

· On November 14, 2023, at 13:42, I contacted D..... C....., who promised to follow up with case manager T...... but did not return calls – and has still to receive any communication from either of them.

· We arrived at the hospital at 15:00, visiting hours, and requested to speak to the hospital Case Manager. The nurses had difficulty reaching ANY case managers for information, even during regular working hours.

· At 15:25, the nurses informed me I can speak to D...... on the phone at the nurse’s station as they got hold of her, she promised that she is sending T........ to come and update us in the ward.

· At 16:20, I sought information at the nurses' station about the case manager that was supposed to come update us, when they commented that D...... **** to us because the case managers leave the hospital at 16:00.

· I patiently sat there till 17:24, and then started researching avenues for lodging a complaint due to lack of response and proceeded to take my 73-year-old exhausted mother home.

· At 17:26, case manager S....... called, stating she has been in her office the whole time and if the nurses phoned her earlier she could has sorter this problem, absolutely amazed by her answer, as I stood next to the nurses as they phoned one number after another with no one answering I then told the nurse that S....... said they never contacted her and again they said no, she is lying. At this stage my patience was done, who must I believe the nurses say the hospital case managers are lying or the hospital case managers saying the nurses are lying and my father is stuck in a bed for 13 days being restrained at least twice what we know of – this is inhumane.

· Lack of compassion and communication has added significant stress to an already challenging situation and broken family.

Patient Transfer Incident:

During my father's initial transfer to his room on December 3, 2023, between 02:00 and 03:00, nurses demonstrated improper lifting techniques and hurt him, I jumped in and stopped them and requested the matron to come assist. Shockingly, the nurse admitted not having read my father's chart, which states he has a back injury, and just proceeded to lift him up and try to move him from the one bed to the other leading to unnecessary pain and distress, again this is inhumane. The matron on duty was amazing, she came and took over and said to the nurses they cannot move a person with my father’s condition and back problems like that as it can paralyze him and explained they have to roll him. Although we were so thankful for her knowledge and assistance, another surprise was when she requested the other nurses to come and also learn how to roll a person with a back injury – wow are they not supposed to know this? The incident indicates a lapse in awareness and adherence to critical patient information. Immediate Action Required:

Request a thorough investigation into the delays and lapses in communication outlined above. Transparent communication on steps being taken to address concerns and prevent future occurrences. Immediate improvement in the communication and coordination between case management, nursing staff, and concerned family members. Disciplinary action to be taken against M.... R......, D........ C....... and the invisible T......, as we still do not know if there is a person with that name.

I tried to send an email with all the detail and specifc naes of the case managers to *** and received and "Mail Delivery Subsytem: email stating "Address not found Your message wasn't delivered to *** because the address couldn't be found, or is unable to receive mail."

So where must I go with my complaint?