My mum was in st johns hospital due to a fall, all her tests came bk clear, she didnt get back home due to not being steady on her feet anymore and a bit dementia, still had her wits about her, she goes in tippet hill meant to temporarily till a care home came ava, and they say shes only on her normal blood pressure tablet and a paracetamol, absolute rubbish, she sounded drugged up anytime i spoke on phone, anytime family visited her she was very uncomfortable and said wen she shouted for a nurse they ignored her, they put her on sleeping tablets and she was drowsy all the time, then decided they should take her off them, that nite she had a stroke, took all day for the nurse to go and check, and they said she wasnt eating and drinking anymore, could hav got help, so they just said they would make her comfortable, then she died next day, i have very deep concerns about this place which i cant get out my mind, and whoever that doctor was...
My mother spent the last 19 months of her life here (in the female-only Rosebery Wing) under a Compulsory Treatment Order. Nothing wrong with her other than dementia, but the consultant psychiatrist in charge of the ward did not approve of me caring for her at home, and used the Mental Health Act to over-ride our wishes.The hospital is on a pleasant green but small and remote site between Whitburn and Armadale. Bus services stop outside. The interior is clean, bright and spacious. There is a larger pleasant fenced garden and a smaller walled courtyard. Most patients have their own ensuite rooms, a few have only a small area curtained-off from the main corridor. A hairdresser visits regularly. One Activities Co-ordinator is often seen, offering arts/crafts activities. But there is no attempt by staff to engage patients in meaningful physical activity (ADLs) such as dusting, laundry, baking or preparation of meals. Staff are polite, dedicated and professional in their attitude but I do not think they really understand dementia, the elderly, or the Patients' Charter. They keep strict visiting hours. Delays in opening the ward are not compensated by an extension at the end. There is (was) no open visiting, except for those whose death is imminent. Relatives are treated as intruders rather than a resource and as Equal Partners in Care. In 2 years I was only once invited to help my mother with her dinner, on her final Christmas Day, at the suggestion of a junior nurse. On all other occasions I was asked to leave the ward between the afternoon and evening visiting periods.There is no understanding of the dangers of sedentary behaviour, the need of elderly patients for adequate physical exercise and meaningful activity, even though deaths are almost exclusively the immobile. Patients who can walk safely on their own are left to do so, usually without supervision, sometimes resulting in falls and fractures. Those who cannot walk independently are rarely encouraged or assisted to do so. They are subtly discouraged from walking, guided back to a chair, and become chair or bed bound. No effort is made to avoid loss of mobility. Exercise is not part of any care plan, it is left to the the patient or the relatives. Patients are left sitting or lying down for several hours at a time without breaks for physical activity. Opportunities for exercise by walking to the toilet or dining room are avoided in favour of using hoists and wheelchairs. Patients are often put in deep reclining "bucket" chairs from which they have no hope of escape. When I've pointed out patients struggling to get out of them to walk or use the toilet, instead of helping them get up and walk, staff settled them back into the chair. When I asked for my mother to be walked (I was prohibited from doing so or taking part, on the consultant's orders) senior staff refused if she showed initial reluctance (as most people with dementia do, especially if they have fallen in the past), even though after a few steps her mobility rapidly improved. When her reluctance coincided with their wishes they said "She is the boss," when her wishes were contrary they ignored it. One day she said to me "I can't take any more of this. Will you kill me, love?" The response of the senior nurses was to put her on suicide watch! (The consultant was determined not to allow any outings nor to discuss any options which might result in her returning to my care.) When I pointed out signs of deteriorating blood circulation the nurses dismissed it and suggested that I provide thermal underwear. They refused to arrange for me to discuss my concerns with the visiting GP. When an independent geriatrician made a referral for a physiotherapy assessment it was blocked by the consultant psychiatrist, his recommendation of passive exercises was rejected, and consent for him to examine my mother was refused. She died 3 weeks later.
Students expose systemic abuse of dying patientsHelen Puttick, Scottish Health CorrespondentMarch 6 2018, 12:01am, The TimesHealthThe students raised concerns about Tippethill House Hospital with a lecturer after seeing patients shouted at and pushedA culture of neglect at a hospital that cares for dying patients was exposed by nursing students after they were sent there on a work placement.Staff pushing a patients face to get them to move, shouting and verbal aggression were among the problems uncovered on a 30-bed wing of Tippethill House Hospital in West Lothian.Concern that basic hygiene rules were being ignored, patients were not being handled appropriately and that records had been falsified were raised by the students from the University of Edinburgh, who told a lecturer what they had seen.
Place is a dump and the standard of care is terrible!
I'm not sure what people's expectations are of a palliative nursing home but I can honestly say that my Mum and all our family have nothing but good positive feedback for Tippethill. The staff were all friendly and nothing was ever a bother for them. They treated her with kindness and consideration. Their facility is clean, fresh smelling and bright. We would like to say a big thank you to all who helped look after Mum.
Tippethill House Hospital is a UK Hospital based in Armadale, Scotland. Tippethill House Hospital is located at Armadale EH48 3BQ, UK.
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