Transition and Beyond – A Relative’s Experience of Care

26 April 2018

Transition and Beyond  –  A Relative’s Experience – Experience of Care Week 2018

My husband came from an intensive care unit, so initially felt very unsafe in a new environment where he lost the one-to-one, 24-hour care he had become accustomed to during his acute phase.

On arrival at the RHN, he was worried that he would be surrounded by strangers who had no idea how to look after his comfort and needs. This was very distressing for both him and me, but while it was our first experience of the RHN, the staff were used to receiving new patients, and understood that they needed to “learn” the new patient as quickly as possible.

Their understanding, commitment and care made this period as short as possible.

The things that mattered to me most during this time were

• Feeling confident that the staff were doing their best to “learn” my husband as quickly as possible
• Someone always being on hand to answer our questions
• Knowing that every staff member who entered his room understood how traumatised he was feeling at that time.

What matters to me most now

• That my husband feels confident and safe at the RHN
• That any queries raised are dealt with quickly and competently
• That the staff are looked after properly so they can perform their roles in the way that they and their patients would wish.

#ExpofCare

You can read more about the Experience of Care Week here.