If you have ever been to the emergency room, you know how sometimes emergencies need to wait. Although it is a place for immediate care, somehow you can end up waiting hours to be seen. Let alone helped. That was the case for this grandfather-of-two. This elderly man was forced to sleep on the floor for 12 hours while waiting for care.
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Elderly Man Forced To Sleep On Floor For 12 Hours To Receive Care
A grandfather was suffering from pneumonia and went to the hospital to receive care. However, he did not receive the immediate care that he had hoped for. The NY Post shared how he "resorted to sleeping on a hospital floor on top of his dressing gown during a 12-hour wait for a trolley."
Can you imagine that? An elderly man forced to sleep on the floor as he is suffering from pneumonia? Martin Wakely was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance after his wife noticed he was struggling to breathe. He needed a stretcher to lie on because his Multiple Sclerosis did not allow him to sit for long periods of time.
However, sitting for a long period of time is exactly what happened to him. As he had to wait 12 hours for the stretcher to arrive. Reports claim that the poor man began crying from the pain in his back. Finally, when he was diagnosed with pneumonia, a stretcher was provided for him.
Not Adequate Care
Most people agree that an elderly man being forced to sleep on the floor of a hospital for 12 hours is not acceptable. His wife, Tracy Walkey, compared the level of care he received to that of a third world country. The former council property inspector also shared his thoughts.
"It was heart-breaking seeing someone I love put through it." He continued, "It's disgusting that he has worked all his life, paid all his taxes, done everything right and he ends up on the floor with the rubbish."Martin decided to discharge himself after 51 hours in the hospital, "when the bed he was finally given was out in the corridor."
While it is understandable that hospitals can be very busy, and that staff can only work with what they have, many argue that this treatment was still unacceptable. The long waiting times and the fact that this elderly man was forced to sleep on the floor for 12 hours was truly horrifying. Especially given the fact that he was suffering from both Multiple Sclerosis and pneumonia.
After he discharged himself a nurse told him, "You'll be back in a couple of days." However Martin replied, "I won't, I'll be dead first." We need to do better. If a patient would rather die than come back for how they were treated, I think that speaks volumes to our quality of care.
