Parents aren't in the best of health and I've been popping round to help out and look after them on and off.
Anyway, one morning on my way to the dentist, I get a call from mum who says Dad isn't well. He has a temperature. He's had the flu jab some time ago so I guess it's just a "bug".
I leave the dentist and get another phone call from mum, she's called an ambulance because Dad has deteriorated somewhat. So I drive over.
I get there about 20 minutes later to a blocked cul-de-sac. There are 3 ambulances outside my parent's bungalow, plus the fast response doctor's car, and a man in the road being given CPR.
A bit startled, I pull up and jump out of the car and see whom it is on the floor - it's one of dad's neighbours from over the road!
Dad was still at home being looked after by a paramedic.
What had happened was that dad did need to go to hospital and the paramedics were wheeling him to the ambulance on a stretcher when dad noticed his neighbour in his car and the engine was fully racing but not going anywhere.
He told the paramedic that "Bob" would never do anything like that, and the paramedics looked over and saw "Bob" slumped over the steering wheel.
The female paramedic rushed over, dragged Bob out of his car and yelled something like "Arrest" and started pumping his chest.
The other paramedic called for help and wheeled dad back in to the warm bungalow before going to help his partner.
Dad got home 48 hours later.
Bob is still in hospital.
Just think, if Bob had an electric car, Dad wouldn't have heard a revving engine and they probably wouldn't have noticed Bob slumped over the steering wheel. Bob is a widower so there was no one at home to notice the car hadn't moved.
Petrol cars save lives ;-D
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... maybe it was carbon monoxide poisoning from a hole in the exhaust!!
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Reminds me of the time driving into work and my dad phoned me and I could just hear a feint “help”. I said do you need an ambulance and he said yes. Hung up, dialled 999, and then phoned my wife who was at home and closer in distance to my dad than I was.
I raced through rush hour traffic to get to my dads house to see ambulance and missus’ car outside his house.
Rushed into the house to see my dad sitting on his chair with an oxygen mask on. And my wife on the couch with the 2 ambulance guys round her.
Transpired when she arrived she went in the front door and slammed the door behind her before she had taken her hand out the way….
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My daughter was very young, memory says pre-school, when walking across the Doctor's surgery car park with Mrs B when#she asked why an elderly woman was slumped over the driving wheel of her car.
Docs piled out but, IIRC, driver was beyond help.
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I've attended many sudden deaths and written coroners reports. They all come in different forms. The lady in bed with a load of pills on the floor, the chief architect of the new Post Office who fell eight stories off scaffolding and landed on a steel wheelbarrow, took ages to find his car, Gut strangulation on the top deck of a bus, the conductor who was thrown off the platform of a bus which was hit on the offside by a Thames Trader lorry, which pushed the bus over on top of him and many who went to bed for the last time the night before...best way !
It comes in all shapes and each is a tragedy for some one !
Ted
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The last two days have been spent at a Coroners inquest for the death of the Mother in Law in July 24 whilst resident of a care home. She was a mobile slightly built lady of 88 with dementia. She entered the room of another resident who was there for respite and did not suffer dementia.
He pushed her backwards causing her fall across the corridor and land in the entrance to her own room. She sustained a fractured hip, was operated on, deteriorated and died of a blood clot 2 weeks later. This is Manslaughter.
Without going into too much detail, and it really pains me to say it, but the police investigation was appalling, a catalogue of incompetence. You need to remember that around 80% of elderly patients do not survive complications. No 'Golden Hour' scene examination, no timely witness, no statements, no evidence gathering - the list goes on. If it wasn't for us knowing the processes and how they work or don't work there would have been no investigation at all. The suspect wasn't even asked for an account or interviewed until the October. Incompetent is putting it mildly. Having to go through many months of police gaslighting and trying to justify themselves has been a real eye opener.
My wife; also retired, has battled all the way to actually achieve the inquest and it has been a battle of epic proportions.
A 'narrative verdict' was achieved whereby it was accepted that she had clearly been subject of an assault (that doesn't necessarily mean physical touching) but there was no clear evidence to reach an 'Unlawful Killing'
One thing was clear and that is if you are in a care home then you seem to not have the same victim rights.
Last edited by: Fullchat on Sat 22 Nov 25 at 12:23
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Not an assault but a death.
Next door neighbour's younger brother was 80 ( + a few weeks) with dementia.
The hospital detected a heart issue and spent 3/4 days in Edinburgh - arrived by ambulance+ the op (stents) + 2 days recovery and then returned to the local hospital.
Local hospital had him in a bed BUT 2 days later, the sides of the bed were not up. He fell out of bed.
He was put back into bed BUT over the next few days he & his wife noticed he had lost the abilty to move one leg and foot! Scanned and fractured hip. Dementia, weak and a week with a broken hip. Hip operation.
He dies a few days later.
The hospital still disputing negligence!
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My wife was in a hospital bed ( at home) she had advanced dementia but also not very mobile.
She started rolling towards the unprotected side of the bed.
We barricaded her in and asked for bed quard.
NOT allowed for dementia patients .......DOLS - Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards was quoted
( does not apply at home).
A two inch thick crash mat was supplied then a four inch crash mat.
The bed was replace with a special order bed that lowers to the floor.
She had a bed guard when in hospital " well she is monitored in hospital"
After all the upgrades I eventually got bed quards .
By this time she was even less mobile and the risk had gone.
Return to standard hospital bed and return the crash mats ? Not interested.
I had to battle the system for months to get a simple solution..
She passed peacefully away a few days ago so I have now assembled a pile of kit for collection on Tuesday.
The rest of the other supplies I have now to be distributed to needy organisations.
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So sad to hear Henry. Condolences to yourself, family and friends.
Last edited by: Fullchat on Sat 22 Nov 25 at 17:39
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Sorry to hear about your wife, Henry. It can't be easy.
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Sincere condolences Henry.
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Sorry to hear that Henry.
As you know, I am not far away, if you would like me to do anything, please ask.
Best wishes.
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I'm not sure how close I came to becoming a widower last summer. I don't know and I don't want to know. My wife was in hospital for 82 days, very seriously ill for the first few weeks.
When medical people want a conversation about resuscitation it concentrates the mind somewhat. The fact that she needed blood transfusions didn't help either. On more than one occasion she said she didn't want to live.
Ironically she had got a solicitor to draft a will, but was in hospital before she could sign it. The solicitor, of course, offered to attend her bed - at extra cost. My wife was sufficiently compos mentis to put paid to that idea pretty smartly.
She's been home for just over two months and is still some way off from a full recovery. She will need further surgery.
She will sign her will in a couple of weeks.
Last edited by: James Loveless on Sat 22 Nov 25 at 22:19
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Condolences from me too, Henry. It will come to us or our spouses at some point.
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Yes, my condolences as well, Henry.
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So sorry to hear of your loss Henry.
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Life Saved Because His Car Had an ICE! - smokie
