Amazing feedback from relatives and colleagues has been rolling in for the Frailty Team, and their Matron, Charlotte Bowdell is keen to shout it from the rooftops of our hospitals.
One letter of thanks received from a mother’s daughter said: “From the moment she arrived, to the moment she was discharged, both my mum (and I) received nothing but kindness, compassion, understanding and professional care.
“I particularly loved the clear message of a culture of ‘patient and family care’ you have created in your hospital and the posters displayed around the corridors do not go unnoticed.
"The beautiful part is, this is not simply lip service, your staff do behave in this way and are a shining example of compassionate carers who put the patient truly at the heart of their practice.
"I would particularly like to commend you on your Frailty Unit and the HCAs and Advanced Clinical Practioner (ACP) working there. They took untold time to make my mother feel safe, cared for and at ease and the ACP spoke to me in such detail, I took up far too much of her precious time (she assured me I did not, but I know that is not true!). This facility is first class and truly made us feel that our older population deserve individual care and attention (as they rightfully do).”
Praise for the Frailty Team has also come from within our hospital walls.
A&E Charge Nurse, Niki Finey contacted Charlotte about Specialist Frailty Nurse, Sam Mortimer and Frailty Advanced Practitioner, Sarah Szlachcic after they managed to get a patient home on a busy Saturday evening. Niki said: “I think we all had that moment where we thought ‘goodness me its 5pm on a Saturday how are we going to pull that off?’ But Sarah and Sam were fabulous, they got everything in place, including all her medication so she could get home.
“They were exemplary and a real credit to our organisation. Effective, patient centred, holistic care at its best.” When thanked for her efforts, Sarah’s reply was “Why? I’m doing my job. I haven’t gone above and beyond, it’s what we always do.”
That same weekend, Frailty Nurse, Tia Partner (far right main picture) and Frailty Physician Associate, Freya Bennett, (pictured below) showed the importance of providing time and listening to concerns, as a patient’s relative was becoming frustrated with a lack of communication and planning of patient care. Tia arranged a multidisciplinary team meeting with the family and patient which resulted in an up-to-date plan from the specialist medical team and provided time for the patient to express their wishes. This allowed the patient and their family to have an open conversation with the team, around their future wishes and preferred place of care.
Matron, Charlotte Bowdell, said: “This feedback demonstrates how the frailty team understand the importance of making every contact count. It is at the forefront of their day-to-day practise and decision making.
“They are a dedicated team who provide patient centred care and active listening and advocating for our patients.”
