Today, I was with my daughter at doctor's office in large hospital. Got off the elevator and there was this poor little older lady who was obviously lost. We all tried asking her if she remembered which door she was dropped at by a taxi, but nothing looked familiar to her. She had finished her appointment and was trying to find the right exit where the taxi was picking her up. It was so heartbreaking to see. If I had had the time, I would have taken her to someone who might have been able to assist, but I was running to get to my own doctor's appointment in another town. I have worried about her all afternoon. If I could see the terror in her face, surely friends or family have seen it, too. Why would you allow an obviously cognitive-declining person to fend for herself in a huge hospital with so many wings/entrances? So, so sad....
My friends husband took his father with moderate/severe dementia, and has a very crafty exit and wandering ability, to have a procedure done at a clinic in a hospital. My husband was NOT allowed to stay in the preop room to make sure his father didn't wander off but the staff assured him that he would have a "sitter". Fast forward to an hour after he was told to wait in the post op waiting room and he hears over the PA system "Mr. **** please report to admit desk on floor 7". The son becomes alarmed and reports to the admit desk to ask if that is his father. Sure enough, they didn't assign him a sitter because he SEEMED okay and he wandered off. An HOUR later he was found wandering on a different floor in his gown and holding a broom. I could have ending so much worse, SMH.
My point is hospital staff should be more aware of the elderly limitations their patient have. So often the elderly are overlooked and not paid any attention because they are adults and perceived to be able to independently navigate strange areas alone.
I wasn’t happy that he had left her there by herself . He thought she’d be waiting for him back in the waiting room . But she forgot to wait for him there and went looking for a bathroom or just wandered .,
Apparently she must have had the last appt of the day.