Kathy Siekierzycki

Review of Parkside Lodge of Mundelein-Lu...

I took my mom to this hospital after she fell and ...

I took my mom to this hospital after she fell and broke her wrist. They got her in a room quickly but it went down hil after that. A resident treated her and it was obvious that she was new and didn't really know what she was doing. Finally, a doctor had to come to help the resident. They never asked if we were ok being seen by a resident instead of a doctor. They started working on her but no one even explained what she broke exactly. After seeing a orthopedic for follow up care, we learned that everything the resident told us about what the next steps were was completely wrong so our expectations were wrong. The emergency room doctor never came to see us but the nurse came to discharge my mom and he was very nice and helpful. Nothing was prescribed for the inflammation or pain other than over the counter medication. Even after my objection, no one came to help. When I called later to inform the nurse on call that my mom was crying in pain and not sleeping, the nurse was rude, talked over me and told me what she would want if it were her mom. That's great but its not her mom and while it might be ok for her to watch her loved one miserably in pain knowing there is something that can be done to make her comfortable, that is not ok with me. When I asked if she could send a msg to a doctor or help in some way, she basically called me a drug seeker and said there was nothing she could do. She didn't even have my mom's chart up because no one asked me what my mom's name was during the call. Being treated like a criminal and a drug addict during a obviously traumatic experience only made me feel helpless and frustrated and made my mother suffer more than she had to. When we followed up with an orthopedic, she said that was wrong and gave her ibuprofen and something for the pain. Healthcare is not just about what you know as a healthcare provider but also about how you show empathy and care for your patients. If you don't even know the name of the patient you are speaking to or about, your not showing empathy! If your that jaded by your job, its time to find a new one!

Update: We went there today (2 weeks later) after my mom had back to back seizures. In the 9 hours we were there, they did a xray and a cbc. No eeg, no ct scan. We ended up self discharging against medical advice after the head nurse said I could not stay with my mom overnight even though my mom has dementia and I am her caregiver. If they can ignore her, not explain anything, or give her routine blood pressure medication in a timely manner while I am there, I can't even imagine what they would do if I was not there to advocate for her. As we walked through the hospital (since they didn't even provide a wheelchair), we walked by a nurse station where the nurses were comparing and laughing about their patients. Not only was that even more upsetting but a HIPAA violation!!
2 separate occasions in two weeks, and never again!! I will have the paramedics drive the extra 1.5 miles to another hospital!!