No Hospital for Old Men [F]

There was an old man on level two ward 23 {locations have been purposely changed} crying out for help today at work. The first three times he did (between intervals), a nurse came to his aid. The next six, no one came to him and I couldn’t take it anymore.

I poked my head around the corner as he cried “someone help me I beg you” and he didn’t stop. On and on he yelled.

I stepped out of my job role to tend to his pleas and he started talking to me about how he had no idea how he got there, after which he then asked me to go get help. The police, anyone he said. Poor guy. I actually had a difficult time getting a word in.

I asked him if he had family but he just kept asking for help.

So I calmed him down and told him I would go ask/get the ‘charge nurse’ on his behalf and I did, and what she told me, or rather what she showed me made me sad, helpless and angry. The charge nurse did the ‘finger twirl around her head’ thing… And went back to her computer screen, which I’m guessing by her imprudence is more important than a human being these days.

Of course I suspected that this man might have had some form or cognitive deterioration, but that moment made me very angry. He couldn’t help himself being so old, I couldn’t help him without breaking protocol and the nurses weren’t doing much of anything but ignoring him. Something is wrong with this picture.

I plan on making a formal complaint tomorrow. I don’t mind being wrong, I’d just like to see a little more done than a finger twirl.

Sadly, I had to leave him. Alone. G*d I hate having to give up. This feeling of immoral closure. I hate it.

Funking disillusioning experience I tell you what though (and mortality hits me like a ton of bricks). Hospitals are here to help people no? Pump the geezer with drugs or something. Anything! Humor the poor guy? I really don’t know.

At least he stopped yelling after we talked. A good sign I guess. Point is I tried and some people just accept face value like a forgettable breeze and were raised to be lame. Drones. I wasn’t the only person in that ward.

Don’t ignore your senses. Goodnight.