Grandma's in the Hospital

My grandma, who is currently living in an Alzheimer's facility, was taken to the Emergency Room on Wednesday morning to a hospital which will remain nameless. NOTE: it is part of a major chain of hospitals in the Houston area and is located on Astoria Blvd. Management thought she may have come down with pneumonia because she seemed to be breathing hard and was a little unresponsive. They did an MRI and a chest x-ray but her lungs appeared clear. The doctors in the ER discussed admitting her and getting her on an antibiotic drip every 6 hours and oxygen. 12 HOURS later, she was finally admitted into a room. They began monitoring her vitals and put her on oxygen. No drugs...

7:00AM Thursday - Dad goes up to the hospital in hopes of catching the doctor who was seeing her. NOTE: her primary care physician was changed after my grandpa passed away by a relative also to remain nameless. It was changed to a doctor who makes "house calls" to her Alzheimer's facility and the last time she was in a different hospital in Pasadena, was told he did not see patients there, but he had privileges at before mentioned hospital. This being the reason she was taken to said hospital.

2:30PM Thursday- status check. This puts my dad being there about 7.5 hours. The update is....NONE as the doctor has still not shown up. AND when she was admitted the night before, they requested that her food be pureed as she cannot chew and swallow very well. When breakfast AND lunch came...normal food. So basically, she didn't eat hardly anything all day. Now, is it normal practice for hospitals to admit 80+ year old patients whom they THINK have pneumonia and NOT do anything and NOT contact the doctor? GRRRRR. My sister called for a status around the same time. She is a pedi-ICU nurse and was pissed. She immediately hung up and called to speak to the charge nurse about the lack of antibiotics and the lack of a doctor visit. She advised that this particular doctor (recently chosen again for his house calls to the Alzheimer's place) does NOT visit said hospital. WHAT? We thought he had privileges here. Charge Nurse: "Oh, he does. He just never comes to the hospitals himself. He sends another doctor from his group. Oh and that guy's here making rounds now. I'll make for sure he sees her."

3:00PM Thursday - Doctor finally shows up. Says her lungs appear clear from the x-ray and she has no fever. "Probably" doesn't have pneumonia. Is that a common medical term, DOCTOR?? PROBABLY? Mentioned something about wanting to do another x-ray because the original wasn't a "good one." He said a "good one" means that the patient takes a breath and holds it for the picture to be taken. Given that at the time she didn't have hardly any breath at all, to hold it would be difficult. The nurse sister later pointed out that you don't necessarily have to have a breath hold for a good x-ray, only for the tech to know what they are doing and take it when the patient inspirates - or breathes in. Are there orders for a 2nd x-ray? NO. Is she on antibiotics? NO. Are there orders for antibiotics? NO.

Oh - a side note...Dinner did come pureed and she gobbled up every last bite because she was STARVING due to no breakfast or lunch!!!

8:30AM Friday - No change. My aunt is staying with her today. She said she is very sleepy and had to be woke up for breakfast. Doctor been in? NO. Orders for anything today? NO.

WHY, WHY, WHY is she sitting at the hospital for NO TREATMENT???