Like others...
I watched my mum die, 3am i decided to run home (1klm away) and get few hrs sleep... Got a call to get down here now... I rushed down, but I missed her final moments by minutes... Still kills me today to wonder if she sat up and looked around, and saw nobody there... Nursing care at this hospital was absolutely outstanding. I cannot rate them highly enough for care and empathy towards the sick patients - no matter how understaffed they were. You cannot pay nurses enough money in my eyes.
Then dad went similar way in a horrible nursing home that has been under investigation.. the care was miserable and most of the staff were from overseas, didnt give a Shit.. were rude, were obnoxious, -my dad was blind and deaf towards the end - the staff would come in and drop his dinner off and walk away. 1/2 the time he never know his dinner as there until they came to take it away,
Xmas time, they came in, dropped his dinner off an pissed off to the party in the common area.. Dad said eh could hear lots of noise in the distance, btu had no idea what it was. Nobody helped him, he buzzed for 30 minutes the report said, and finally someone turned up abusing him 'what do you want, why are you buzzing'.. He said wheres my dinner.. (**** I wish I was there at the time), so now it was cold and rubbery, they microwaved his dinner, salad and all then dropped it off and walked away again - no ****s given at all...
The issue was dad didnt want me to complain as he thought he was 'at their mercy'.. complain, get them in trouble, then if he needed assistance for the dunny, or anything else - they'd ignore him.
There was one Australian lady there that dad really liked, and I never saw a bad tone out of her mouth... You could see she REALLY cared for the sick and frail.
Mark - hope all goes better for your extended family there.