Grandmother of three beats coronavirus in time for 74th birthday
We speak to Danielle Taylor, a nurse at East London Foundation Trust, about how her grandmother beat coronavirus after being admitted to Newham Hospital, returning home in time for her 74th birthday!
Tell us a little bit about your nan?
My Nan Rita is a mother of 3, grandmother of 3 and great-granny to my daughter. She is the head of the family, the glue that’s holds us all together! She loves having family gatherings and parties. She loves writing poems, going out and about, especially to parks, farms and fishing. She’s always on the phone to all of us and always sends emojis on WhatsApp!
When did first notice she was unwell?
My grandad John (pictured with Rita) was unwell first, they had been shielding at home for around two weeks when he first started to show symptoms on 20 March, a few days later on the 26 he started on antibiotics for a suspected chest infection. My Nan was checking his blood pressure and oxygen saturations at home as she receives Telehealth support and their GP provided support over the phone.
On the 27 March my Nan started to feel unwell and lethargic, she has several underlying medical conditions and we were concerned she would be affected a lot worse than my Grandad. On Friday 1st April she was showing signs of deterioration, with reduced saturations, pain and difficulty in breathing. On the morning of 2 April an ambulance was called and she was taken to Newham Hospital.
She stayed there for seven nights on oxygen and antibiotics and was discharged in time for her 74th birthday on 11 April! My Nan describes the staff as unbelievable and incredible, they went above and beyond. The doctors and nurses were dedicated to her care and made her feel important and valued. She explained even senior nursing staff were carrying out tasks such cleaning her room and personal care. The doctors would allow my Nan to call me so I could be part of discussions around her care, this included a very difficult discussion in A&E regarding a ceiling of care for her, given her medical background. I delivered a bag of essentials to the hospital and a registrar came downstairs to take this from me and give a face to face update, which was massively appreciated.
What was Rita's care like?
Staff constantly reassured her and were attentive and thorough in meeting her needs. A full medical review took place before discharge and recommendations were made to her GP going forward, which she was not expecting as she felt she would be treated for Covid and then discharged. Staff made sure she had adequate food and drink, and were friendly when bringing this in to her room. They made her feel able to press the buzzer in her room if she needed anything, even at night.
How is Rita now?
Very happy to be home in time for her birthday! Nan is now almost fully recovered, she feels a million times better and we were able to give her a wave outside her flat on her birthday – keeping up with social distancing! She is back to doing her usual fussing over my Grandad and is looking forward to a trip to the seaside when things calm down. She has been off antibiotics for a couple of days now.
Would you like to share any messages with staff?
My Nan would especially like to mention Wally, one of the nurses who cared for her overnight and brought her a cup of coffee when she didn’t ask for it. She can’t remember many names however all the staff were amazing, telling her she was strong and was fighting this. Doctors, domestic staff, health care assistants, porters and A&E staff were all doing their best in such difficult circumstances and we will be forever grateful to them all.