Health service in torrevieja hospital.

https://blog.abacoadvisers.com/hospitals-in-spain/ 

My husband when he was in Torrevieja hospital after a stroke in 2018, all he was given was a small bottle of water, no food whatsoever 3 days he went without food, if the stroke did not get him malnutrition nearly did.

All this guff I read on this and other forums about the excellent health Service in Spain is absolute rubbish. It's not a health service it's a health shambles.

The nurses stand around all day chatting and checking their phones, completely ignoring the patients.

Among Spaniards usually there is a family member accompanying a patient at all times. Consequently hospital personnel is not constantly surveilling and just check the monitors. There is no time limit for visitors, the longer and more, the better. 

When my brother was in Torrevieja hospital it was explained that the nurses undertake medical tasks and I was advised to be there to ensure he ate and took his meds. My brother could be very uncooperative so I made sure I was present. I helped him wash and use the toilet also. There was a bed which I could use overnight when necessary. I found his medical care to be speedy and excellent but personal care was left very much to the family.

My mother aged 95 has been in hospital twice in the past two years. The first time she had broken her hip, but had to be kept in for nearly three weeks as she was extremely ill. I stayed in her room with her, as is expected, to help with food, and any extra personal care she needed. The staff were excellent, including the auxiliares, and were always available for changing of incontinence pads etc. It is standard for family members to stay and do some basic caring.

She was again admitted with severe antibiotic resistant infection a few weeks ago. They asked me if I intended to stay, prior to giving me bedlinen for the fold up sofa bed installed in every room. As it happened, I chose instead to go twice a day to deal with mealtimes and so forth. I also advised the nursing staff on admission that she has nervous difficulty swallowing, so a special diet appropriate for this condition was provided twice daily. The staff were more pressurised on this occasion, obviously as a result of current conditions, so all procedures were much more timetabled and brisk.

On both occasions the treatment was excellent, and someone was always available via the call button when required.

May just gone I had a stupid accident at home, badly burnt my hands and leg. I live way out in the campo but within 15 minutes of me calling 112 an ambluance arrived (and the Guardia! ) and whipped me off to Alcoy hospital. There i had a bevy of nurses attending to me and a senior consultant. All gave me a lecture on the folly of weeding using petrol but their care and attention was outstanding. For the first 4 days the nurses, etc fed and washed me(hands bandaged up like a mummy). Had breakfast, 3 course lunch, afternoon tea and biscuits and 3 courses evening meal, every day. Plus unlimited bottled water. In my 2 week stay I'm sure I put weight on! This wasn't private care, just normal general hospital and all FOC. I'm properly healed with minimal scarring thanks to the nurses and doctors in Alcoy hospital. I can't fault any aspect of the care I received in the hospital or the local aftercare I had to have. I rate the health service in this country as outstanding, certainly in my area, but i supppose other areas may differ. Just saying from my experience. 

Always so negative, why do you want to live in Spain? 

tHi. Thank you for all your messages. Whilst I realise the differences between Spanish and Uk hospitals ( and they’re not perfect). I am very grateful for all the care my mother recieved. She unfortunately passed away last Sunday and I am broken!!  But she is out of pain and not struggling any more. There’s nothing that 60 years of Tabacco and nicotine can cure. Also I think she gave up a little since my dad died. 
Tracey. 

Sorry for your loss.