How helpful was your hospital's ICU Outreach serv... - ICUsteps
How helpful was your hospital's ICU Outreach service in smoothing your transition back to the general ward when you left intensive care?
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Unfortunately the ward seemed to ignore what they were told from outreach and the nutritionist
They had to be reminded by my partner
i didnt stay in the hospital long after ICU, i got out of the hospital as quick as i could (discharged myself), the food was awful
A nurse came to see me once and struggled to Nswer my questions one if which was when would my voice come back properly
I had no outreach at all. I went from the ICU to the gynae ward where I was discharged 3 days later. No one came to talk to me about what had happened when I had my anaesthetic or what had happened to me while I was unconscious. I got home, got into bed and cried myself to sleep.
Didn't know what was going on, not the day, or year, bad nightmares, and a lot of pain. My adult children were the only ones to tell me what happened, and because I was transferred to a different Hospital when I was unconscious, was really traumatic when I woke, I couldn't speak to ask questions either.
Wanted out, and home as soon as possible. I really do know how people are bullied, I was pushed from room to room, lifted from the bed in pain, no explanation as to why.
When I got home, only the lovely District Nurses to speak too, who also didn't know what I had gone through, obvious as to their reaction when first changing my dressings, had a VAX dressing with a 25cm wound, her poor face was so shocked, she was so sorry, she wasn't told. Looked like a slab of belly pork.
Even my Doctor had no idea, as had not received the paper work.
So no, never had outreach, still do not know what went on, even my sons who are down as next of kin, couldn't find out.
Now suffering from PTSD, still waiting for treatment
Hi Jackie4089
I know how you feel. I was in ICU 3 years ago and nobody told me anything. Nobody on the ward seemed to know anything about me. That I had been in ICU didn't seem to register. I was in hospital for a total of 6 weeks and couldn't get home fast enough. My GP had and still has no idea of what I went through. So it's no wonder we can feel unable to cope.
i never had outreach from icu i was lucky the night i went up to have my medicine from the nurse on the ward. the night i got moved up i had a full blown panic attack and the support just wasnt there
The outreach girls at Worcester would visit me everyday while I was on the wards and were amazing. I had a very bad experience where a nurse told me I was faking my illness and was very rough with me. This came as quite a surprise considering I had recently left ICU after a 2 1/2 month stay and had lost 3 1/2 stone in weight. I was only capable of getting to the chair by the side of my bed with help but lucky for me the outreach team soon put her straight. 
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Tony
My dad was in ICU for 2 and a half months then transferred to a ward where he still is now 2 and a half weeks later. An ICU nurse did come over and say hello after he had been there a week as she was on the ward anyway and said his cannula needed changing and the dressing over his trache tube wound as well (she actually did that one for him there and then and told the nurse about the cannula). I don't believe the nurses on this ward know the full extent of what he has gone through or care. If I ask for an update no-one seems to know anything and can only give me info from his written notes. I'm really shocked, especially as he is in Milton Keynes Hospital where ICU steps was founded and I had read (and had high hopes) about the outreach program.
When I came round after being in a coma for a month on and off its a long story. I was transferred to a cardiac ward which was one of the worst experiences of my life they would not let me do anything as I was still coupled up to the oxygen this went on for a couple of days. Then all of a sudden a Physio appeared and demanded to know what was going on and why they would not let me do anything it was amazing the transformation of the nurses attitude. The Physio told me that the consultant who treated me in ICU had sent her as just because I had been discharged from them I was still a member of the ICU family & they would check on me every day to make sure I was treated ok. I could not believe they would do this for me I was asked if in a few months I would go to a follow up meeting with a consultant to see how I was coping. I later joined the ICU steps group & they still keep in touch 5years hence.
My husband discharged from ICU at Queens Medical Notts ten months ago.We are in Leicestershire ,there was no GP notes sent.My husband has a Trachestomy wound that needed dressing every two days.We were told on discharge to book an appointment at Gps to see a nurse.My husband was to weak to hold a toothbrush let alone go to the docs.I rang our surgery they activated a District Nurse who was an angel on earth.If it wasn't for her we wouldn't have had an Ocuppational Therapist or Physiotherapist set up.Although his care and support to his family whilst in ICU was outstanding the lack of aftercare and support on discharge was shocking ,very upsetting and very stressful to say the least.I always stand by what I said at the time,if my husband was elderly it would have been a different scenario.
I tried to access the ICU steps site on several occasions but it can't be reached
A CCU Nurse came down with me to the ward to handover, however none of the ward staff came to see me for good half hour. I'm a Nurse & know what to expect on wards but I felt very vulnerable & emotional. An Outreach Nurse came to see me on the ward most days; I was given a CCU pack with lot of information & told I could ask for a CCU Nurse to visit me if I felt needed an extra visit.
Hi, when I got moved to the general (respiratory ward) after ICU it was a massive change/shock. Very scary, as I went from having 1 to 1 care to more or less fending for yourself on an understaffed, under-equipped(1 thermometer for whole ward 1 night) and some staff not very happy at work!
I quickly realised the only way I would be able to go to the toilet was on my own, even though only just starting to walk with frame-quite worrying.
The same for me- wheelchair to ward, had used a frame a couple of times on ICU , but then dumped onto ward, had to get to toilet on my own,could hardly walk. Noone came near to talk to me from ICU. Put a bowl and wipes in front of me expecting me to walk to bathroom to wash. Put menus in front of me but no help to fill out, no way could I have done that. Got told off for calling the emergency button to help with bleeding on toilet - had no idea what button to press. Became dehydrated because only a small jug of water given for the day and ended up in A & E the day after returning home because of this. Self discharged as so appalled at the treatment.
Myself and my family had a nightmare experience once on a general ward. No one knew my condition, no one cared, there were no staff. The staff that were there had no motivation, there was no communication. It took my partner 3 DAYS before they gave me a call button which we felt was really unsafe. After having such brilliant care in ICU, I felt in danger and the lack of basic care made me very anxious. I watched someone opposite me collapse, we were all shouting for someone to help, the poor chap almost died and was rushed to ICU, when the nurses finally strolled into view. On another occasion the bed next to me was empty for a while and we noticed a nruse kept going there and closing the curtains, he was caught asleep on the bed. On a positive note however the lack of care motivated me to leave as soon as possible. If I had stayed any longer I'm not sure I'd be here today ! Yes it really was that bad ! After my escape we wrote to Patient Liaison about our concerns, which the hospital accepted and took on board, I understand they have made some changes since my experience.
Was told I would go to Step-Down ICU by ICU staff only, no outreach, but was actually transferred to telemetry unit by hospitalist and not due to heart monitoring requirement.
I had none. They swept everything under the rug and got me out ASAP. I had to comb through my records to find out I’d had sepsis, blood transfusions and nearly died.
I never even remembered my husband bringing me to the ER ..I had gone into a diabetic coma, kidneys failing, pneumonia..... I didn't know any of this till I came home and also got my medical records from the hospital. I wasn't even out of the coma problem and they sent me to rehab. (how do I know. Because my ICU friend read my medical records after I got them from the hospital) No one ever told me what happened in either the hospital or rehab. Even my husband wasn't able to come and visit me because of the covid problems going around. So I was all alone for 16 days total. When I was released from the hospital ...all I was told was "you are going to rehab today don't forget your bag. What bag???? WHat happened to me I was never told. Even in Rehab they moved me to 3 different rooms and only when wheeling me to the 3 room do I even remember someone telling me they had to move me again because someone else was worse off than me... WHAT??? No help to me or my husband who needed to take care of me when I got home with all kinds of meds at the time. When I did call the ER after 2 years of trying to recover with PTSD, trauma, medical difficulties, etc. This head nurse had the nerve to tell me I was never in a coma...BUT, in my medical records it states very clearly that I was. Sorry for the long post.
Hi there. Reading your story was mind blowing because it is almost exactly what is happening to my husband right now. He was discharged from the hospital after several weeks in the icu. He was taken to a rehabilitation center for physical therapy to learn to walk again but was so delirious he couldnt function at first. Day 2 and 3 he did ok. Day 4 and we are back in the er. No one cared that his bp had bottomed out, he was dehydrated and still had an infection that was never fully cured in the hospital. I need to get access to his records to find out why they let him go too early... I was told by the hospital case worker it was because his insurance only paid for a certain amount of days.
I don’t know whether I had outreach or not. Which means that either I didn’t need it or I got it and it was so seamless that I didn’t notice. Either way although what happened to me certainly wasn’t planned when it happened I have nothing but gratitude for the way it was handled. I suspect that Had I needed a lot of support it would have been available.Kudos to Basildon Cariothoracic centre.
I dont know either if I had outreach but this could be it. After the first stint in ICU I was transfered to a general ward where I had my own room. I was seen by the ICU psychologist for a chat. I then had to return to ICU as I caught covid. After 5 weeks of intense treatment I came round and then stayed in ICU a further 5 weeks before being transfered to a general ward. During that time I had physiotherapy but found it quite a struggle. I was transfered to a community hospital and things were easier with daily physio and better food. So maybe this was outreach, as I also so an occupational therapist who determined with my family I could not yet return home. I was then transfered to a local care home for a further 4 weeks rehab and physio. This was like staying in a 5* hotel, great room, and 3 good meals a day and the occassional cocktail. Then home to a new flat more suitable for my needs. On balance with very few exceptions all the staff in ICU, the general wards, the community hospital and the care home were great and caring. I have had significant follow up from the hospital, my own gp, and more recently the long covid clinic. I had another chat with the psychologist once home, but dont require any continuing treatment I dont for example have pstd. My main issues are physical, like ckd, diabetes type 2, fatigue, and general fitness. I am also now do an exercise program and seeing a sports therapist once per week (privately) and that is really helping.
My delusions were so utterly savage during my ITU stay that if such a thing as outreach had existed 14 years ago I would have struggled to engage with them/it
I actually went insane and have never had one single, meaningful conversation with anyone medically - admittedly it is more humane nowadays but if I'd have thrown myself off the pier nobody in the NHS would have even noticed.
I'm eternally grateful for those ITU staff for saving my life though.
Difficult to reconcile.
Dreadful experience was dumped on ward had not walked without zimmer prior to ward but no help given and left to stagger to toilet alone despite wearing red 'risk of falling ' socks. Told off for pressing wrong call button. Given menus to fill in which my head was too jumbled to even read. Got dehydrated despite originally in ICU for low sodium and was suppose to drink 3 litres. Given one small jug for the day . Discharged myself and ended up in A&E after 24 hours because of the dehydration . Oh and also on the ward Nurse ignored my concerns I was passing blood ....I could go on.....
My husband had similar experiences with his mobility especially. He is a wheelchair user before he got ill. They kept going on at him about moving around more. He also has chronic fatigue...but they woke him at 8am regardless and would come in every half an hour after to make sure he stayed awake. Baring in mind he was woken through the night to have obs and medication. It was a shit show.
My husband was supposed to get ICU outreach. They visited once and told him to let the ward staff know if he wanted to see them again. He did. I did. The ward staff basically said the ICU outreach are too busy and they wouldn't be contacted. So yeah.
