When the system seems to fail you...

During the two weeks I've been back in Spain, my Dad has had two changes of hospital in Scotland. First he was moved to a rehab unit at the hospital in Falkirk, which seemed like a good and encouraging move. Unfortunately, he became quite ill with an infection and had to be moved back to the larger hospital in Larbert again. He's not really able to feed himself yet, and so it's hard to see that staff often simply leave some food in front of him, but don't stay to help him reach it or eat it. So it just gets cold and then they come and take it away again. It also seems like they're trying to reduce his pain medication so that he can be moved back to Falkirk again, but this means that he's experiencing more pain now and doesn't get a good night's sleep. I can only imagine how hard it must be to be totally dependent on the system and on the kind attentions of others.... and to feel that somehow the system is failing you at your point of need. I pray for a lessening of my Dad's pain, for compassionate staff who will help him with his food, and for decisions to be made that will put or keep him in the hospital that is best suited to his particular needs at this point in his recovery.