Hi, it’s Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM where we instantly improve the lives for Families of critically ill Patients in Intensive Care, so that you can make informed decisions, have PEACE OF MIND, real power, real control and so that you can influence decision making fast, even if you’re not a doctor or a nurse in Intensive Care!
This is another episode of “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” and in last week’s episode I answered another question from our readers and the question was
Why Does the ICU Team Want to Do a Tracheostomy on My Ventilated Daughter?
You can check out last week’s question by clicking on the link here.
In this week’s episode of “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” I want to answer questions from one of my clients Tess, as part of my 1:1 consulting and advocacy service! Tess’s daughter is on a breathing machine and for tracheostomy in the ICU. Tess is asking what she needs to do to be an effective advocate for her daughter.
My Ventilated Daughter is for Tracheostomy. What Do I Need to Do to Be an Effective Advocate for Her in the ICU?
“You can also check out previous 1:1 consulting and advocacy sessions with me and Tess here.”
Tess: Okay.
Patrik Hutzel: I think it’s a good idea.
Tess: My instinct is it’s the right thing to do too.
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Patrik Hutzel: It is the right thing to do because if she’s not getting a tracheostomy, it’s also much easier for them to withdraw life support.
Tess: Okay.
Patrik Hutzel: I see that as a positive, Tess.
Tess: Okay.
Patrik Hutzel: That’s why I’m saying, on the one hand they’re negative, on the other hand they’re doing a tracheostomy and I see that as a positive thing in this situation.
Tess: Yeah.
Patrik Hutzel: I’ll send you some articles a bit later. Okay, so what we can do going forward, I think I’ll send you a link to the guidelines around you getting access to medical records. I also think that I should be setting you up with questions that you should be asking on a day by day basis because that will give you a good idea of what’s happening. I’m also very happy to talk with them and ask the questions on your behalf, whatever way you want to proceed.
Tess: Yeah, I think that’s exactly what we need in this situation, for you to intercede and get involved. I’ve got the details of the number.
Patrik Hutzel: Yeah, yeah.
Tess: Okay. It’s a Critical Care Unit.
Patrik Hutzel: Yep.
Tess: And her name is Sara.
Patrik Hutzel: Yeah, okay. Look, I’m very happy to call them. I do strongly believe that you should be on the call with me and we can set up a three-way call, there is no issue. Because I do believe the more you understand what questions that I’m asking, it’ll help you with your own questions.
Tess: Right. How do we go about doing that? And how soon or otherwise do you think it could be done?
Patrik Hutzel: Oh, well, it’s quite simple, it’s rather simple. I’ll call you on the phone and then we’ll dial them in.
Tess: Okay.
Patrik Hutzel: Very simple.
Tess: Right, I get you. Okay, you mean actually on Skype?
Patrik Hutzel: No, no, I’ll call you on your phone, I’m sure you’ve got a phone number. I’ll call you and then I’ll set up a three-way call, I’ll call them in.
Tess: Okay, home phone number.
Patrik Hutzel: Do you have a mobile phone?
Tess: Yes, Rey has got one
Patrik Hutzel: Right.
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- Quick tip for families in ICU: Should I get access to my critically ill loved one’s medical records?
Tess: So tomorrow with the mobile and going forward till Sunday.
Patrik Hutzel: Right. How are you using Skype? Are you not using Skype through a mobile phone?
Tess: No, by computer.
Patrik Hutzel: I see. So you are saying you have a home phone but not a mobile phone?
Tess: I personally do not have a mobile phone nor does my husband.
Patrik Hutzel: Okay, that’s fine. But you have a home phone, a landline?
Tess: Yes.
Patrik Hutzel: Yeah. Well, we can do it through the landline, there’s no issue there.
Tess: Brilliant. Can I give that to you now, please, Patrik?
Patrik Hutzel: Pardon?
Tess: Can I give you the number now, please?
Patrik Hutzel: Yeah, yeah, give me the number. Yes please.
Tess: Yep, just now, I emailed you my phone number.
Patrik Hutzel: Okay. So what we can do, Tess, if you want to, we can call them now.
Tess: Yeah, let’s do it.
Patrik Hutzel: Okay.
Tess: Because it’s quite possible that she’s actually having the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).
Patrik Hutzel: Yeah, and before we call them, let’s just go through a few things before we call them, who do you expect we get on the phone?
Tess: I suspect it will be the doctor overseeing the ward and I’m not entirely sure whether that’s… If it’s a consultant, the neurological consultant with whom we spoke yesterday, who’s involved in this case, she may be present, she may not, I don’t know.
Patrik Hutzel: Right, right.
Tess: So whoever is on shift, obviously they change on a 12-hourly basis or thereabouts with the nurses, I’m not entirely sure.
Patrik Hutzel: Okay. Is it easier to call them and ask for the nurse to get an update?
Tess: Well, they’re not really giving… The way they’re handling it is the nurses have been told basically I suspect not to say very much, if minimally. So it’s a long shot to get a nurse on the phone, let’s put it that way.
Patrik Hutzel: So you are saying it’s easier to get a doctor on the phone?
Tess: I suspect so, either way.
Patrik Hutzel: That’s unusual.
Tess: I’m going to pass you… Okay, just ring the number.
Patrik Hutzel: Yeah. No, that’s unusual, that’s unusual.
Tess: Because we’ve got a splitter and we can hold the three-way here.
Patrik Hutzel: Well, it’s unusual, it’s usually easier to get a nurse on the phone.
Tess: Okay, yeah.
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Patrik Hutzel: But I’ll be-
Tess: Whatever way we can do it.
Patrik Hutzel: Okay. When we ring this number, who’s answering?
Tess: The reception.
Patrik Hutzel: And then what do you do?
Tess: Oh, it’s the ward. Excuse me, it’s on the ward.
Patrik Hutzel: Yeah, and what do you do from there? Do you say, “Can you put me through to the doctor?” What do you do from there?
Tess: I’ve never asked that, Romeo’s always done those, trying to find out updates on Sara’s well-being.
Patrik Hutzel: Okay, is it worth for us talking to Romeo before we make the call?
Tess: Yeah, please do.
Patrik Hutzel: Okay, is Romeo there?
Tess: He is. Thank you very much, Patrik, for your patience, thank you.
Patrik Hutzel: Thank you. Hello? Are you there, Tess?
Romeo: Hi, I’m here, Patrik.
Patrik Hutzel: Oh yeah, right, Romeo. When you call them, Romeo, how do you communicate with them? Who do you get on a call? Can you tell me a little bit more?
Romeo: Well, normally what I do just to check… Well, at this hospital, I used to… When she was at the other hospital, I could call the ward, the nurse would answer and give me an update if I wanted it but I would wait until Tess goes. But I was able to see that she was still there and she hasn’t been transferred to the hospital.
Patrik Hutzel: Right.
Romeo: So now, the doctor in the Critical Care Unit gives the phone number there. Well, I had rung that once and it’d ring. I rang it and that was it, I didn’t bother, I couldn’t get through. When I was up there, after I tried ringing that number, I asked them and they said, “They’re so busy in there that they’ve just got the one number for the ward.”
Patrik Hutzel: Right.
Romeo: So really, you ring the number and that’ll be the ward and she’d be there, somebody would be caring for her and somebody will answer the phone later. You just have to be patient for them to answer and someone will answer but there’s no name there.
Patrik Hutzel: Okay, all right. Look, let’s do the following, we want to get the information and I think the most likely person that can give us information is the nurse that’s in her room.
Romeo: That’s right. There are other people as well there, that’s right.
Patrik Hutzel: Is there a phone in her room?
Romeo: It’s not a private room, they put her on the ward in the Critical Care and there’s one phone available for that ward but someone’s got it, a nurse or whoever, someone’s got it.
Patrik Hutzel: Oh, you must be joking.
Romeo: No, I’m not, that’s it. Just one phone and someone’s got it. I think there are about 15 people.
Patrik Hutzel: How big is the ICU? How many beds, do you know?
Romeo: How many beds? About thirteen.
Patrik Hutzel: Okay.Look, let’s do this, let’s do the following, let’s call this number and then we’ll try and talk to the nurse and if the nurse is not available we’ll ask for a doctor and see what happens.
Romeo: Okay.
Patrik Hutzel: How do you want to introduce me? Do you want to introduce me as a professional advocate or do you want to introduce me as a family friend? Which one do you think is the better option to get information?
Romeo: Well, they won’t talk to family friends, they’re going to talk to Tess. But Tess gives her express permission for you to talk on her behalf and vice versa, and that’s it, they should accept that.
Patrik Hutzel: Yeah, okay.
Romeo: Especially when they find out who you are.
Patrik Hutzel: Yep. Right, shall we do that then?
Romeo: Okay. Yeah, I’ll pass you to Emma.
Patrik Hutzel: Right, what I’ll do is…
Tess: Sorry, we’re just passing over the microphones. So as we have it here, Rey can hear you, Romeo can hear you simultaneously on splitters and we’ve got a splitter for the headphones. And I’m speaking on a rather iffy microphone but I think you said that you can hear me all right.
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Patrik Hutzel: Yes, I can hear you.
Tess: Okay.
Patrik Hutzel: Look, what I might do as the next step, are you okay if I call you on your landline and then we call the hospital?
Tess: Yes.
Patrik Hutzel: All right.
Tess: How will we be able to do that though? Because you will have them on that side and we’ll be able to hear them or what?
Patrik Hutzel: Of course, yeah. It’s no issue, it’s just a three-way call, there’s no issue there.
Tess: Okay.
Patrik Hutzel: So I’ll just hang up, I’m just going to check your number.
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Tess: Okay.
Patrik Hutzel: Just give me a minute and I’ll call you on that number, thank you.
Tess: Thank you.
The 1:1 consulting session will continue in next week’s episode.
How can you become the best advocate for your critically ill loved one, make informed decisions, get peace of mind, control, power and influence quickly, whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care?
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- How to ask the doctors and the nurses the right questions
- Discover the many competing interests in Intensive Care and how your critically ill loved one’s treatment may depend on those competing interests
- How to Eliminate fear, frustration, stress, struggle and vulnerability even if your loved one is dying
- 5 mind blowing tips & strategies helping you to get on the right path to making informed decisions, get PEACE OF MIND, control, power and influence in your situation
- You’ll get real world examples that you can easily adapt to you and your critically ill loved one’s situation
- How to stop being intimidated by the Intensive Care team and how you will be seen as equals
- You’ll get crucial ‘behind the scenes’ insight so that you know and understand what is really happening in Intensive Care
- How you need to manage doctors and nurses in Intensive Care (it’s not what you think)
Thank you for tuning into this week’s YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED episode and I’ll see you again in another update next week!
Make sure you also check out our “blog” section for more tips and strategies or send me an email to [email protected] with your questions!
Also, have a look at our membership site INTENSIVECARESUPPORT.ORG for families of critically ill Patients in Intensive Care here.
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This is Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM and I’ll see you again next week with another update!
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