No Obstacle Too Big to Get Patient Care He Needed

Thanks to the collaboration, creativity, and dedication of the Progressive Care Unit (PCU) team at Chester County Hospital, patients have been able to receive optimal care, even during challenging pandemic times. PCU nurse Kristin Fogleman, BSN, knows this first hand.

Earlier this year, a patient was brought to CCH after a close neighbor and friend realized they hadn’t heard from him in a while and called 9-1-1. He had a poor prognosis and unsteady mental state. Upon arrival he said he did not have any family members or a point of care representative.

“We determined the patient should be transferred to the inpatient hospice unit to receive the proper care, but he was unable to sign the necessary consent form due to his disoriented mental state,” Fogelman said. “Without a contact to make medical decisions, our hands were tied.”

During hospitalization, the patient became confused and began calling out the name of his sister. Fortunately, the nurses and palliative care team were able to speak with him and he was able to confirm that his sister would be a good point of care representative.

Julie Mackay, BSN, was finally able to get contact information for the patient’s sister, but since she wasn’t listed as the point of care person, “we weren’t able to give her much information about her brother’s health,” Fogelman said.  In addition, his sister lived in Maryland and was unable to travel. Nor did she have access to a fax machine.

Hospice liaison Barbara Pierce suggested contacting the police barracks in Maryland that was closest to the sister’s residence. The paperwork was then faxed to the station and the patient’s sister was able to sign the forms and fax them back.

“It took a couple days, but we were able to get the patient to the inpatient hospice unit in a timely manner,” Fogelman said. “We work so well as a team that we were able to overcome the additional obstacles while remaining calm and finding a solution to provide the patient with the best possible care.

“We will always do what’s best for our patients, no matter what’s going on around us.”