Single sex wards in hospital

dreamdaisy

There's a phone-in on the radio this morning about single sex wards in hospital. I must say it's never bothered me whether a ward is mixed or not, but having said that the only time I was on a mixed one I was too ill to care. Is it that important? Are there issues of dignity involved, or does dignity go out of the window when you are in hospital anyway? I have to go to work now - your thoughts would be interesting tho. DD

carola

What a good discussion topic.

I would prefer single sex wards.

When you are ill you feel very vulnerable and some females would maybe feel intimidated sharing a room with males.

Most males phart and scratch - yuk!

Sorry Gentlemen hahahaha

Seriously, I would just feel more comfortable in a same sex ward.

Carol

skezier

Hi DD,

Well less its ITU or similar its still single sexed rooms even if its a mixed ward so for me its not a brother. I don't think I would mind if they did have men in the same room after all they do use the curtains don't they?

I am never quite sure why they do it though but with beds at a premium I think it might get more common. We did have a guy in for a couple of days when I first had the drip, he and I were the only ones who could hold any kind of conversation....... Oh DD there was this old lady who sadly had gone back in her mind to childhood..... I woke up around 3 and she was standing by the bed.... soon as I opened my eyes she said ' can in to bed with you'.......... I got her back to her own and thankfully they put me in the rest room after that! I used to pop back in everyday cus clearly thought she knew me. Used to read her a story and let her talk.

I often wonder what happened to her actually. She was a lovely lady as long as you remembered in her mind she was back in time. Course it has nothing to do with mixed wards....... xx

joanlawson

I agree with Carol that when in hospital, you feel vulnerable, and there is a certain loss of dignity in any case. Curtains round beds don't always meet, and when asleep, you might well push the covers back without realising. I would not like the added worry of a man in the next bed at a time like that.

At a time of cut-backs in hospitals, I can't see how mixed-sex wards are going to be abolished in the near future. But would Mrs.Cameron or Mrs.Clegg like to be in one of them :?: I doubt it very much.

Not all mixed-sex wards are as you have described, Cris. My friend was put on one of the old-fashioned ones, and she had a man immediately next to her. As she is elderly, it really offended her dignity.

julie47

I would prefer a ward of all women, Men leave the toilet seat up. (not my man , he is trained )

Julie pf
xx

angel1

I`ve only been in hospital once, for my TKR, and was in a small four bedded ward for women. Next door was a sort of sitting room, then a four bedded mens ward. I liked this. Complete privacy when I needed it, but was able to socialise whenever I felt like...Ange.

dreamdaisy

I have been in and out of hospital, and always on mixed wards, come to think of it, but all the wards at my hospital are split: the nurses station is central, then the bit to the right of that is for men, the bit to the left for women. Occasionally an older inhabitant would wander into the wrong bit and have to be shepherded to the right bit, but that didn't happen often.

My dad's last days on this earth were spent in his local hospital, on a male-only ward, and the biggest probelm there was a man who had been turned out of long-care for Alzheimer's. He was a blasted nuisance, wandering about, talking, shouting and hitting people. He was in totally the wrong place, a cancer ward with extremely ill and dying people, but there was no other room for him, anywhere in the county. I was torn between great pity and absolute fury as he again and again disturbed our last hours together. That, to me, is a far greater problem than the genders sharing a room. Oh, carola? Women scratch and phart too, but in a more genteel fashion! DD

oneday

I dont agree with them and like a poster has said you wouldnt find MPs wives having to endure it.
When youre ill and struggling out of bed the last thing you want to have to start worrying about is trying to make sure your gown etc is covering you properly. Also say you need a wee and cant get up,curtains not covering you enough, i think its undignified.
Then say someone is a peeping tom!!
No it should be single wards.
I remember once i heard a male pateint asking the nurse BEFORE his op if he could have sex soon after!! I dont want to hear that. He didnt ask any proper questions like recovery just that.
The worst bit i have found is older delirious people who happen to be in single rooms! but with doors open shouting nurse all bl@@dy night! and waking everyone up. I cant get out of hospital fast enough because lack of sleep makes me feel iller.

dreamdaisy

Of course he asked the nurse about sex! - people ask about what is important to them, not what is necessarily practical! What is it with the Brits and prudishness? All that kerfuffle under a beach towel when one is changing: why? Never understood it myself. I suppose when one is ill, however, vulnerability does come into play, it is a different situation then. DD

carola

Being a woman, at least my pharts are nicely perfumed

Apologies for lowering the tone ...... of DD's thread NOT the tone of our parps

frogmorton

This has made me laugh, but I am a very private person myself and do not want to share any kind of space with men who I dont know when I am not fully dressed.

I refused the assistance of a male nurse when I was in hospital having had my back op. I dont like it :? :oops: :oops: :oops: Physios are ok as i am dressed then

To be honest I wish I was rich as i would rather be alone full stop!! I find it difficult to sleep in that environment which is why I have discharged myself 3 times..... :oops:

Dont like it!!

Love

Toni xx

Who is the vile pateint from hell

oneday

dreamdaisy wrote:

Of course he asked the nurse about sex! - people ask about what is important to them, not what is necessarily practical! What is it with the Brits and prudishness? All that kerfuffle under a beach towel when one is changing: why? Never understood it myself. I suppose when one is ill, however, vulnerability does come into play, it is a different situation then. DD

Hi DD
arent you a Brit then? guess we are prudish but I feel its more of being dignified and respect.

joanlawson

I agree with DD about the problems associated with patients suffering from dementia ( a bit off-topic, I know, but it is another problem in hospitals )

My father had dementia, and he had to go into hospital for an operation. He was on an ordinary general ward, and I felt very sorry for all the other patients around him. Because of his illness, he became even more confused and agitated, and although he wasn't aggressive, some of the other patients felt intimidated by him. I spent the whole time apologising to them, and explaining that his behaviour was caused by his illness. This placed an extra burden of worry on my shoulders. In an ageing population, this kind of situation is going to arise more and more.

oneday

frogmorton wrote:

This has made me laugh, but I am a very private person myself and do not want to share any kind of space with men who I dont know when I am not fully dressed.

I refused the assistance of a male nurse when I was in hospital having had my back op. I dont like it :? :oops: :oops: :oops: Physios are ok as i am dressed then

To be honest I wish I was rich as i would rather be alone full stop!! I find it difficult to sleep in that environment which is why I have discharged myself 3 times..... :oops:

Dont like it!!

Love

Toni xx

Who is the vile pateint from hell

oneday

Toni, for some reason I cant put a reply onto your thread! yes, i wouldnt have male medic near me, well near my bits!!

dreamdaisy

Yes oneday, I am a Brit: I just don't understand why people tie themselves up in knots over this. I don't give a damn about the gender of the nurse who's treating me: what matters is the standard of their nursing. I have had some excellent male nurses (try writing this without double entendres! - British humour at its worst!) and some absolutely rubbish female ones. Give me the good ones every time, regardless of gender, race or creed. it matters not: I'm sick, I need care and I want good care. I also figure that they have seen it all before, in spades, and just don't 'see' things anymore. I have other things to worry about - like getting out of hospital PDQ and home, where the true healing can begin! I'm with you on that one, frogmorton! DD

cthornley

most of my inpatient visits to hospital have been in truly female situations obs and gyny...when i had my son & had complications & when I had a ovarian cyst so there were no mixed wards...and the only other time I had a proper stay was when I had meningitis and I was on the isolation ward which was very weird as it was an outbreak in my accommodation block at uni so I knew everybody on the ward with me as we all lived together anyway lol
But on each occasion when I was really quite ill I couldn't give a monkeys who was around me, men women, monkeys....once i do start to care, I'm out of there. I hate hospital beds, the noise and the kerfuffle I just want to go home to my house. Its one of the joys of having a hubby for a doctor its meant I got discharged to his care a few times after day procedures as he's considered responsible ha ha ha :roll:
Chrissie

dreamdaisy

hee-hee! DD

frogmorton

rehab44 wrote:

Do you have to be single to get on one of these sex wards then?

:roll:

tkachev

I prefer single sex wards. I dread to think what I was flashing when I had my hip done- knickers were a no no with my cathatar! Mind you I wasnt too bothered about the cathartar but really it cant be very nice for your visitors.
Also the nurse always chose to perform some medical exam when visitors were due. I had some electro things put on me and despite the notices about when curtains were pinned closed that means do not enter Im afraid they did!

Elizabeth

frogmorton

Oh Elizabeth :shock:

Poor you :oops:

tonesp

Our new hospital here doesn't have wards only rooms and it is a public hospital

joanlawson

tonesp wrote:

Our new hospital here doesn't have wards only rooms and it is a public hospital

Are there any disadvantages at all to living in Spain, or should I pack my bags tonight :?:

tonesp

joanlawson wrote:

tonesp wrote:

Our new hospital here doesn't have wards only rooms and it is a public hospital

Are there any disadvantages at all to living in Spain, or should I pack my bags tonight :?:

Quite most of all other Brits who think it's England with sun Don't like lager or Spanish food However some great chinese and super tapas bars.The quality of the food in the markets is second to none The weather where we live is interesting to say the least Up to +40 in the summer down to -7 in the winter.I have learned Spanish and it really makes a difference.Health service great and uncrowded roads make driving a pleasure.Only 6 hours drive to Provence and some of the best food in the world

dreamdaisy

Emigrate, yes, but have the courtesy to learn the lingo and the laws. Brits who are repossessed/lose the house/whatever only have themselves to blame: it's not rocket science to realise that another country's laws will be different to ours. DD