Breast Health Center at Iowa Lutheran Hospital

My mother is currently in Iowa Lutheran Hospital, and has been for 12 days for complications from diabetes. Today she had her second surgery to repair damage to her foot, and for the first time we had a quality of care issue with the nursing staff.



My mother had a skin graft done at 10:00 am, and this evening around 6:30 she turned her call light on for assistance to the bathroom. My father was with her, and after her first call was terminated with a "I'll be right there" the call light was turned off. Several minutes later, she called for help again, and my father timed the light. 17 minutes later, there was still no response, and my father, who is also elderly, helped my mother to the bathroom, with her iv, and the drainage apparatus connected to her foot.



In the past few years, my mother has been a patient on at least seven occasions, and for the first time I am seriously concerned regarding her safety in the hospital. She is also for the first time, on a geriatric care floor, reflecting poorly on the value placed on elderly patients.



I am very dissatisfied with the response, and hope that this was an isolated incident, however, the staff response was not reassuring in any way. I have noted the names of the nurse and the tech responsible for my mothers care, and plan to follow up when the administrative offices open on Monday.