The only reason this review has a two stars is because of a few of the nursing staff who were professional and empathetic.
We have just been through our 2nd stay in Terrebonne General with my Dad. He was in ICU the first time and had a very long stay and was in a regular room for this 2nd stay, where he passed away.
CARE?: I think it is fair to say that the care at Terrebonne General is hit or miss. You might get professionals who care, and you might not, and you had better be on top of your loved one's care, because without you, they might not get the attention they deserve much less the attention they need.
I often felt that we were disturbing the people at the nursing station when we approached to ask for small things like extra towels to wash my Dad's face, for example, or for someone to come and shut off an alarm that kept pinging loudly because a medication was finished dripping, or when he called to ask someone to cut up his meal, or in the extreme, for someone to respond to a call to clean him after a bm (not pleasant but especially not pleasant for him). He could not move and we weren't allowed to move him because of his picc-line or we would have done many things ourselves.
We do understand that the teams are busy with other patients and are not available on the spur of the moment for every patient, but I do not feel we were ever overly demanding or that our requests were excessive or harshly made.
DOCTORS?: Since we've been through stays at Terrebonne General twice, I think I can attest that there is very slow, if not poor communication between the doctors and staff. As we came to understand, there are doctors that are "attached" to the hospital and those are the ones you must have to get any consistent attention or communication, even if you would prefer to use a physician of your choosing. It felt very much like, "you need to play along to get along" and that is just not what you need when you and your loved one are fighting for their life. Too much politics for a small hospital in a small town.
BOTTOM LINE?: You must always be on top of the care you or your family receives in any hospital but especially in Terrebonne General. If your patient is an elderly patient, make sure someone is there everyday making sure they are being cared for and someone is speaking up for them. Wipe down your room and all the accessories with the alcohol wipes they provide in the hallways. You can be your own germ fighting team. Do not accept everything the hospital tells you. Ask lots of questions and follow your gut about the answers you receive. Do your research and speak up.
If you have a choice, you may want to go to another regional hospital or New Orleans.
