Elderly Woman falls on Gem, Security leaves passengers to treat her

[geegee1]

On our just finished Gem cruise an elderly woman fell between a bunch of loungers on the pool deck. On her way down she hit her head on the corner of the footing. As soon as she fell people jumped up to help her. I ran to call 911. The band stopped playing. When I got back from the phone, a few nurses took over and were helping the woman. From NCL only security showed up, no doctor, no nothing.

Security asked one of the nurses if they should move her out of the sun. Security was then told that it was up to the woman and her family. After the nurses had the woman stabilized, NCL finally showed up with a wheel chair to transport her off the deck. The woman's daughter asked the security officer if he was going to take the names of the people that witnessed the fall or that helped her mother. She was told, no we have it all on camera.

So if you ever fall on NCL you should hope that there are medical professionals around you who can help you. Because who knows what NCL will send.

[3XX1XY]

Yes. Cruising is definitely an "at your own risk" activity. It's fairly obvious if you read through the cruise documentation that if you get injured on board or on shore, you are fairly SOL. Most ships have a doc... but the last cruise we were on he only had hours from 3pm-6pm.... think about that for a second... Scary, right? I mean, what kind of doc works 3 hours a day, on a cruise ship? What are her credentials? Did she go to medical school in the USA or in some 3rd world country? What is she doing when it's not 3-6pm? Sitting at a bar getting plastered? Banging on a boiler in the boiler room? Serving sushi?

 

SCARY.

 

The fact is... There are no EMTs on board. They don't really have a medical staff. The best they have is a nurse and some kind of doctor who are probably more for the staff than the passengers who are also cross trained in other crew jobs. I mean think about this for a second.. they don't even have a lifeguard posted because they don't want to pay a specially trained professional to fill that position, or pay to cross train staff to be lifegaurds to make sure kids don't drown... what makes you think they have a nurse or EMT on board?

[Keith1010]

I'm confused. Were the nurses passengers or nurses from NCL?

 

Keith

[geegee1]

I'm confused. Were the nurses passengers or nurses from NCL?

 

Keith

 

Nurses were fellow passengers. No NCL medical personnel at all.

[mjkacmom]

Yes. Cruising is definitely an "at your own risk" activity. It's fairly obvious if you read through the cruise documentation that if you get injured on board or on shore, you are fairly SOL. Most ships have a doc... but the last cruise we were on he only had hours from 3pm-6pm.... think about that for a second... Scary, right? I mean, what kind of doc works 3 hours a bday, on a cruise ship? What are her credentials? Did she go to medical school in the USA or in some 3rd world country? What is she doing when it's not 3-6pm? Sitting at a bar getting plastered? Banging on a boiler in the boiler room? Serving sushi?

 

SCARY.

 

The fact is... There are no EMTs on board. They don't really have a medical staff. The best they have is a nurse and some kind of doctor who are probably more for the staff than the passengers who are also cross trained in other crew jobs. I mean think about this for a second.. they don't even have a lifeguard posted because they don't want to pay a specially trained professional to fill that position, or pay to cross train staff to be lifegaurds to make sure kids don't drown... what makes you think they have a nurse or EMT on board?

 

The lack of lifeguards is most likely an insurance and liability risk - swim at you own risk. I'm all pretty certain that if there is a medical emergency onboard, the doctor will treat it - he's obviously on the ship most of the time.

[Keith1010]

Sorry to hear that.

 

I would have thought that a doctor and nurse would be sent to help.

 

Also that security would interview the person.

 

And possibly some witnesses although not sure if the latter is required.

 

Keith

[luddite]

This wasn't a security issue.

[hawkeyetlse]

Most ships have a doc... but the last cruise we were on he only had hours from 3pm-6pm.... think about that for a second... Scary, right? I mean, what kind of doc works 3 hours a day, on a cruise ship? What are her credentials? Did she go to medical school in the USA or in some 3rd world country? What is she doing when it's not 3-6pm? Sitting at a bar getting plastered? Banging on a boiler in the boiler room? Serving sushi?

The opening hours of the medical center are just that, the opening hours of the medical center. It does not mean that the medical staff is not working and that medical treatment is unavailable outside of those hours. (It does mean, however, that they get to charge you inflated "after hours" rates if you require treatment outside of their walk-in hours, and I suspect that is one big reason why the listed hours are so limited :mad:)

 

As for their credentials, you should ask on board. I am sure they are fully qualified, but yes there is probably a reason they are working on a cruise ship and not serving as the head of the Mayo Clinic. (It's the same reason why your family doctor is your family doctor and not the head of the Mayo Clinic, either.)

[geegee1]

It would be interesting to know exactly how the 911 call went. I had the unfortunate situation to be close to a code alpha twice and they absolutely know what they are doing. So the only conclusion is that it wasn't treated as a medical emergency.

 

Or how the safety officer said there is the guests idea of an emergency and the real emergency.

 

This is how it went. I am paraphrasing what I said to the 911 operator, but this is the gist of it.

 

Me: "An elderly lady fell on the pool deck between the the family jacuzzi and band stand. She hit her head on a chair and you need to send someone now"

 

Operator: "Where?"

 

Me: I repeat what I said.

 

Operator: "Is she unconscious?"

 

Me: "I don't know, she went head first."

 

Operator: "OK. They're on their way."

 

The "they" was one security officer.

[NurseDave]

I am sure they are fully qualified, but yes there is probably a reason they are working on a cruise ship and not serving as the head of the Mayo Clinic. (It's the same reason why your family doctor is your family doctor and not the head of the Mayo Clinic, either.)

 

Ah, assumptions, assumptions....

[SuiteCruiser]

We had the exact same situation happen on the Sky on the Jan 22nd cruise. It happened right behind me and passengers jumped to assist the woman. An ER doctor happened to be in the crowd and sat with her and a nurse as well. No one called for help initially, a security person came by to check and then called and we heard the announcement and minutes later the medical team came with a stretcher to take her to the infirmary. She ended up disembarking and going to the hospital in Nassau.

 

Your experience on the Gem sounds like the 911 operators dropped the ball, and then the security staff didn't think it was an emergency, so also dropped the ball.

[luvtheships]

On our just finished Gem cruise an elderly woman fell between a bunch of loungers on the pool deck. On her way down she hit her head on the corner of the footing. As soon as she fell people jumped up to help her. I ran to call 911. The band stopped playing. When I got back from the phone, a few nurses took over and were helping the woman. From NCL only security showed up, no doctor, no nothing.

 

Security asked one of the nurses if they should move her out of the sun. Security was then told that it was up to the woman and her family. After the nurses had the woman stabilized, NCL finally showed up with a wheel chair to transport her off the deck. The woman's daughter asked the security officer if he was going to take the names of the people that witnessed the fall or that helped her mother. She was told, no we have it all on camera.

 

So if you ever fall on NCL you should hope that there are medical professionals around you who can help you. Because who knows what NCL will send.

 

 

What are you trying to say? Ncl came with the wheelchair so ....they did show up....and where do you think they took her? Either to medical or to her cabin if that's what she insisted on

 

Cameras names? How do you know the woman's family didn't do that? Why do you think they should? Do you think Ncl is negligent because the woman fell on her own accord?

 

Did she slip? Was the decking cracked making her fall?

 

Really....the first responders stabilized her as is their duty as doctors/nurses etc...and Ncl wheeled her away

 

If the woman sues Ncl...Ncl is correct they have it on tape....so Ncl is protected

 

If the woman's family wanted names that's their responsibility

 

I dont understand why it's upsetting to you that someone fell on the pool deck.....unless you saw Ncl being negligent....and that's why they fell...and you do not even hint at that in your post.

[luvtheships]

This wasn't a security issue.

 

 

It might not even have been a serious medical issue

 

 

The poster uses the term "stabilized" but does that mean they stopped bleeding or just helped her to get back up and checked for bruises?

 

I think this poster is just making mountains where they aren't

Edited February 22, 2016 by luvtheships

[LrgPizza]

What are you trying to say? Ncl came with the wheelchair so ....they did show up....and where do you think they took her? Either to medical or to her cabin if that's what she insisted on

 

Cameras names? How do you know the woman's family didn't do that? Why do you think they should? Do you think Ncl is negligent because the woman fell on her own accord?

 

Did she slip? Was the decking cracked making her fall?

 

Really....the first responders stabilized her as is their duty as doctors/nurses etc...and Ncl wheeled her away

 

If the woman sues Ncl...Ncl is correct they have it on tape....so Ncl is protected

 

If the woman's family wanted names that's their responsibility

 

I dont understand why it's upsetting to you that someone fell on the pool deck.....unless you saw Ncl being negligent....and that's why they fell...and you do not even hint at that in your post.

I was thinking the same as you. The woman fell, help was called, NCL showed up with a wheelchair... I guess the OP is upset that medical personnel didn't happen to be standing beside her when she fell?

[luvtheships]

I was thinking the same as you. The woman fell, help was called, NCL showed up with a wheelchair... I guess the OP is upset that medical personnel didn't happen to be standing beside her when she fell?

 

 

Imagine if the op were on the jan22 cruise? [emoji79]

[Budget Queen]

This post is way out of line. There is SO much that is being "assumed" with none of you, knowing the FACTS. Claiming a MD is only "available" 3 hours a day- (tells a lot about this thinking) how WRONG you are. they actually are "on call" 24 hours / day. ANYONE, can "call" and be seen by health care, and they will open the office, at any time. YES you pay a premium, and will be accessed, if the service is "necessary".

 

Yes it would have taken time to get a wheelchair. You think they are on every deck? multiple areas? NOPE. And you KNOW all that responded? Really?

[jh2360]

Sorry to hear that.

 

I would have thought that a doctor and nurse would be sent to help.

 

Also that security would interview the person.

 

And possibly some witnesses although not sure if the latter is required.

 

Keith

 

Cruise ships don't have enough medical staff to send out doctors and nurses. Just like back on land. Security is trained as a first responder and they are supposed to get the patient to the infirmary for care.

[luvtheships]

This is how it went. I am paraphrasing what I said to the 911 operator, but this is the gist of it.

 

 

 

Me: "An elderly lady fell on the pool deck between the the family jacuzzi and band stand. She hit her head on a chair and you need to send someone now"

 

 

 

Operator: "Where?"

 

 

 

Me: I repeat what I said.

 

 

 

Operator: "Is she unconscious?"

 

 

 

Me: "I don't know, she went head first."

 

 

 

Operator: "OK. They're on their way."

 

 

 

The "they" was one security officer.

 

 

Wrong!! They were on their way....because a wheelchair did showed up

 

What did you expect? A chopper for a medivac?

 

I'm serious....what did you expect them to do? They showed up with a wheelchair ftlog and just because it wasn't as quick as YOU think it should have been doesn't mean they dropped the ball

 

When anyone falls on land sea or anywhere they are fortunate if a first responder is close by...because....do you really want someone with no medical training touching you? Possibly paralyzingly you? Possibly making your injury worse?

 

In the case you describe ....if there were no medical professionals around....then what happens is....someone calls 911....but NEVER does anyone other than the patients immediate family touch them....others can and should help and touch the patient only if the patient asks for help and can obviously get up on their own with just a little help to steady them.

[luvtheships]

Cruise ships don't have enough medical staff to send out doctors and nurses. Just like back on land. Security is trained as a first responder and they are supposed to get the patient to the infirmary for care.

 

 

And they did

 

I'm sure it was crew that wheeled her away

[geegee1]

What are you trying to say? Ncl came with the wheelchair so ....they did show up....and where do you think they took her? Either to medical or to her cabin if that's what she insisted on

 

NCL came with a wheelchair around 10 to 15 minutes after she fell. The fact that an medical emergency was called in and no medical personnel from the ship showed up is pretty lacking on NCL's part.

 

Really....the first responders stabilized her as is their duty as doctors/nurses etc...and Ncl wheeled her away

 

They weren't first responders working on the ship, they were people who work in the medical community on vacation who jumped in to help. Also only some states require that they help in an accident. Since NCL Gem is not a flagged US ship they probably had no legal duty to do so.

 

If the woman's family wanted names that's their responsibility

 

The woman's family asked the security guard to take names and was told that it wasn't needed.

[NLH Arizona]

The woman's family asked the security guard to take names and was told that it wasn't needed.

If the family is intending on claiming it was NCL's fault, wouldn't it be the family's responsibility to collect the names of witnesses, not NCL's security.

[ChicagoBarb]

 

As for their credentials, you should ask on board. I am sure they are fully qualified, but yes there is probably a reason they are working on a cruise ship and not serving as the head of the Mayo Clinic. (It's the same reason why your family doctor is your family doctor and not the head of the Mayo Clinic, either.)

 

I am sure on a ship a well as on land some doctors are more qualified than others.

 

I was on a cruise years ago when the staff mingled with passengers more than they do now. I met the ship's doctor who happened to be an emergency doctor from New York City. He said he needed a break from the ER and chose to work on a ship for one or two contracts.

 

This is not to say that the doctors are all top notch but he was certainly qualified to work on a ship after being in a NYC ER.

[luvtheships]

NCL came with a wheelchair around 10 to 15 minutes after she fell. The fact that an medical emergency was called in and no medical personnel from the ship showed up is pretty lacking on NCL's part.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They weren't first responders working on the ship, they were people who work in the medical community on vacation who jumped in to help. Also only some states require that they help in an accident. Since NCL Gem is not a flagged US ship they probably had no legal duty to do so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The woman's family asked the security guard to take names and was told that it wasn't needed.

 

 

I understand the first responders were pax and that they did what they knew they should do but they were at the scene so they jumped up....are you suggesting Ncl should have a doctor or nurse stationed on the pool deck? Are you suggesting the deck crew should have forbidden the first responders to help the patient? That they ...the deck crew...were better trained? While crew may have basic medical training in certain areas....pax that are doctors and nurses are better...and they crew knew that and acquiesced to their training...as they should ...so bravo to deck crew

 

10-15 minutes is nothing and actually quite quick

 

Medical help from Ncl did show up...in the form of a wheelchair with trained crew....I bet the guy wheeling the chair knows Cpr and can take a pulse and stop external bleeding. You have no clue how much training they have

 

Also you have yet to describe the pax injuries

 

Was there blood? Broken limbs? Ok you say she hit her head but did she blackout? Was she unable to talk? Walk? Or was it just an elderly person who experienced that dreaded fall we are all so afraid will happen and we will break a hip? She hit her head but was it the hit like a bump on the refrigerator door kind or the kind that happens if you slip on ice and hit the cement? Big difference. Was the woman screaming from the fall or just embarrassed she needs help to get back up?

 

I understand you were upset seeing an elderly pax fall....but she fell...ok....and nearby pax happened to be medically proficient...another good thing....you called 911 and they responded with a wheelchair and crew that was considered capable of transporting her....and as I said you do not know that particular crew members medical credentials....

 

You say you think pictures should have been take ? Um ok...well that's up to the family isn't it? Has nothing to do with you

 

 

I also think the woman's family was shaken up as well and probably started talking to you as you made the 911 call...you sympathized with them and they with you.....

 

And.....lastly.....with all of you elaborating and reiterating on the fall or what might or might not have caused it.....somehow it came back to Ncl could be the cause

 

 

I'm no Ncl cheerleader and at the moment I am very upset about what I read about the January 22 cruise.....but seriously...as I posted before.....you are making mountains where they dont exist.

[rigs32]

I'm not sure why the family wanted witness names for any reason other than to sue NCL after the fact. NCL isn't going to help them with that by collecting the names.

[Carrickbeg]

A few years back, my Mother was having pain in her ankle while on the Gem. I called the Medical number and they brought up a wheelchair, took her to the medical area and gave her xray's etc. I personally sat with her while the doctor talked to her. Oh, and he was a young very professional gentleman from Australia. Hardly a hack. No, I would not let him operate on me, but he was well able to assess the situation and decide what to do. I am sure they did in this case. Hopefully, the poor woman was okay.