![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Squiggles on December 28, 2005, at 21:09:49
I was not sure whether to post this to
"grief" or here. I decided to post here
because Mabel was not my relative. Nevertheless,
I knew her from my husband's family for many
years and she used to come to our place for
brunch and afternoon crosswords and animal
petting. She was a great musician, a very
gentle, witty person, a secretary in Braille,
and blind all her life. Her last years were
at the Salvation Army where her health declined.She died December 5th.
The reason I post here is because I am so
********* off at the way the government
handled her or should i say mishandled her
case. She was in need of higher medical care
with organ failure, Alzheimer's and strokes.
They twiddled their thumbs or there was no
space -- whatever -- a higher placed citizen
would have had better care I am sure.Then there was the hospital, where I almost
walloped the nurse (one of the nurses) where
she in an ambulatory state with crumbled
pills in her mouth, they could not figure out
how to give her some water - some water please.
I was stroking her feet and and her forehead,
and the nurse said she was hot. She was cold
as ice - is this possible? Did the nurse
mean she was hot as in sexy? hot as in a babe?
at 84 years of age... ****!I am in despair over what I have seen in
our health care system, and I expect our
boomer generation can expect worse. Perhaps
the government in its infinite wisdom can
give something along the lines of "dignity" -
it may be more affordable.Squiggles
Posted by Declan on December 29, 2005, at 13:13:06
In reply to Mabel's death, posted by Squiggles on December 28, 2005, at 21:09:49
It's awful, isn't it?
I had a friend die recently at age 84 and there was the same sort of thing. She was saved from the worst only with difficulty.
The most easily recounted thing was when she fell one night smashing her kneecap. After waiting 8 hours in casualty she was told to go home at 2am (at least there was someone to drive her) and come back next morning. So when she had to get up at night it was with great difficult and at risk to herself.
The way our most vulnerable are treated reflects on us all, but it didn't surprise my friend, who always knew that some people count and some people don't. She died a year ago and I miss her.
Declan
Posted by Squiggles on December 29, 2005, at 13:23:31
In reply to Re: Mabel's death, posted by Declan on December 29, 2005, at 13:13:06
> It's awful, isn't it?
>
> I had a friend die recently at age 84 and there was the same sort of thing. She was saved from the worst only with difficulty.
>
> The most easily recounted thing was when she fell one night smashing her kneecap. After waiting 8 hours in casualty she was told to go home at 2am (at least there was someone to drive her) and come back next morning. So when she had to get up at night it was with great difficult and at risk to herself.
>
> The way our most vulnerable are treated reflects on us all, but it didn't surprise my friend, who always knew that some people count and some people don't. She died a year ago and I miss her.
>
> Declan
I wish I had done more. I'm sorry about your
friend. I think elderly people in particular
are discharged from the hospital too soon; that
happened to Mabel, and the reason for that is
the cut on beds (i think the Liberals are
responsible in our country). I am hoping that
more money will go to *caring* for sick people
rather than high-tech investments. I think
Mabel could have lived much longer if the
government had provided for a higher level
nursing home for her. When it came it was
too little too late. If it were not for the
Salvation Army I don't know where she would have
been. Surely, a government like ours which
boasts of its public health care system, and
high quality of life, should not have to
be shamed by the Salvation Army and Charities for their job in caring for seniors.Squiggles
Posted by Declan on December 29, 2005, at 14:58:23
In reply to Re: Mabel's death, posted by Squiggles on December 29, 2005, at 13:23:31
So you're from Canada then?
It's like you say....my friend ended up in a Lutheran hospice, just escaping a commercial outfit with the disconcerting name of Sunnymead. At least there she had *some* proper medical attention. Her twin sister was not so lucky. Within a month of being at Sunnymead she'd broken 2 hips (on seperate occasions) trying to escape.
I'm hopeful babyboomers won't put up with this sort of treatment, but just how this will work out, I've no idea.
Declan
Posted by Squiggles on December 29, 2005, at 15:12:01
In reply to Re: Mabel's death » Squiggles, posted by Declan on December 29, 2005, at 14:58:23
Yes, I am Canadian. I wonder what percentage
here is. In the United States you probably have
a much more varied situation from State to State
in health care. I think that our government
is much more centralized in health care policy
and of course the population is much smaller
and more homogeneous. The North is a different
story.I am not sure what it is like in the US regarding
senior citizen support and care. We are led to
believe here that we are the best country in
the world, or close to, when it comes to health
care. But I don't believe it. What I have seen
is that if you are rich you get to choose
superiour services, and that applies to
politicians. The socialist dream of public
health care is a cherished ideological dream
which escapes harsh monetary and social realities.P.S. What is Sunnymead?
Squiggles
Posted by Declan on December 29, 2005, at 16:36:41
In reply to Re: Mabel's death, posted by Squiggles on December 29, 2005, at 15:12:01
Hi Squiggles
No, I'm from Australia.
Sunnymead is an old people's home.
I recently watched a pretty good Canadian film called "The Barbarian Invasions", which involved the Canadian heath system and the assisted death of a cancer sufferer amongst other things. It was in French too (English subtitles), which was nice.
Declan
Posted by Squiggles on December 29, 2005, at 17:12:34
In reply to Re: Mabel's death, posted by Declan on December 29, 2005, at 16:36:41
I've heard of it; I'll see if it's in the
video stores. Sounds like preparatory
material for the shape of things to come.Squiggles
Posted by Squiggles on January 1, 2006, at 16:18:29
In reply to Re: Mabel's death, posted by Declan on December 29, 2005, at 16:36:41
> Hi Squiggles
>
> No, I'm from Australia.
>
> Sunnymead is an old people's home.
>
> I recently watched a pretty good Canadian film called "The Barbarian Invasions", which involved the Canadian heath system and the assisted death of a cancer sufferer amongst other things. It was in French too (English subtitles), which was nice.
>
> DeclanI just saw it - there was a previous one to this;
very good film - not Westmount but it hit
close to home :-)I particularly liked the Catholic wafer part
which is so French; when I was at the Jewish
General, I saw the rabbi in his black shiny
outfit, like a black bird, entering the ER
where a trio of weeping women were waiting
his arrival. The Anglos are very different.
I married an Anglo.Squiggles
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Politics | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.