Elderly Care

[Guest guest]

Actually, I felt terrible afterward since

I had no right to yell in the ICU and disturb other patients – although none

of them seemed to even notice LOL!

After I fired the son-of-a-bitch, the

nurse explained that I had just left my father without an attending physician.

She contacted a doctor friend of hers that we put on the record till I could

figure out what to do. Unfortunately, my Dad passed that night.

The next day, I got a call from the county

medical examiner’s office asking why I had fired the attending doctor.

Apparently, they got wind of the story and wanted to know what had caused me to

do that. I didn’t want to say something about the doctor that could come

back to bite me you-know-where so I just said that we had a difference of

opinion, which was true. HE thought he was a competent physician and I thought

he was an asshole. Turned out he was what-the-nurses-called a “nursing

home kingpin” in the area. He just ran the homes like mills with the

elderly passing through without a thought about their care.

There are many caring people in these

facilities, but not enough. If anyone has family in that type of situation,

please take the time to visit them. Not only will it brighten their day, but

you can insure that they’re being cared for properly. People that no one

visits don’t go unnoticed by the staff and they are the ones that

probably get the least care in some situations. I always made it a point to

bring the attendants little gifts too. It shouldn’t be like this and I

know it’s not everywhere, but all caregivers are not kind and caring.

Dorothy

From: Hepatitis_C_Central [mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ] On Behalf Of SHARON CROSBY

Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008

2:44 PM

To: Hepatitis_C_Central

Subject: Re:

Re: thinking of bailing

I DO remember candy-stripers!! I took the very first

nurse-aide training class offered in Missoula

Montana in the 60's. The

volunteers wore pink stripes, we wore blue ones in a pinafore type of

uniform. I enjoyed the work, but was in bad emotional shape during those

years and had 3 small sons at home., didn't last long, but I've continued to go

back to people care and have now settled with the elderly. They are truly

a vulnerable group and not near enough people care about them.

Good for you, standing up to a doc. THey're used to God-like

handling and can get very insensitive.

Sharon in NW Washington