The Post Icon says it all......

[Spectacle]

So angry right now that I need to rant....

My 87 year old Bamper (Grandpa) fell out of bed Friday morning and ended up having to go to the emergency room at the NorthEast Community Health Centre. They gave him some soup but one side of his face was entirely numb and he couldn't eat the soup. So they thought he had a stroke.
Turns out, it was his diabetes. His blood was at a 2 so any lower and they said he'd have been in a coma. Diabetes is no walk in the park, but I am definitely grateful that it wasn't a stroke.

He was to be transferred to the Royal Alex at 5pm on Saturday because they said he needed a blood transfusion. They found out he has pneumonia as well.

Well, he got transferred to the emergency room at the Royal Alex at 6pm on Saturday. It took FIVE hours for him to even be looked at. And guess what??? HE'S STILL IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.

An 87year old WW2 Veteran that is/was near-coma state that is in need of a blood transfusion and also has pneumonia is just lying there.... waiting.

My Aunt has been with him this whole time and she is absolutely furious. She told us "I never want to see another f-ing drunk or ------ again."




I edited out what she really said because I know it'll be offensive to some.

[Swivel Hips]

Re: The Post Icon says it all......

So angry right now that I need to rant....

My 87 year old Bamper (Grandpa) fell out of bed Friday morning and ended up having to go to the emergency room at the NorthEast Community Health Centre. They gave him some soup but one side of his face was entirely numb and he couldn't eat the soup. So they thought he had a stroke.
Turns out, it was his diabetes. His blood was at a 2 so any lower and they said he'd have been in a coma. Diabetes is no walk in the park, but I am definitely grateful that it wasn't a stroke.

He was to be transferred to the Royal Alex at 5pm on Saturday because they said he needed a blood transfusion. They found out he has pneumonia as well.

Well, he got transferred to the emergency room at the Royal Alex at 6pm on Saturday. It took FIVE hours for him to even be looked at. And guess what??? HE'S STILL IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.

An 87year old WW2 Veteran that is/was near-coma state that is in need of a blood transfusion and also has pneumonia is just lying there.... waiting.

My Aunt has been with him this whole time and she is absolutely furious. She told us "I never want to see another f-ing drunk or ------ again."




I edited out what she really said because I know it'll be offensive to some.

I'll bet she was referring to our "native" Canadians, Spec.

I really feel for your family. That is pathetic, but all too common. When I had a seizure about a year ago now, I was so thankful that the Sturgeon and Alex were full and I was rushed to the University.

But, still, I was 12 hours in Emergency and then about another eight in a "temporary room" before they transferred me to my room.

[Spectacle]

Re: The Post Icon says it all......

I'll bet she was referring to our "native" Canadians, Spec.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmaybe..............

But, still, I was 12 hours in Emergency and then about another eight in a "temporary room" before they transferred me to my room.

I WISH he had only weighted 20 hours. He's basically been in an emergency room for 3 days now. At least at the NECHC he was in a bed that was completely surrounded with curtains and got a little bit of sleep.
My Aunt told me he's in a corner at the Royal Alex and hasn't been able to sleep because of all the action around him.

Sorry about your experience, I seem to recall both you and my mom had a seizure last summer for similar reasons.

[Muley69]

Re: The Post Icon says it all......

This is sad. Very sad.


But the reality of our demographics means this is only going to get worse.

We have an "inverted pyramid" right now. More older people than younger. This has a number of implications:

1. Older people make WAAAAY more demands on healthcare than younger people. This isn't a knock against older people -- it's just the truth of the matter.

2. The concentration of doctors-and-nurses per 100,000 people in Canada has stayed relatively constant since the 70's. The difference is that more of those same population now need to access healthcare.

3. There is NOT a "1-to-1" replacement ratio. That is to say, there are more people retiring than are entering the work force. So take nursing. As a senior nurse with 30 years experience retires, you can consider yourself lucky if she is replaced by a nurse fresh out of school. You are more likely to find that there isn't a replacement nurse there at all.

4. As a result, nurses are working MEGA MEGA overtime right now. (That's why the health regions have such huge deficits). And the more you work, the more prone you are to stress and mistakes. Working MORE hours can make you less productive on a per-hour basis / comparison

5. And the real kicker. There is a lot more competition for jobs out there and people, given more choice, aren't selecting traditional occupations.

It's great for personal development. But while Jane and John Doe now decide to pursue basket weaving because it provides them with a more enjoyable lifestyle, their decisions are FURTHER diluting the talent pool... And short of a communistic state telling people where to work and for how much, this isn't going to change.




And this is ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE in the next 2 decades. People...I'm serious. If you are thinking you might be in a retirement home within the next 10 - 15 years, or you have parents who will, you should SERIOUSLY consider plunking down coin now to reserve a spot.

mark my words, these tragedies are going to get worse.

The only possible saving grace is to open up our borders to migrant workers who are willing to work in these industries. But it comes at a price - namely, we'll have to be willing to share our wealth with these poorer countries in order for them to agree to supply the necessary labor.

[Opus]

Re: The Post Icon says it all......

geez........not the Alex........people check in there, and don't check out.


I'm hoping your Gramps pulls through this okay....

[PDO]

Re: The Post Icon says it all......

Very sorry to hear that Spec, and I can relate completely...

Muley is completely right though. We're in all kinds of trouble moving forward....

[Muley69]

Re: The Post Icon says it all......

And...with more tragedies like this, people will start suing.

And they'll win. But by suing, you are taking more money 'out of the system' because it's going towards pain-and-suffering awards. Less money in the system will create a negative feedback loop.

Am I being dire? Yes. But it's not entirely out of the realm of possibilities.

[Swivel Hips]

Re: The Post Icon says it all......

As a result, nurses are working MEGA MEGA overtime right now. (That's why the health regions have such huge deficits). And the more you work, the more prone you are to stress and mistakes. Working MORE hours can make you less productive on a per-hour basis / comparison.

You are absolutely correct. When I was in the University for nine days last summer, they were calling nurses on overtime every single shift (I was just outside the nursing station.) And, some days they couldn't get anyone to work OT, so they just went short-staffed.

Hospitals are not the place to be right now, especially if you are really sick.

[PDO]

Re: The Post Icon says it all......

Stories like this is are why I wish there was more privitization of health care. Not so that Spec's grandpa could've paid to get treatment... but because the only way the system will get anywhere near enough money is if it's privitized to some degree....

[Spectacle]

Re: The Post Icon says it all......

Not so that Spec's grandpa could've paid to get treatment... ..

I wish we could!!


If something happens to him because of the lack of care, **** will hit the fan. I grew up with a girl that is now a reporter for CFRN, I'm really tempted to get a hold of her to do a story on this. Maybe attention to it will get him into a real room with real doctors much faster.

[Muley69]

Re: The Post Icon says it all......

I wish we could!!


If something happens to him because of the lack of care, **** will hit the fan. I grew up with a girl that is now a reporter for CFRN, I'm really tempted to get a hold of her to do a story on this. Maybe attention to it will get him into a real room with real doctors much faster.

Maybe

But then some other family will get screwed over, as the doctors / nurses of an overstretched system which are then re-assigned to your bamper are pulled off of someone else.

And if the continual tug-and-pull on limited human resources continues, more doctors / nurses will go on stress leave, further exacerbating the problem.

[MoneyGuy]

Re: The Post Icon says it all......

Sad story.

There are many, many Albertans who misuse the med system and it causes some of these problems. **There are people (often older people who are lonely and need the human contact) so go to the doctor just for an outing for a cold or something. Some folks choose to go to the ER when they could go to a GP, or they are forced to go to the ER because they can't get a GP (see **). Having said this, we still have better access to health care than in many places in the world. We're fortunate we don't live there. Unlike the U.S., folks here don't generally lose their house because of medical bills.

I'm not dismissing the problems with our system, I'm justsayin. Actually, I'm not Justsaying. If I was, I'd be posting this in colours.

Those of us who are healthy are very fortunate. Very fortunate! Sorry to hear of this misfortune.

[Spectacle]

Re: The Post Icon says it all......

But then some other family will get screwed over, as the doctors / nurses of an overstretched system which are then re-assigned to your bamper are pulled off of someone else.

Hey----I'm not asking for someone to sit beside him 24/7. I just want him in a friggen room.
My cousin was just in a water-skiing accident, fairly minor, and she got in right away. If I were her, I'd have rather be left completely alone while our Bamper got looked at.
With him being so old, this could be the difference between life and death.

[Muley69]

Re: The Post Icon says it all......

With him being so old, this could be the difference between life and death.

That there is maybe EXACTLY part of the point...

[PDO]

Re: The Post Icon says it all......

Sad story.

There are many, many Albertans who misuse the med system and it causes some of these problems. **There are people (often older people who are lonely and need the human contact) so go to the doctor just for an outing for a cold or something. Some folks choose to go to the ER when they could go to a GP, or they are forced to go to the ER because they can't get a GP (see **). Having said this, we still have better access to health care than in many places in the world. We're fortunate we don't live there. Unlike the U.S., folks here don't generally lose their house because of medical bills.

I'm not dismissing the problems with our system, I'm justsayin. Actually, I'm not Justsaying. If I was, I'd be posting this in colours.

Those of us who are healthy are very fortunate. Very fortunate! Sorry to hear of this misfortune.

I'll throw this out there, but what if there was a charge to see a doctor, flat charge no matter what the need was?

Just once, so if you show up for surgery, you don't pay $20 daily... just $20 to be looked at once.

Something to help stop the abuse....