New Fees for Seniors
The good old Campbell Government announced it is going to raise the fees, charged to Seniors in Care Homes. A nice little New Year’s gift for them, is an 8% rise in fees this coming year, 10% next year. It is expected to generate an additional $54 Million to the Province.
Isn’t that nice, to know those who are elderly, nearing the end of their lives, will add so much more to the Provinces Coffers, to help pay off the over budget Olympics and other mismanaged projects of our Provincial Government? I mean come on, we have to pay those underpaid executives a bit more, so they can continue to do good work for us, like the head of VIHA or BC Hydro.
The change — affecting 75 per cent of seniors living in care homes — will bring in an additional $54 million, the province says. The revenue is to be used to improve services for seniors. ( source – CBC News )
Whatever happened to caring for people?
There is no doubt that service and care for the elderly in this Province, Country, & World needs improving, but you know, it comes from WANTING TO, NOT FROM HOW MUCH MONEY WE SPEND.
There are some really good care facilities, but when we turn over care to Private Enterprise, profit or non profit, we still need to maintain quality control. AND that is where OUR GOVERNMENTS are failing us. Today we no longer have oversight, of these private groups that manage our care, whether it is the facilities or in home. The Government fails to see, that sure it may indeed provide all medications, meals, etc. to those entrusted into its care, but it DOESN’T KNOW if those medications are being given, if they are being given properly, or if they are even the right medicines.
They do not know if the staff hired, is truly qualified, and only BELIEVE THEY ARE, because well gee, THE COMPANY SAYS THEY ARE.
Perhaps if the GOVERNMENT actually did checks, actually monitored often, the care facilities, and kept to a high standard, then perhaps a rise in fees would be tolerated, would be acceptable. Unfortunately, today we do not monitor, we do not regulate, and worse -
WE DO NOT CARE
The Bucket List
We watched the movie called The Bucket List with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. I am glad I watched it, and also wish I never had. It has me wondering about a lot of things, none of which is exactly restful. I mean it is about two guys who are diagnosed with terminal cancer, given only six months or so to live.
That alone, is unnerving, for me.
Worse is the choices, the question, of what would one do, if they are told that? Now, I know, a lot of people get that news, some will stay in hospital and fight for a few extra days, while others will simply bury their head in the sand, and go about their life as if nothing was wrong. Others, not many, will go and try to live their lives, to the fullest, but what is the right answer?
What would I do, if suddenly I knew my time on earth was limited?
It’s an interesting question, given how it also makes me wonder, about Mom, and her situation. I mean she knows her time is numbered, and yet she sits, day in, day out, reading, and watching the odd show. How does that make her accept the inevitable any easier?
Then too, it reminds of an age old question, asked of a wise Rabbi. Seems he posed that very same question, as in the movie, and the students complained that as they didn’t know they would die tomorrow, how could they plan for it. His answer was to say, exactly so, therefore live each day, as if it was your last.
But how can you do that? Seriously, just how can you live today, as if it was your last day, and if you do, what would you do differently?
Nice sentiment, but today’s world is not so cut and dried, now is it? However, I think he meant his answer in a more spiritual sense, which now has me thinking on that too. See, I hate those kind of movies, that make me think, yet I know I won’t be able to put this to rest. It will lurk in the back of my mind, as I watch mother, wondering if somehow I am stopping her from doing something, or if I too, am just marking time, till the inevitable arrives.
Do I show more affection, do I say the phrases of ‘I love you’ more often now, or do I simply go on, as before. Such a simple question, and yet not so easy to answer, with any honesty.
This whole part of my life, seems to be in limbo. It has its ups and downs, mostly downs, and the stress is taking its toll, or is it? Am I perhaps using some form of self defence mechanism, trying to detach myself, in order to better cope? I wish I knew the answers, but I do know, I am tired more, worn out more, and I shouldn’t be.
It really isn’t hard to do laundry every day, and yet I seem to think it is.
It really isn’t hard to wait for her to decide to go lay down, yet I seem annoyed by the interruption, not like I am actually accomplishing anything before hand. That bugs me, because really, there is enough time to do what I should do, and yet, I seem frozen, unable to make a move. Like updating my blogs.
Hell, I call myself a writer, so why can’t I do that? Why do I let myself become so frozen or mired up in the stress. It is all manageable, and what really is getting at me, is that we need the money, but I am not doing what I need to do, to make that money. I know I should be writing, should be updating, creating, yet I would rather procrastinate. Worse, I am using Mom as the reason, and truth is, she isn’t the cause.
Laundry, getting her juice, making dinner, are nothing but excuses, for not doing what needs doing, yet even knowing that, doesn’t seem to make me do more, or shake off those feelings. It is like some strange hand, pushing me away, when I know, it is my own laziness, or inertia.
I don’t get what is happening, because I don’t think I am stupid, nor do I think I am all that lazy. I get up at 6:30am every morning, and yet come midnight, I feel like I did nothing but mark time. Surely I should be doing more, and that time I am up, should be more than enough time to look after mom, and do my work.
This is all so confusing, yet the movie has made me even more antsy, more nervous. Am I losing it, or am I just finding another excuse, to be lazy?
Routine or Change?
Mom loves to read, and yet I wonder, if she even knows what she is reading?
Ever since I can recall, Mom was always reading something. Even when she was busy, she always found time to read a book, a magazine, or the paper, or all of them. Back in Edmonton, I remember how she would always read the paper, usually while Dad had some western show on. He did love his westerns, and John Wayne.
Yet these days, she still reads, but it seems like she is just going through the motions.
Her latest book, she dropped a few times, and each time she picked it up, it went to a new place, from where it was. Yet she hasn’t noticed, and still has a smile on, as if she’s following the story, along normally. I know she can’t, and yet that is how it looks.
Being a paranoid so and so, it makes me wonder about her mind. Is she living in her own world, while pretending to be reading, or is it just marking time? It is all very scary, and not sure I want to pursue this line of thought. And yet…
Then too, I wonder at other things, such as her taste in juice. The way suddenly she just decides not to have a certain juice. I mean like she loves orange juice, then one day, she just said she didn’t want anymore, but rather have V8 juice. Now, that too has been replaced, by.. Orange Juice.
Is this sudden change in choices, normal?
Keeping Track
The older one gets, I think it becomes more important on keeping track of details, of doctor visits, nurse visits, test results, but man, it takes a lot of preparation to do. Even if you are computer savvy, it is difficult to anticipate what you need to track, and then HOW.
I’ve used Excel, and yet, it is cumbersome in a lot of ways.
The problem is, what do you store, how often do you record it?
What to track
I wish there was an easy to follow template, but there isn’t, so guess I am going to have to actually spend some time, and think on this one. There are some good resources out there, one from a twitter I noticed, which I’ll have to go back and find. That’s the downside to twitter, finding past tweets.
Things I know I need to include in my template
- blood pressure readings
- INR results
- dates of Nurse visits
- dates of Doctor visits
- frequency of bowel movements
- weight
- innoculations
- medications
Now the real problem is to record any outside details, such as things to watch for. A handy list of possible side effects would be good too, for easy checking, but then, that’s maybe going too far. And yet, I don’t know, as a person ages, their reaction to things change. Side effects DO happen, and it’d be nice to know what they are, to double check.
Example, Dizziness. Can be from a rapid drop in blood pressure, can be from the blood pressure medicine, or other meds.
This certainly is a lot more complicated than I thought. Time to read more on Excel, to see what it can do, so I can better track things, including how to make it simpler to do. Time is not an ally.
