Seems that a lady from Ontario is getting some flak for her appearance in a USA television ad, complaining about the National Health Plan in Canada. Well, actually complaining about Ontario’s version of it, which frankly, is different. 

Seems she had a brain tumor, and Ontario Health couldn’t get her to a specialist in time, so she mortgaged her home, paid a hundred grand to seek treatment at the Mayo Clinic.   That is good, for her, but what if you are one of those who can’t reach out and grab a quick hundred thousand dollars, or more? WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE YOU?

Holmes, from Waterdown, Ont., said she would have died had she relied on the Canadian health-care system and waited to see a specialist. Instead, she mortgaged her home, paid $100,000 and was treated at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. She is currently suing OHIP to recoup those costs. ( CBC News )

To begin with, a National Plan should be just that, a standard set across the board. Yes, specific needs for a location should be able to be addressed, but the National Plan needs to be followed, in every single province.There shouldn’t be such discrepancies, as there are from Province to Province.

Secondly, the whole focus of National Health, is about protecting those who can’t afford coverage, such as what they have in the United States. Today, there are more people who have NO HEALTH CARE in the United States, than there are people in Canada. In fact, nearly DOUBLE.

Is that really what this lady wanted? I don’t think so, and I don’t think any of us do either. And this is the risk that happens, when one plays into the hands of these so called special interest groups, like this lady has. Who backs that group? Is it the Insurance Giants who are making a killing, off the backs of the sick?

Myself, I couldn’t raise a $100,000.00 for such a venture, and you know I think a vast majority of us couldn’t. So we are stuck with what we have, until we, the people, actually make a difference, by using the only weapon we have. OUR VOICES & OUR VOTES.   I think we need to hound our political leaders, mercilessly, until they actually do what they have promised.

I believe firmly in the power of the voter, though lately it’s been hard to do. YET I still think we can make a difference, through raising our voices, and writing endless letters so that our local MP’s & MLA’s know our name by heart, and their staff begin to recognize our hand writing on the letters, or our email addresses.

Things like talking about it in blogs like this, or like the one I set up for my mother, are a great way to get our voices heard. BUT, we need to do more, we need to make the phone calls, and not let them ignore us, and we need to write the emails, the letters, and KEEP ON WRITING THEM.

Who are they? 

I haven’t a clue really, but they are the firm contracted by the Government of British Columbia, to provide in home support for elderly people. You know, the workers who come in to help a person get a bath, get dressed if they can’t do it.  Depending on your income level, the services are paid for by the Government.

This is the case with my 92 year old mother, Annice.

For some time now, we have had them send someone to help her wash up, twice a week. Every Tuesday & Friday. The permanent worker on Friday, was super, and Mom looked forward to her arrival. She was good, knew her job and did it well. The one’s showing up Tuesday were a bit less than ideal, but on July 14th, things got more complicated.

Mother broke her wrist in a fall in the home.

At the Royal Jubilee Hospital, the community laison worker suggested we get home support in for the mornings and night, to help mom dress & get ready for bed. It was a helpful suggestion, because frankly, a woman of 92 with a cast, isn’t going to do all that on her own. She is frail as it is.

And that worked out good. Each morning, someone has shown up and helped, at night the same thing. Today was bath day, and Mom was once again looking forward to Wanda coming, to help her afternoon bath.  Eager is the word I’d use, because as a son, I can only do so much. A woman’s touch, voice, all helps.

1:30pm and NO Wanda.

In contacting the people at Beacon, they claim the service was cancelled. Like isn’t that nice to suddenly find out. A phone call would have hurt?  But hey, it gets worse, because they say it was cancelled by the Hospital Laison worker.  In reading me the notes of the call, there is NO MENTION of such cancellation. Nor did I instruct the laison officer to make any such cancellation.

In the meantime, I also find out that each worker is supposed to be here for an hour, and that it is for 2 weeks only. So that is interesting, given that I would expect a 92 year old to heal in 2 weeks from a displaced fracture of her wrist.  After all, don’t us younger folks heal faster? Bet if you broke your wrist, you’d be able to use it in what, a few days, week tops?  NOT!

There is a community case worker as well, who I was in touch with on Wednesday, the day after the experience at the hospital. Strange, but no return call from her either, as she was going to check with the hospital laison worker, and get back to me. And yes, I know they are busy, but this is now Friday.  Enough time to call to say she is working on it, or something.

But then again, maybe not, given that her voice message today, said she’d be out of the office July 10 to July 13.  Funny, today is July 17th. You would think, that any service being cancelled would be made known to the client. And that too, irks me. Why are they calling them clients, when they are patients? So it is easier to disassociate one’s self from the fact that these are elderly people, who need compassion, as well as care?

Elderly people have trouble enough maintaining their dignity. Now here comes the B.C. Government and foists its care of elders, onto a private firm, whose bottom line is, to make money. That is so wrong, in so many ways, that I won’t even begin to detail it, yet.

Fact is, that Beacon Community Services made an assumption, or if they didn’t, then the Laison worker did, who doesnt have her case history. I rather doubt that a Laison Officer in the hospital even has the authority to cancel existing services, unless the patient is being admitted to hospital. So to my warped mind and some common sense, the problem is at Beacon.  Naturally they won’t admit to that.

Reality is, that our society today doesn’t seem to give a damn about the older generation, and the real problem is, WE ARE ALL GOING TO BE OLDER, THINK ABOUT IT.

It might become boring, but I think I am on a personal crusade, in regards to health care.

There are many who believe in Private Health versus National Health, versus Univeral Health. And there is a difference between National & Univeral Care, in case you were wondering.

Why?

I suppose the simplest answer is, that I am now 54 years old, and mother is 92 years old. And HER health is not getting better, so my inter action with our health services is growing. In other words, I am not a Doctor, nor a Nurse, and my involvement with our Health Care is from the perspecitive of one using it. 

Maybe that makes a difference, maybe not. The point is, at some point in everyone’s life, they are going to need health care. If you are young, just starting out, you may not think you will, but rest assured, YOU WILL.

For example did you know that Canada is ranked  THIRTY (30) in the world, and the giant to the south of us, the United States is ranked THIRTY SEVEN (37) ? ( source )

After spending some time just yesterday, in our emergency care system, I can honestly tell you, that growing old, is not something our health services knows how to deal with. And let us be honest, WE ARE ALL GOING TO REACH THAT STAGE OF LIFE.  The point is, we do not treat our Seniors with respect, with dignity. We treat them, and most other patients, BY THE NUMBERS.

To me, that somehow seems wrong.