Whatever It Takes

When Randy was introduced to the "letterboard" the first word he spelt was HELP.

Yesterday I phoned GPC 604-322-8370 and left messages at 11:00 am, 2:00 pm and 3:00pm for Randy's nurse to call me. In the last message I said that if staff did not telephone me I would go to GPC to check on Randy and my restriction not to enter Ward 2 be damned.

Randy is suppose to be getting 6.5 hours of care a day and I do not know what he gets. I do not think records are being kept. But one thing for sure is that a telephone can be answered.

Gray Cup day. Last year I was at GPC during Gray Cup day and it had a festive atmosphere with delivered pizzas and drinks and all the staff fixated on the game. There was only one nurse who told me she didn't like football and was looking after the residents/patients. Napolean (Ostrow) should be there to see what really is going on during sports championship events. And what about the Chairman of the Board, Kip Woodward (604-875-4719). The gentleman that assured me that he would look into my allegations of bullying by staff, visitors and residents. My concerns were brought up at the VCH open board meeting on June 8 2011 and I was assured by Linda Rose that an independent investigation would be done. This she promised in front of Kip Woodwards' assistant (Kip Woodward is the chairman of VCH). A month later, Linda Rose told me that an independent investigation was not necessay. But, Linda Rose, it is necessary because you promised me that it would happen. What about my reputation and the humiliations I have to face each day, what about denying Randy his rights to see me when he wants (none of my restrictions apply to anyone else so therefore it is baltant discrimination). Your agrument that the hospital is privately owned doesn't wash with the wrongs you have imposed. How can anyone trust Vancouver Coastal Health. The policy of Vancouver Coastal Health seems to be wait until you give up or the resident dies or better yet the caring friend dies. Linda Rose is a paid director of Vancouver Coastal Health. She oversees the management of GPC.

On Thursday the Recreation Department took Randy and I to Oakridge mall for an hour's outing. Randy seemed happy to get out of GPC even for one hour. We checked my three BC lotto tickets (no winning numbers), checked out the board games store, and ended up at Oakridge Seniors Centre. I am a member and so is Randy.

On Friday Randy was up and waiting for me. We were together for four hours. We went offsite to Dylan's coffee shop and then back to the piano room where he did lettering and then we played a simple card game. He will need a lot of therapy as he needs a lot of reinforcement to relearn. If I wasn't there who would be assigned to do this. I do not think there would be anyone. I recently spoke to one resident who told me that he doesn't know how to read or write and he has been there for twenty years. A volunteer or a student teacher could do this job for free.

Where is the commonsense, where is the leadership...where is the quality of life mantra...where is Kip Woodward and the Board (board.chair@vch.ca). Better yet where is Christy Clark (604-666-8380), the woman who is the premier of British Columbia and her government is for families. The government is only there so that VCH can do whatever it wants with impunity. Beware of the creeping powers of non-profits. VCH is a non-profit which is on par with a corporation in that it is not a living person. In 2012 a new law governing non-profits will be enacted, it is already written and it is scary. I suspect it will be passed in the middle of the night.
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Friday 18 November 2011

On Friday I was able to see Randy for two hours. He was tired and so we spent most of the time holding hands. The monopoly idea wasn't so great as I couldn't remember how to play monopoly and there were no instructions. I tried to phone Randy's nurse to make sure he was okay, left a message, stayed by the phone all evening, no one returned my call. I didn't phone on the weekend as it would only cause me upset as the scenario would be repeated of staff not talking to me. Although it is in the care plan that I can talk to Randy on the phone the staff does not honour that directive.

However, Friday afternoon presented the occasion that I talk to the union rep for the LPNs (licensed practical nurses). I was told that LPNs earn $25.00 an hour plus benefits making the cost to taxpayers a total of $33.00 an hour. Up to this time I was told that the LPN are the lowest paid nurses on the ward. At $33.00 an hour I would consider them to be more than adequately compensated. I also asked about "continuous training" that the LPNs were exposed to. I was told there was none. They are given $125.00 a year for training but since there are no courses for them they cannot further expand their knowledge even if they wanted to. The union rep felt it was up to VCH to offer these courses. How can you trust nursing staff when they do not even know what is happening in medical advances. Maybe if staff was given "professional development" then they wouldn't have cause to bully. Courses have to be offered so that they feel that they belong to a group beyond their work environment. This would ensure that ethics would be foremost.
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November 17 2011 Thursday

I am totally frustrated with GPC. I wanted to leave some flowers on the wards today and was told by the nursing staff they are not allowed to take them and security also said that it couldn't take them. What a simple thing and yet no one wants to assist. What is a person suppose to do drop them at the front door and hope no one steals them or they freeze because of the cold weather. This isn't the first time such requests were denied. I have never been in an environment where staff has been so uncooperative. Their unionized job descriptions are so strict rendering them near useless in our modern multitasking society. A job so clearly defined that one doesn't have to think or learn anything else after being hired. Just get hired and then retire with pay. This also extends to even giving Randy a chalkboard so he can scribble on it. Unless I am there apparently no stimulation is given except for the tv. I dread to know how other residents are treated or not treated. I was told that there is a shortage of volunteers at GPC. Maybe it is because the volunteers are told to see nothing and say nothing and above all do not get personal with any resident and stay away from those that can't talk or defend themselves. Isolated to the point where the residents are conditioned so even the most vocal and those treated unjustly are silenced. I ask them to speak out and am told by the residents and family members that if they do the standard of care of their caring friend or family member will be lessened. Take away stimulation; take away brain function; take away caring friends. Take away life. See You Tube: BC's Health Authorities on How to Effectively Communicate with the Public. Up to the time I came across this video I felt that I was a pawn in a script with staff orchestrating my pain until it was too much and I would go away. Too bad Randy is a fighter and an American who believes in fighting for justice. He is now the most important person in this dialogue and I am his caring friend and advocate.

I wasn't able to visit with Randy in the piano room Thursday afternoon. When I went into the ward for my allotted few minutes he said he didn't want to get out of bed because his head hurt. This is the first time he ever said his head hurt. I showed him the new AC/DC monopoly board I just purchased and could he play monopoly and he said yes. I asked him if he could go home would he get up. He said yes. I told him on Friday we could play the board game.

I told him that because I was an old lady (approaching seventy) that if I took him home without GPC's consent GPC would get the police (a restraining order) and I would never see him again. It would be evidence that I was a risk to him. I was told GPC could make sure that if I did not do whatever GPC wanted I would never see Randy again. I suspect this means that the Public Trustee would take over and make GPC his committee and GPC would totally ban me forever. Even this afternoon when I was talking to Bob Chapman I could heard him type in every word I said. In other words if I wanted a crumb I would have to suck up to each one of them (please do not kill Randy by removing his will to live) or suffer the consequences. Thank you Napolean (Ostrow). Thank you Josephine (MARY). Thank you Dr/MLA Moira Stilwell


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November 16 2011

I went to see Randy today. He was in good spirits but he still wants to come home and visit. I was told that yesterday (the reason why he looked white) was because he had pulled out his life support. He pulls out his life support because he is unhappy and it is the only way he can get attention so he can go home. I do not understand what GPC is doing. GPC doesn't give him any serious rehab, he just vegetates in his bed and watches tv provided the staff puts it on for him to watch. He can't communicate successfully. Randy is not under the Public Trustee so he has a right to go home and have me visit when he wants. Today he even said he wanted to be married as that would make him happy. I want to know why GPC is taking his freedoms away from him. All residents at GPC can leave for a day whenever they want, so why can't Randy.

I want an answer from VCH's legal department.

I called this evening as I wanted to talk to Randy's nurse Rio. She refused to return my call. Each time a nurse from GPC won't return my call, her name or his name is going to show up on this blog. I am tired of leaving messages and no one calls me back.

Tuesday November 15 2011

I went and saw Randy this afternoon. When he saw me he started to move his wheelchair a few minutes towards me. He was a bit drained "white" but I was glad he wanted to see me. Randy didn't have any warm slippers on only his socks; and he only had a short sleeve shirt. I asked the nurse for a toss blanket and she told me that Randy was only allowed in the piano room and he wasn't going anywhere else so he didn't need a blanket. Another misinformed nurse. Randy can do what he wants. It is me that has restrictions. If Randy wants to go offsite, he can. If Randy wants to go to Hawaii, he can.

Later he started to cry and I had a few tears in my eyes as well. This is crazy. GPC is suppose to be his home not a jail.

No one gave me the consents to sign. But then I do not understand why consents even exist when legislation says BC hospitals are immune from prosecution.

We did some lettering and alphabetical cards and I read to him a bit from a book on how doggies speak to humans. He was very interested in it.
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I had a sick feeling on Saturday

I had a sick feeling on Saturday and it was further confirmed when I tried to call Randy on Saturday and he won't take the phone. A resident told me this afternoon that on Saturday afternoon he/she saw Randy in his bed restrained beyond a soft restraint. He was like he was imprisoned and his arms was tried up behind his head. His television was turned off. Why was this necessary. All Randy wants is that I have more access to him or else he be allowed to come here.

When I went to GPC today I was told and shown a number of consent documents that I and Randy would have to sign before he would be allowed to leave. The health professional then ran off with the documents never to be seen again. I have taken randy off site for months now he has to sign documents. Randy I know will not sign any documents after he was tricked by VGH last year after signing documents that transferred him to GPC and for VGH not to tell me. I found this incredible and still do. Randy lost millions of brain cells because of his traumatic brain injury and yet the VGH said he had the capacity to sign documents. I asked Randy and he couldn't remember signing them. He told me at that time that he never said he didn't want to see me. I am sure he will never sign any document again. So he is being imprisoned. Poor Randy. Poor me. Poor the rest of you.
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Another Bad Day

The only thing that was agreeable today was the weather. I was worried about Randy because I had only seen him for three hours this past week. I decided to go to GPC and leave Randy a short letter and a pair of fleece pj bottoms. I phoned when I got there and no one answered the phone so I left a message for someone to come and get Randy's stuff. I waited outside. About twenty minutes later I asked a passing visitor if she would go into Ward 2 and read the letter to Randy and leave the fleece pj bottom. She came back and said that Randy was looking forward to going to my place on Monday. As I was readying myself to leave, a security guard told me to leave or else he would call the police as I wasn't allowed on the property on weekends. Not true. I am just not allowed into Ward 2. I haven't pushed the issue of my admission to Ward 2 as if there is someone there who is afraid of me I do not want to cause him or her additional fear. That isn't the whole truth though. I was told by Linda Rose that my banning was forever. Since no evidence has been given to me as to what I did I am at a loss as to why she would say tht. I asked the young security if he had viewed the You Tube video George Pearson Centre yet. Every time I see him I ask him and every time he says No. He should be aware of this most important video which was paid for by VCH. Also it is a requirement by Paladin that its security guards become integrated into GPC and its culture (see its webpage) and so they are aware of the dynamics of where they work. I then told him to call the police. I don't like being threatened when there is no reason. A few minutes later I left and when I was walking up Cambie Street sure enough two police cars came racing towards 57th and turned right. I shook my head. This is the same young security guard who tried on a previous occasion to throw me out of the GPC building when I was visiting residents not Randy and I secured bruising: all the colours of the rainbow. I showed the bruising as they changed colour to witnesses but I didn't do anything about the incident as the young security guard was only doing his job albeit with bad information and that was when I started whenever I saw him ask him did he view the You Tube Video: George Pearson Centre. Another time he also called the police on me and accused me of kidnapping Randy. I had taken Randy off site to a coffee bar across the street from GPC and I was returning him. I didn't know what to do as my instinct was to protect Randy against this unreasonable authority figure so I asked for the RN to come out and talk to me. That took about 1/2 hour in the cold and in the mean time the police showed up. These incidents are so stupid they are true. I can't make them up.

My flashback memory came back and I remember a time I was in GPC and this young security guard was motioning that the bully from Ward 2 to hide from my view. The bully from Ward 2 weighs 200 pounds and he doesn't need a 23-year old security guard to protect him. I remember shaking my head and forgot the incident. Today I looked in the parking lot and sure enough the vehicle that the bully uses was there. It is a new red Chevrolet four door cabin 4-wheel drive truck. Of course, the bully and the young security guard are colluding i.e. the bully is manipulating the security guard. It always interests me when bullies bully. I wonder if he is even paying for his wife's care. Working for a small company that he owns offers him the opportunity to pay himself a small salary so he can claim he doesn't have enough income to pay for her care while retaining profits in his company. He even cooks his meals in Ward 2 (which are against the rules see www.vch.ca George Pearsson Centre Resident and Family Handbook). I was told that his Silverado cost $62,000. You should see the inside of it. Everything is showroom perfect. All the bullies I have knowm are perfectionists. Should I be surprised.
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Friday, 11 November 2011

I wrote up this morning thinking of Randy and I felt anger. I had only three hours this week to visit. One hour on Monday; and Two hours on Wednesday. It is not enough time to reinforce his lettering and numbering. Vancouver Coastal Health must have a policy of not rehabing those in George Pearson Center.

I still do not understand why I was banned. Maybe it was when I raised my voice and accused the Ward of bullying. I still haven't gotten over the broken promise Linda Rose made that she would have an independent investigation done over what happened. And, then, one month later (July 2011) she advised me that this wasn't going to happen. Linda Rose was the manager of George Pearson Center in 2010 and I suspect she doesn't want any professional outsiders near the place. She got a promotion out of GPC with GPC still being under her authority. The bullies must have developed a close relationship with her for her to gamble her reputation and career on. I see no objectivity in how she treated me causing unnecessary restrictions and preventing Randy from his right to see me when he wants. It is easy to control Randy as he can't talk or write so he can't even ask to see me. Being poor opens up one's life to total abuse. And it was her who made sure that when Randy (after he turned blue at GPC) was sent to Vancouver General Hospital in August 2011 that I could only see Randy for ten minutes a day from eight hours. Previously I was told by Risk Management that I could visit Randy at VGH for as long as I wanted as there was no one there that was afraid of me and I did so close to two weeks. Maybe the VGH restriction was initiated by Linda Rose in the hope that I would make a scene and it could be used to ban me forever. As to my mental health, I am still open to seeing a psychiatrist. If I am someone to be afraid of then VGH should have done this ten months ago to protect its residents, its staff and its visitors. It would be very embarrassing for VCH if a psychiatrist said that I was reacting normally under the daily bulling I was facing.
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I keep remembering what Moira Stilwell, MD turned MLA, said to me that VCH has its own government and I would have to work with the abusers. Thanks Moira.
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November 5 2011

I was able to see Randy on Friday. I wasn't able to see him in the piano room on Thursday as he said he was in pain and didn't want to get out of bed. He seemed to understand that I couldn't stay at his bedside for longer than a few minutes. I do not know who belongs to the "team" who made the rules for my constructive banning but I was told many months ago that it came from the executive offices i.e. Napolean Ostrow because of this blog. If he knew what he was doing, he would welcome blogs such of mine to quickly with haste correct faults within Vancouver Coastal Health rather than spend his time speaking to the converted that we have the best care in Canada and GPC is a lighthouse for the world. I heard him speak at the open VCH board meeting in June 2011 and only sunshine came out of his mouth. See You Tube video: George Pearson Centre.

On Friday Randy and I played a simple card game called fish. He was picking up the cards and moving them so he is trying his best. Ever since I told him that because of his accident his brain is scrambled so he has to relearn everything he has been improving. I told him what he sees in his brain isn't always what is translated to me and the nurses. I remember one time giving him an educational toy and he threw it on the floor from his bed and I was able to read his lips to say "I am not a baby." I will never forget that.

Legwarmers needed ...

I am on a new project: the collection of legwarmers to be distributed to the cold and frail at hospitals provided they are knitted with soft "baby" wool and other knitted legwarmers to be distributed to the elderly and the street homeless.

I am sourcing an easy pattern to knit or crochette and will post the instructions as soon as I get them for those who know how to knit.

If you already have legwarmers that you can donate drop them off at 5976 Cambie (basement entrance) across from Safeway at Oakridge Mall or let me know and I will come and pick them up. 604-321-2276 I will distribute them if you can't.

Legwarms (sleeves) made from soft yarn is the answer to those being cold in a hospital or residential setting. Easy to put on; easy to take off; easy to knit: either rectangles or knit-in-the-round (tube). They should be seamless or have invisible handsewned seams. What a simple solution to an old age problem.

I spent the last few days seeking out legwarmers in dollarstores. There is some stock but none with the soft yarn knitted that would be close to the body to fit the legs or arms snuggly. For the frail item 16-3010054 one size fits all the one with fuzzy strips) is the best (if you live in an area that has a Dollarama)and is priced at $1.50. Buy them all up and donate them to your local residential care or hospital.

The knit has to be a rib stitch so it can stretch. At the beginning use a smaller sized needles (4-6 rows) to get more stretch to act as an elastic (not necesaary but desireable) and then go to a slightly larger needle(s) all the while doing knit one pearl one (64 stitches)) and knit about 20-inches for a one-size fits all pattern.

Although fashion sleeve legwarmers have been around forever, the use of them for the frail and the aged has not be exploited. I hope the "sleeves" become a standard in everyone's family.

In addition to knitted legwarm sleeves, I would also like to collect socks being mismatched or used. The homeless are always short of socks and I will make sure they are distributed fairly. The socks do not have to be in perfect condition; they do not even have to match or be sized.
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