On Tuesday we went to the physio open house at George Orwell.. Murray was doing his exercise routine. Murray is in the bed next to Randy and his wife attends to him every minute and Murray is improving with haste as his wife is there with him all the time. And she is a poster child of a caregiver. Only devoted to her man and nothing else. Last time I saw her on the street she deliberately avoided me. What a cold cold place George Orwell is.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Randy wants to go to work...
Yesterday was very positive for me. Randy said he wanted to go to work and be like Rick Hansen. I was surprised and delighted.
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Monday, May 28, 2012
Joy Fellowship
We had a very good afternoon yesterday, Randy and I, we attended a Joy Fellowship service at GPC. The 30+ Christians that were there were not afraid of me. I can only speculate that it must be the non-Christians who are afraid of me.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
This is Priceless
A quote from VCH Risk Management Friday May 25 2012
I also wanted to clarify you are not banned from GPC. Marion gave you a letter supporting you can visit every day if you choose. You have been asked not to go to many areas of GPC except Randy's Ward, the grounds at GPC and the family room.
This is double speak. I am not allowed to go to Randy's bedside except for two minutes just to make sure that Randy hasn't been hidden in the caverns of VCH so I don't call the police.VCH hide him on me and put a No Information Order on him in 2010 so that no one else could find him either without his knowledge or my knowledge. VCH has refused to tell me who did this. This two-minute concession is allowed me while under escorted supervision. When Randy isn't feeling well and can't get out of bed I cannot visit him at his bedside. From day one of my banning I was told that the residents from Ward 2 were afraid of me so I do not understand why you have extended this to the whole hospital. No one is afraid of me and you have created a shameful situation targeting caregivers who really care by driving them away. Your Risk Management Department created the problem. Why are you with your two social worker degrees doing this. You remind me of low paid security guards who create situations to demonstrate to their superiors that they are valuable. This nightmare has been going on for two years for me and Randy and there seems to be no end.
Also I can only be on site to visit Randy from 12:00 to 4:00 which is a recent improvement from 2:00 to 4:00 only on weekdays but not weekends, evenings or holidays. These hours are to accommodate Willy the bully who has spent the past nine years sleeping at GPC in Ward 2 who was and still is instrumental in my banning. He sleeps in a semi-recliner chair. No one else is allowed personal chairs in the ward but he has one. From surfing the Internet it says that a good night's sleep can be attained by sleeping at a 40 degree angle sitting up. His wife has one of those old monster tvs that you cannot give away sitting on a table taking up valuable space that impede the nurses ability to work. Everyone else has to have a ceiling tv. And Willy has a reputation for being rich so he tells everyone as staff, visitors and residents fall over him. You would think he would be loving enough to buy his wife a new flat screen tv.. Willy should do the right thing and donate the rent he has saved to the recreational department at GPC. But then that will never happen as bullies only make sure they are looked after. Refer to Wikipedia and link to bullies and the stress they cause their victims and onlookers.
Also after all this time Randy and I are now allowed to attend recreational activities at GPC provided we are approved (to be supervised) ahead of time. And now after all the pleas to allow me to attend with Randy which went unanswered to events, Randy doesn't want to go.. Two months ago he was diagnosed as clinically depressed and he doesn't want to do much. Why would he be so depressed after two years of the best care VCH offers. Knowing of his depression I take him off site to places that might interest him.
I was also told that I can't access the grounds except for the concrete pathway to visit Randy in the family room which is likened to a very hot visitors room in a jail. And it isn't instant visiting Randy when I arrived as it can take up to two hours for staff to wheel him into the family room. Today I had to wait thirty minutes.
And please do not rationalize that staff is overworked and underpaid. It is their personal lives that are overworked and they force themselves to come to work for timeout and secondary for their wage. The pay for a LPN is $22 an hour to $40 an hour plus 30% fringe benefits plus overtime plus the ability to work at another facility on their days off. And they will never quit and give up their pensions. There should be no in-house pensions to eliminate the reason for corruption. A LPN isn't a RN so it would be interesting to know what RNs make. An old lady once told me to find answers just follow the money. Also a LPN only requires nine-months of schooling which is scary. Take an acting course, take a 9-month course, memorize only the things that you have to never mind understanding why, and manipulate hours for your $100,000 a year job and above all make sure you project to the general population that you are a Florence Nightingale.
I also wanted to clarify you are not banned from GPC. Marion gave you a letter supporting you can visit every day if you choose. You have been asked not to go to many areas of GPC except Randy's Ward, the grounds at GPC and the family room.
This is double speak. I am not allowed to go to Randy's bedside except for two minutes just to make sure that Randy hasn't been hidden in the caverns of VCH so I don't call the police.VCH hide him on me and put a No Information Order on him in 2010 so that no one else could find him either without his knowledge or my knowledge. VCH has refused to tell me who did this. This two-minute concession is allowed me while under escorted supervision. When Randy isn't feeling well and can't get out of bed I cannot visit him at his bedside. From day one of my banning I was told that the residents from Ward 2 were afraid of me so I do not understand why you have extended this to the whole hospital. No one is afraid of me and you have created a shameful situation targeting caregivers who really care by driving them away. Your Risk Management Department created the problem. Why are you with your two social worker degrees doing this. You remind me of low paid security guards who create situations to demonstrate to their superiors that they are valuable. This nightmare has been going on for two years for me and Randy and there seems to be no end.
Also I can only be on site to visit Randy from 12:00 to 4:00 which is a recent improvement from 2:00 to 4:00 only on weekdays but not weekends, evenings or holidays. These hours are to accommodate Willy the bully who has spent the past nine years sleeping at GPC in Ward 2 who was and still is instrumental in my banning. He sleeps in a semi-recliner chair. No one else is allowed personal chairs in the ward but he has one. From surfing the Internet it says that a good night's sleep can be attained by sleeping at a 40 degree angle sitting up. His wife has one of those old monster tvs that you cannot give away sitting on a table taking up valuable space that impede the nurses ability to work. Everyone else has to have a ceiling tv. And Willy has a reputation for being rich so he tells everyone as staff, visitors and residents fall over him. You would think he would be loving enough to buy his wife a new flat screen tv.. Willy should do the right thing and donate the rent he has saved to the recreational department at GPC. But then that will never happen as bullies only make sure they are looked after. Refer to Wikipedia and link to bullies and the stress they cause their victims and onlookers.
Also after all this time Randy and I are now allowed to attend recreational activities at GPC provided we are approved (to be supervised) ahead of time. And now after all the pleas to allow me to attend with Randy which went unanswered to events, Randy doesn't want to go.. Two months ago he was diagnosed as clinically depressed and he doesn't want to do much. Why would he be so depressed after two years of the best care VCH offers. Knowing of his depression I take him off site to places that might interest him.
I was also told that I can't access the grounds except for the concrete pathway to visit Randy in the family room which is likened to a very hot visitors room in a jail. And it isn't instant visiting Randy when I arrived as it can take up to two hours for staff to wheel him into the family room. Today I had to wait thirty minutes.
And please do not rationalize that staff is overworked and underpaid. It is their personal lives that are overworked and they force themselves to come to work for timeout and secondary for their wage. The pay for a LPN is $22 an hour to $40 an hour plus 30% fringe benefits plus overtime plus the ability to work at another facility on their days off. And they will never quit and give up their pensions. There should be no in-house pensions to eliminate the reason for corruption. A LPN isn't a RN so it would be interesting to know what RNs make. An old lady once told me to find answers just follow the money. Also a LPN only requires nine-months of schooling which is scary. Take an acting course, take a 9-month course, memorize only the things that you have to never mind understanding why, and manipulate hours for your $100,000 a year job and above all make sure you project to the general population that you are a Florence Nightingale.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Victoria Day Weekend 2012
On Saturday my luck with staff was not any better. The nurse dropped
off a suction machine. I said could I ask her a question. She said that she had to run as she had to attend to
someone...
However, I must be feeling better as I went to Safeway today and purchased an oven cleaner so I will be merrily cleaning my oven tonight while listening to CBC radio. A good mental health breakthrough.
I spoke briefly to Jackie Bellamy from Ward 4 this afternoon. The elder lady I posted about last week. I can still see her racing in her wheel chair down 57th towards Cambie not knowing or caring where she was going. She was angry as her fleece top was wet and the nurse on her ward won't change it as the nurse was to have a break. If you have limited mobility in your torso and can't dress yourself being treated in such a disrespectful way can cause you to want to end it all. I always thought Jackie liked it in George Pearson as she participates in all it offers: recreation, concerts, church, swimming, residents council, etc. But she told me today she can't afford to live on her own so she has no choice. I asked her if management apologized to her for her being left in a wet fleece top. She said no. So much for George Pearson as I did tell the manager to talk to Jackie and also to the nurse who decided her break was more important than the comfort of Jackie. I remember the day: it was chilly outside. Jackie is in her 80s; how cruel can these employees be. Using the word cruel might seem harsh, but that is what it is. I suspect someone should report the uncaring nurse to the union as management hasn't done anything..
When I was looking for a lawyer last year, the lady lawyer I spoke to said that VCH had no morals or ethics. But it is worse than that. GPC must be the dumping ground for employees that no other hospital wants.
Randy has been very calm these past few days so I have been very calm. He is looking forward to attending Rick Hansen and Celebration 25 on Tuesday.
112.702
.
However, I must be feeling better as I went to Safeway today and purchased an oven cleaner so I will be merrily cleaning my oven tonight while listening to CBC radio. A good mental health breakthrough.
I spoke briefly to Jackie Bellamy from Ward 4 this afternoon. The elder lady I posted about last week. I can still see her racing in her wheel chair down 57th towards Cambie not knowing or caring where she was going. She was angry as her fleece top was wet and the nurse on her ward won't change it as the nurse was to have a break. If you have limited mobility in your torso and can't dress yourself being treated in such a disrespectful way can cause you to want to end it all. I always thought Jackie liked it in George Pearson as she participates in all it offers: recreation, concerts, church, swimming, residents council, etc. But she told me today she can't afford to live on her own so she has no choice. I asked her if management apologized to her for her being left in a wet fleece top. She said no. So much for George Pearson as I did tell the manager to talk to Jackie and also to the nurse who decided her break was more important than the comfort of Jackie. I remember the day: it was chilly outside. Jackie is in her 80s; how cruel can these employees be. Using the word cruel might seem harsh, but that is what it is. I suspect someone should report the uncaring nurse to the union as management hasn't done anything..
When I was looking for a lawyer last year, the lady lawyer I spoke to said that VCH had no morals or ethics. But it is worse than that. GPC must be the dumping ground for employees that no other hospital wants.
Randy has been very calm these past few days so I have been very calm. He is looking forward to attending Rick Hansen and Celebration 25 on Tuesday.
112.702
.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
It didn't work
At 8:00 am Thursday I phoned Ward 2 at GPC and told Tanu, the head nurse, that I would be visiting Randy at 2:00 and we would be going to the open house as per my note on Wednesday. She said to me that there would be someone to escort me and Randy to the Open House in the activity room (the 60th anniversary of George Pearson Centre) with the explanation that I would have to be supervised so that I didn't talk to anyone and no one could talk to me. Tanu doesn't do very well under pressure and she says things that astound. It didn't even occur to me to plan to say anything to anyone. I thought the open house was for the community/neighbourhood as GPC already had a RSVP function a few days earlier.
When I arrived Randy said that he didn't want to go to the open house and in our exit we collided with Sam Sullivan (the former mayor of Vancouver who lives life in a wheelchair). I introduced him to Randy and asked him if he would look into my ridiculous banning. The most influential person in the City of Vancouver ... someone VCH won't want me to talk to....
And then to make my day Randy indicated that he needed a suction. After I suctioned him I asked one of the nurses from Ward 2 to check on Randy as I wasn't sure of his breathing. The nurse said his shift ended at 3:00 pm. It was 3:04 pm and he walked away knowing full well of my banning and the difficulty I would have in getting assistance. I just can't walk down the hall and fetch a nurse and even if I could they always seem to be hiding in a private room or behind curtains in the open ward and at shift change are having a closed door briefing in their lounge and there is no one on the floor.
112,250
When I arrived Randy said that he didn't want to go to the open house and in our exit we collided with Sam Sullivan (the former mayor of Vancouver who lives life in a wheelchair). I introduced him to Randy and asked him if he would look into my ridiculous banning. The most influential person in the City of Vancouver ... someone VCH won't want me to talk to....
And then to make my day Randy indicated that he needed a suction. After I suctioned him I asked one of the nurses from Ward 2 to check on Randy as I wasn't sure of his breathing. The nurse said his shift ended at 3:00 pm. It was 3:04 pm and he walked away knowing full well of my banning and the difficulty I would have in getting assistance. I just can't walk down the hall and fetch a nurse and even if I could they always seem to be hiding in a private room or behind curtains in the open ward and at shift change are having a closed door briefing in their lounge and there is no one on the floor.
112,250
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Cruel and Unreasonable
What is happening to me is cruel and unreasonable. Randy is in a high risk ward which means he is at high risk of infection and certain death and yet he and I are treated as if we are part of the general population which is stable and does not need specialized care.
Today being May 9 2012 while I had Randy at home I noticed around 4:00 p.m. that he was hot. He seemed to have a fever but I wasn't sure. I was worried because he was having heavy secretions but when the RT phoned she assured me that was okay but I neglected to tell her of the suspected fever. And later his trach secretions were getting thicker and slightly yellow. At 7:00 p.m. I felt his body and he was freezing cold. I had already wrapped him in a heavy fleece blanket and I phoned GPC and told him of the above and was told to wrap him in a blanket. I told GPC I was returning Randy by bus and should be there in one-half hour. As I left him in the hallway at GPC he looked listless and the nurse assured me that she would phone me if there was anything serious. By whose definition of seriousness. They didn't even phone to assure me he was okay.
I told Randy to make sure he made the staff aware he was sick and to my astonishment he indicated he won't. I suggested was it because they would only make it worse and he said yes. When patients/residents are sick and they are afraid to tell staff, there is something seriously seriously wrong.
Randy cannot talk, eat or walk and I had to leave him with staff who would only do his vitals and then ignore him. It is not their job to comfort him; and be at his bedside. I am seventy years old and VCH should be doing everything possible to accommodate Randy and I and not to continue this outrageous banning for what I do not know. Nothing should be for life. There are no grounds for criminal charges so what is their unreasonable reasoning for this. I was told Napolean Ostrow does not like my blog. There would be no blog if from the beginning if VCH treated me and Randy with respect and compassion. I remember before Randy went to GPC I spoke to the head nurse at VGH the day before he moved about where he was going to be moved and Jill said she did not know. Subsequently I found out Jill knew for three weeks ahead of time as it was her job to arrange the move and she didn't tell me. Why not. I found out by accident. It was either a poor joke or VCH was going to hide Randy under the protection of the Public Guardian and Trustee Act as they told me they planned on doing and I could go on with my life. .
I harmed no one. I was trying to be friendly and helpful.. I had no idea that my intentions would cause me post traumatic stress and I dare not think what it has done to Randy. I still haven't got my independent investigation of the cause of my humiliation.
My opinion of GPC is that it is a minimum security prison with day passes for its residents and a criminal subculture to match.
There is a recent book out there called: Escape from Camp 14 and everyone should read it.
.
112,225
Today being May 9 2012 while I had Randy at home I noticed around 4:00 p.m. that he was hot. He seemed to have a fever but I wasn't sure. I was worried because he was having heavy secretions but when the RT phoned she assured me that was okay but I neglected to tell her of the suspected fever. And later his trach secretions were getting thicker and slightly yellow. At 7:00 p.m. I felt his body and he was freezing cold. I had already wrapped him in a heavy fleece blanket and I phoned GPC and told him of the above and was told to wrap him in a blanket. I told GPC I was returning Randy by bus and should be there in one-half hour. As I left him in the hallway at GPC he looked listless and the nurse assured me that she would phone me if there was anything serious. By whose definition of seriousness. They didn't even phone to assure me he was okay.
I told Randy to make sure he made the staff aware he was sick and to my astonishment he indicated he won't. I suggested was it because they would only make it worse and he said yes. When patients/residents are sick and they are afraid to tell staff, there is something seriously seriously wrong.
Randy cannot talk, eat or walk and I had to leave him with staff who would only do his vitals and then ignore him. It is not their job to comfort him; and be at his bedside. I am seventy years old and VCH should be doing everything possible to accommodate Randy and I and not to continue this outrageous banning for what I do not know. Nothing should be for life. There are no grounds for criminal charges so what is their unreasonable reasoning for this. I was told Napolean Ostrow does not like my blog. There would be no blog if from the beginning if VCH treated me and Randy with respect and compassion. I remember before Randy went to GPC I spoke to the head nurse at VGH the day before he moved about where he was going to be moved and Jill said she did not know. Subsequently I found out Jill knew for three weeks ahead of time as it was her job to arrange the move and she didn't tell me. Why not. I found out by accident. It was either a poor joke or VCH was going to hide Randy under the protection of the Public Guardian and Trustee Act as they told me they planned on doing and I could go on with my life. .
I harmed no one. I was trying to be friendly and helpful.. I had no idea that my intentions would cause me post traumatic stress and I dare not think what it has done to Randy. I still haven't got my independent investigation of the cause of my humiliation.
My opinion of GPC is that it is a minimum security prison with day passes for its residents and a criminal subculture to match.
There is a recent book out there called: Escape from Camp 14 and everyone should read it.
.
112,225
Monday, May 7, 2012
cbc.ca/inthefield (work bullies)
A short CBC radio piece May1,2012 called Work Bullies might serve to help educate. You may be the next bully target. By the time you stand up for yourself you are a "basket case" and no one will help you as now your behavior is weird and you are on your own. Targets of bullying are often well-adjusted, educated and hard workers and at one time very popular ...
Link: cbc.ca/inthefield then look for May 1 2012 then the title Work Bullies.
Also go to my email and assent/comment about Randy's wanting to change the Residentiall Tenacy Act so that comfort pets will be legal on a physician's okay.. Or write to Randy Walker c/o George Pearson Centre 700 West 57th Avenue Vancouver BC V6P 1S1 audreyjlaferriere@gmail.com. We will need 200,000 letters/emails to make this a reality.
111,866
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Link: cbc.ca/inthefield then look for May 1 2012 then the title Work Bullies.
Also go to my email and assent/comment about Randy's wanting to change the Residentiall Tenacy Act so that comfort pets will be legal on a physician's okay.. Or write to Randy Walker c/o George Pearson Centre 700 West 57th Avenue Vancouver BC V6P 1S1 audreyjlaferriere@gmail.com. We will need 200,000 letters/emails to make this a reality.
111,866
.
Friday, May 4, 2012
The Beginning of May
Today I showed Randy a printout of the Randy Michael Walker Foundation blog. The first project is to change the BC Residential Tenancy Act to allow for comfort dogs no matter where. It will give him life and I hope it will give allow others to engage in the process of changing a law to comfort those of us who need the love of a animal in our daily lives. I could see he was proud and he knows it will happen. Far better for him to do this than play "bingo" at the home.
I was very upset for a few days last week. The one day when Randy had a fever and two days when he couldn't get out of bed. I was assured by the nursing staff that he was okay and things like this happen and are expected but I wasn't having anything of it. I didn't believe them. VCH has destroyed my trust of its function. I have been told or not told too many things that are not true so that I have no trust. I sit at home looking at nothing. Wondering how I would react if Randy died. I remember my brother-in-law said that I wasn't to go and see my sister that one day as she was tired and she died and I never saw her again.
111,725
In the beginning, social service agencies are often filled with first generation people who, as one advocate in the community puts it, “have fire in their bellies”.
After the first wave come well-meaning people who have a job.
And then eventually the staff is dominated by risk-averse people who have careers to build and protect.
above quote from blog on web page : Civil Rights Now by Paul Caune, a former resident/patient of George Pearson Centre
,
I was very upset for a few days last week. The one day when Randy had a fever and two days when he couldn't get out of bed. I was assured by the nursing staff that he was okay and things like this happen and are expected but I wasn't having anything of it. I didn't believe them. VCH has destroyed my trust of its function. I have been told or not told too many things that are not true so that I have no trust. I sit at home looking at nothing. Wondering how I would react if Randy died. I remember my brother-in-law said that I wasn't to go and see my sister that one day as she was tired and she died and I never saw her again.
111,725
In the beginning, social service agencies are often filled with first generation people who, as one advocate in the community puts it, “have fire in their bellies”.
After the first wave come well-meaning people who have a job.
And then eventually the staff is dominated by risk-averse people who have careers to build and protect.
above quote from blog on web page : Civil Rights Now by Paul Caune, a former resident/patient of George Pearson Centre
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