It has been two months since Kip Woodward the Chairman of Vancouver Coastal Health promised to post his email address on his bio on the VCH website. I suspect Napolean Ostrow is stomping his feet and shaking his fists saying to Kip that he doesn't have the budget to ask a low-level tech to add Kip's email address to his bio. Poor powerless Kip; poor powerless the Board; poor us the one-million plus of us who use Vancouver Coastal Health. My grandmother would call this shameful behavior but in today's world there is no such thing as shame. But then the Board might not be aware of what its true function is: it is to audit the policies that exist and the only way the Board might suspect something needs auditing is from complaints/suggestions from the public.
.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Telephones
Since I couldn't visit with Randy for our two hours yesterday as he was very tired (depressed)I called this morning at 10:30 and left a message for Randy to call me before 1:00. I am allowed to telephone Randy on the days I do not see him. (I made sure that I got permission so I could do this and was told that an email was sent to the ward.} No return call. At 1:30 I telephoned and said that I would be going to GPC and drop off two pictures for him as well as some yellow roses. This I did. I then tried to telephone Randy's nurse to hear if Randy was happy with the roses and the pictures. The head nurse who answered the phone said Helen was coming to answer the phone and then she asked my name and then she said that Helen was too busy and that I wasn't allowed to phone the ward on weekends or go to GPC on weekends. This is not true. The only stipulation now is that I cannot go down Ward 2 as a number of the residents are apparently afraid of me unless accompanied by a supervisor for two to five minutes on the days Randy's isn't up to seeing me. Staff must be reinforcing their fear of I do not know what. This phantom fear has been going on for six months now and surely those that had the fear dictated to them should have gotten over it by now. Or maybe it is not a fear maybe it is just that three or four of the residents just don't like me. I do not know for sure.
After the 3:00 pm shift change I have been trying to phone Randy and the calls are sent to voice mail and I left two voice messages. The last phone call at 9:30 p.m. said for the shift RN to call me. It is now 10:32 the next day Sunday and no one has phoned me from GPC. This isn't an isolated incident. It is the way GPC works. After awhile you give up trying to phone. Oh well, another day, and another phone call to a voice answering machine (10:33 am). I feel that I am a prisoner to waiting for a phone call. For general information up to three weeks ago it never occurred to me that I could phone and talk to Randy. Another don't ask don't tell scenario by staff. I only found out from another resident who said her daughter would call her when she could get someone to answer the phone and the nurse would give the wireless to her. In Randy's case since he cannot talk the only way I know he can hear me is when I ask him to breathe heavily into the phone and quickly before two minutes are up (the seconds are guided by the second hand on my clock) I end the conversation as a nurse is holding the phone to Randy's ear. I can't chance them saying I am taking nursing staff time from during their duties and cutting off this one-sided unable to see communication. There even is a You Tube video found under abuses in nursing homes in the US about staff deflecting phone calls. So it is an universal practice.
I phoned at 1:33 p.m. Sunday and was able to talk to a real person and she connected me with Randy. I asked him if he was disappointed that I didn't phone him yesterday and he breathed heavily twice...
.
94,222
After the 3:00 pm shift change I have been trying to phone Randy and the calls are sent to voice mail and I left two voice messages. The last phone call at 9:30 p.m. said for the shift RN to call me. It is now 10:32 the next day Sunday and no one has phoned me from GPC. This isn't an isolated incident. It is the way GPC works. After awhile you give up trying to phone. Oh well, another day, and another phone call to a voice answering machine (10:33 am). I feel that I am a prisoner to waiting for a phone call. For general information up to three weeks ago it never occurred to me that I could phone and talk to Randy. Another don't ask don't tell scenario by staff. I only found out from another resident who said her daughter would call her when she could get someone to answer the phone and the nurse would give the wireless to her. In Randy's case since he cannot talk the only way I know he can hear me is when I ask him to breathe heavily into the phone and quickly before two minutes are up (the seconds are guided by the second hand on my clock) I end the conversation as a nurse is holding the phone to Randy's ear. I can't chance them saying I am taking nursing staff time from during their duties and cutting off this one-sided unable to see communication. There even is a You Tube video found under abuses in nursing homes in the US about staff deflecting phone calls. So it is an universal practice.
I phoned at 1:33 p.m. Sunday and was able to talk to a real person and she connected me with Randy. I asked him if he was disappointed that I didn't phone him yesterday and he breathed heavily twice...
.
94,222
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Computer down addendum Aug 4 2011
My computer has been done for a few weeks so I haven't posted anything. It has been a nice holiday from reporting my ongoing sojourn with VCH. It has been going on 6 months since my constructive visiting hours were imposed. I can't believe it. In this time of cutbacks management is spending so much time over a patient who was nothing more than a bum and me a 65 year old retired lady who lost 100 pounds over the last year. I owe all this to Kim Sinclair and her team of professionals.
In the event you are not aware of the way patient care is now it is with a "team" of professionals so no one takes any resonsibility for anything. But anyone who has taken psy101 knows all groups by natural selection has a leader who says it is the "team" in any draconian decision making.
I still do not understand their insistence on not giving treatment to those patient that refuse it. It is bizarre. A patient won't want to be in a hospital if they did not want to get well. This is an area of "medical ethics" that is still completely beyond my understanding.
I should remention the reason for the scorn of Kim towards me. Last November 2010 Randy was scheduled to go to die in the infamous George Pearson Centre for three weeks prior to him being transferred. Jill the head neuro nurse just forgot to mention it to me (although the day before I was talking to her) and I found out only by chance from overhearing a student nurse. Randy signed a document witnessed by two naming me as his guardian in case of disability and the hospital had it. Not telling me was deliberate and it got worse after that (more on that later as I still haven't got back my computer).
In the event you are not aware of the way patient care is now it is with a "team" of professionals so no one takes any resonsibility for anything. But anyone who has taken psy101 knows all groups by natural selection has a leader who says it is the "team" in any draconian decision making.
I still do not understand their insistence on not giving treatment to those patient that refuse it. It is bizarre. A patient won't want to be in a hospital if they did not want to get well. This is an area of "medical ethics" that is still completely beyond my understanding.
I should remention the reason for the scorn of Kim towards me. Last November 2010 Randy was scheduled to go to die in the infamous George Pearson Centre for three weeks prior to him being transferred. Jill the head neuro nurse just forgot to mention it to me (although the day before I was talking to her) and I found out only by chance from overhearing a student nurse. Randy signed a document witnessed by two naming me as his guardian in case of disability and the hospital had it. Not telling me was deliberate and it got worse after that (more on that later as I still haven't got back my computer).
Thursday, July 14, 2011
A Concession.
I was able to see Randy on Thursday, Friday and Monday. On Tuesday I was told he didn't want to see me. Being in his presence is very calming for me. Because of the police being called on July 2 2011 I was told my visiting rights would still be restricted to 2:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Friday.
However, one concession was made if Randy said that he didn't want to see me I could go onto the ward to check on him with a supervisor. GPC doesn't want the police to attend again if I want verification that Randy is okay. I need a superviser with me to ensure that I donot disturb any resident. So I am not sure if it is a concession or not.
.
92,253
However, one concession was made if Randy said that he didn't want to see me I could go onto the ward to check on him with a supervisor. GPC doesn't want the police to attend again if I want verification that Randy is okay. I need a superviser with me to ensure that I donot disturb any resident. So I am not sure if it is a concession or not.
.
92,253
Friday, July 8, 2011
720 Hours (30 days) and still waiting
It will be at 11:00 am today 720 hours (30 days: one month) since the Chairman of the Board of Vancouver Coastal Health agreed to post his email address and those of the other Board members on the VCH bio page of directors. (vch.ca)
I suspect Napolean Ostrow is doing everything possible to prevent this from happening. I would like a forensic time line from June 8 2011 as to what has been not been done to comply with this order from the government of VCHA (its Board).
.
90,868
I suspect Napolean Ostrow is doing everything possible to prevent this from happening. I would like a forensic time line from June 8 2011 as to what has been not been done to comply with this order from the government of VCHA (its Board).
.
90,868
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Visiting Randy
I wasn't able to see Randy on Sunday July 3 2011 but on Monday July 4 2011 after having staff deliver Randy a July 4 2011 gift he came out to see me. Although Randy is Canadian he spent most of his life in the USA. Yesterday Tuesday July 5 2011 I was able to see him again. I was so relieved that he was okay that we didn't say much. Just sat close to each other like two old couples. There really isn't too much to say especially when Randy can't talk. Sometimes I can make out that he is moving his lips to say he is not a baby. He was using the room to negotiate his wheelchair. He can only go a few feet with it.
When I am upset I tend to misplace things and now I am tearing my small one room suite apart looking for things. And then to make it worse I get a hydro bill for my new place $160.00 for two months. I live in a 500 square foot basement suite. How can it be that much. I must be totally out of touch with $reality.
Randy conveyed his wish to me yesterday that Joan and Ron his parents come and visit him. I do not know how I can accomplish that miracle. Both of his parents are alive and they live in Casa Grande Arizona. Like all those who have abandoned their famlies to the care of residential care homes, they have too.
When I am upset I tend to misplace things and now I am tearing my small one room suite apart looking for things. And then to make it worse I get a hydro bill for my new place $160.00 for two months. I live in a 500 square foot basement suite. How can it be that much. I must be totally out of touch with $reality.
Randy conveyed his wish to me yesterday that Joan and Ron his parents come and visit him. I do not know how I can accomplish that miracle. Both of his parents are alive and they live in Casa Grande Arizona. Like all those who have abandoned their famlies to the care of residential care homes, they have too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)