Still the Same

Since Feburary 5 2012 nothing has changed. I am suffering from total exhaustion. All I can do is it seems is to go and see Randy for a few hours then come home to rest. At least he is eating but then for how long.

Yesterday we went on an outing which he has power over. He pointed his finger in a direction and I pushed his wheelchair. We ended up at Oakridge mall where we went shopping for doggie food. He picked out the food by grabbing it and the treats would fall to the floor which I picked up. He even paid the cashier with the $20 bill I gave him and then he hide the $5.00 change (paper bill) under his shirt. He will need an incredible amount of rehab before he is better.

This afternoon we went to Oakridge again. The improvement in him observing the world was inspiring. A 180 degree change from his behavior at George Pearson Center. I have to get him out of there more often.

There is very little stimulation at GPC. Its purpose is only to keep its residents alive It is boring, confining and depressing. You lay in bed seeing it as your coffin.

If you are in a good mood it will take only sixty seconds before someone stalks you or says something that will annoy you. The cancer that is in GPC will only grow. This will happen because of the 80% who know or refuse to know what is going on, which allows the 20% to cause chaos. Bullying. If staff worked in the real world and they showed disrespect to a customer, they would be fired. However in VCH it is the other way around.

I purchased two baseball hats for Randy from the Bay and he carefully chose them, wore one and the other one he carefully put it in his small mexican burlap bag which hangs on his wheelchair. He was just into everything that was happening. He even took a chocolate from Purdy's which I paid for. His face looked intelligent, mischieveous and he was self-assured. He was Randy again. After two years he is back. I hope he will be back tomorrow as well. (this paragraph posted at 9:00 pm Sunday).

106,182

Things Were Still Getting Worse

From my last post Randy did not start eating again although there was a day or two that I thought he was taking his units of feed again. It wasn't until 2 February 2012(Thursday) that he told me he took five units by showing me five fingers and staff confirmed it and on Friday and Saturday he also took his cans of liquid food. Prior to that for what seemed like forever he was only agreeing to one or two units. These past weeks have been torturing. I still do not understand VCH's policy which was allowing Randy to slowing starve to death. Food and water is not refusing treatment like chemotherapy; it is a necessity for life.

I feel totally beaten and demoralized.

post

Nothing will ever change at GPC

When Randy first was admitted to GPC (November 20 2010)I questioned why was a visitor allowed to cook gourmet meals in the community kitchen in Ward 2. The Residents policy guide prohibits it. Other residents and visitors including the Residents Council and CARMA also have aromatic food brought in. I was under the impression that this was not happening any more. This afternoon a pizza was delivered to Ward 2 The delivery guy said he delivers pizza nearly everyday to Ward 2.Since I am banned from entering Ward 2 I do not know what is happening there. GPC forbids fragrant flowers but yet it allows the fragrance of food to permeate the ward. The smell of freshly cooked food must be torture for Randy.

Randy has been going crazy these past few weeks as he wanted to eat real food and as a result he refused to eat. I was so scared that he would get weak and then a pneumonia. Since GPC has a policy of not forcing a patient to do anything, Randy was starving. Since Randy's accident he has been feed by tubes. I do not know what happened but yesterday he started to take his stomach feed again. And now he has to deal with the smell of a pizza tonight. GPC has a large carpeted dinning/activity room which is very comfortable with microwaves, vending machines and catered food can be eaten there or purchased from GPC's kitchen.

I also asked for a photocopy of the feed flow chart of when and how manytimes Randy refused his feed from December 15 2011 until now. Like always anything important to me, GPC just neglects to follow through. Even though Randy signed the directive, GPC just ignored it.

I thought things were going to change ... Poor Randy and the indiferrence of those who are suppose to be caring for him including the Residents Council.
.
104,355

Marina Kogan

I went to see Marina this evening. I can't believe her. At 78 she is living on the edge. I couldn't do what she is doing. Putting her life on the line. She was able to get CTV to do a story about her eviction but Vancouver Native Housing still hasn't rescinded its Possession Order for her apartment. No one should get evicted from social housing. Portland Hotel Society never evicts anyone so there is no reason for Vancouver Native Housing to do so.

Randy isn't doing too well. How can I not worry.
.

December 31st 2011

I have been seeing Randy every day over the Christmas weekend and week. This afternoon we did the letterboard thing (a letterboard is a sheet of paper with the alphabet on it). We hadn't done the letterboard for a long time. It is very time consuming as Randy's motor ability to focus his finger on a letter is difficult. It is like playing charades without action. I was able to slowly put together what he wanted to say: I have bad memories. I am afraid. I want food.

During the week there was one incident and one situation. Both are stressful. The one incident is so stupid I do not want to discuss it and the situation I am working on for it to be resolved. I always say to myself things cannot get any worse and then they do.

During the week I was able to observe in the hallway the poster children of GPC who passed by (those who documented on You Tube how wonderful GPC was). They had the freedom of GPC (24/7) and I had only my allotted time and allotted space and the flashbacks of what Linda Rose told me last summer: I would never be given anything further and if Randy was on his death bed I would not be allowed on Ward 2. This was the woman who promised me that VCH would do an independent investigation and then changed her mind. When Randy was returned to VGH in August of 2011 because of an unexpected life threatening infection at first I was allowed to see Randy during normal visiting hours and which I did for two weeks then Linda Rose found outI was there and then a no contact order was issued so that no one could see Randy and I could only see him for 10 minutes a day if I phoned ahead of time. I never phoned I just showed up for my ten minutes at the end of the day. I was told by a nurse that the time was restricted because I had issues. What issues?

I still do not know what terrible harm I did and VCH doesn't have to tell me. Legally Vancouver Coastal Health doesn't have to: no due process. Like an employer doesn't have to tell you why he fired you. VCH has policies that suggest due process but there is no way to enforce them. And it is hiding behind the fact that GPC is on private property and it does not have to justify its decision to prevent a trespass. The victims are everyone of us -- the one million citizens who depend on VCH but cannot trust it. VCH has no respect for individual rights only its collective will to be legally corrupt i.e. not do the right thing. The right thing is what a "reasonable man" you and I would expect and in this case due process. But then VGH can't be reasonable as it is not a thinking person.

What I do not understand is why is it thatI am a threat to the safety of the staff, residents and visitors to GPC and yet I am allowed isolated freedom to visit Randy. Would I not also be a threat to him?

Marina Kogan

I dropped by Marina Kogan's apartment (604-681-0648) yesterday evening. Charlie Smith wrote about her in the Georgia Straight last Thursday. She is being evicted because her apartment is a bit cluttered (the "bit" came from the landlord in various inspection reports). Marina is no different than other Russian immigrants who have always lived in small spaces which is what social housing is and saves everthing because of economics i.e. she may never be able to afford to buy such an item again. Everything is stacked up neat and tidy and there was no smell of decaying cardboard. All the bulk food was in extra large containers. She mentioned that at the hearing to get her evicted that Eddy the big boss of the Vancouver Native Housing Society said that he wanted her out as soon as possible. Eddy is in the business of housing difficult people and he can't handle her. I spoke to the prior manager of Pendera and he told me he couldn't see any reason why Marina should be evicted. Marina is making no effort to move as she has decided to commit suicide if she is forced out of her home. She is at an age when many retired people do. Eddy is written up on the internet that he makes sure all his tenants are rehoused if one place is not appropriate. So with all the thousands of housing units his non-profit has why hasn't he found one for a 78 year old Russian lady. Better yet negotiate with her to store her extra stuff in an offsite storage unit. A contract could be made listing the furniture items and personal items even the quanity of food Marina is allowed to keep in her small apartment. No matter what. She is not moving. As a side note the Portland Hotel Society who manages many many buildings, NEVER NEVER evicts anyone. The problem with Marina and Eddy is that thers is a clash of cultures. And I suspect he nor anyone from the RTA ever visited her apartment. A RTA Possession Order can be torn-up at anytime by a landlord.