Dr. Stilwell October 20 2012

Greetings!

Dr. Stilwell wanted me to extend an invitation to you (and anyone else you would like to join) to attend the Senior's Advisory Council that she and the Minister of State for Seniors, the Honourable Ralph Sultan, will be holding on Saturday October 20th from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm at the Oakridge Senior's Centre. They will be discussing pressing issues that affect seniors on a day to day basis as well as possible resolutions.

  

I attended this meeting wanting to voice two of my many concerns during question period and even before I had the occasion to say anything a loud mouth in the audience said he didn't want to hear them.  My concerns are pressing and urgent that affects all of us on a day to day basis.
1.  no one should be banned from being with a patient except by court order
2.  DNR Orders should not be sought from patients by doctors in Emergency

I am convinced that the heckler was a plant to unsettle and deflect me from saying anything.  How could I not have seen it at the time.

I have given up the coat of privacy a long time ago and so anything I would say is public.

Phone System and Television

Like yesterday I phoned ahead of time twice to tell staff I would be arriving to see Randy at 7:45 p.m.  No answer; just a busy signal.  Security walked me down to see Randy and he was in his bed starring at his television with no audio.  Someone had undone his headphone and there was no sound. I put it on CNN which seems to please Randy.  I then became emotional and walked away from Randy with tears in my eyes. How many hundreds of days has his television not been put on so he could hear it.  Being banned gives licence to staff to just ignore a quad who cannot talk. And a licence to bully a crazy 70 years old woman who is investing what is left of her time to be a comfort advocate for a quad who has no quality of life. Why would anyone even what to care for Randy or even to talk to me...

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GPC Phone System

I just tried to phone Randy in Ward 2, 604-322-8370, it was busy.  I then called the main number 604-321-3231 and she said that Ward 2's phone was busy and no there was no way I could leave a message as when the phones are busy you cannot leave a message as the phone system is not programmed to do this task. And the best thing I could do is phone back later ... and so my frustration goes on and on.

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The Rain on Sunday

During these past weeks the only thing that cheered me up was the rain yesterday.  Not the rain but rather the doggies who found a ditch full of pure rain water and they went for it.  Their happiness follicking in the water transferred to me.  

Nothing to Say

It isn't that I have nothing to say it is just lately so many things have happened that I can't say anything.  Even the comfort of my blog is overwhelming. 

I Found Ray

I found Ray.  It wasn't that difficult.  I went up to the PAU (Psych Assessment Unit) at Vancouver General Hospital.  I introduced myself explaining that I would like to visit him.

Upon visiting Ray he said that he wanted me to phone legal aid as he wanted out of the PSU and he gave me a phone number.  The phone number was incorrect.  I then went to the nurses station to ask them for a phone number for a mental health advocate.

The three nurses there explained that Ray did not need a lawyer as he was not CERTIFIED and he was there of his own free will and he could leave at any time..

I asked Ray did he know this and he said NO.

I do not understand Vancouver Coastal Health.

George Pearson Centre  won't give out his forwarding address/location after he was abruptly moved from his bed two weeks ago Friday as reported to me by other residents at GPC.(it is the policy of VCH not to tell anyone any new location and that includes other residents) and yet Ray's liberty and security of person was taken away from him as he was imprisoned in a ward under lock at VGH and that violation of Ray's human rights by VCH seems to be okay.






 

Where is Ray

The same thing that happened to me when Randy was transferred to George Pearson Centre in 2011 has now happened to Ray, a resident at GPC.  No one know where he is.  On Friday I was told he was carted out in an ambulance to VGH.  On Sunday I went to VGH to visit him and was told that he wasn't there.  I then asked the social worker at GPC and he said it was against the law for him to give out any information on anyone.

I just talked to a religious minister, a priest not associated with GPC, and he said it was just as bad for him.  He can't even say hi to residents/patients in the hallway for fear he will lose his visiting privileges.  He can only see residents/patients if they ask for him.

So it is true when Nurse Rachet told me so many years ago that I was not allowed to speak to anyone unless I was spoken to first.  What a sick sick environment VCH is.  They are doing everything to make people isolated and alone. What is the point of caring when you are not allowed to care.

When I said how is Ray suppose to know if I want to visit him if I can't ask him because  I do not know where he is. The social worker said it was the law.  There are ways of interpreting the law and VCH has done it to save money and maintain the status quo. I am currently waiting for a copy of the law I asked him to give to me.

I am very worried about Ray.  He was telling me for weeks that he was being given meds that made him think crazy.  If he has gone crazy and he does not want to see me okay but if he has gone crazy and he wants to see me then that is something else.

When Randy disappeared in 2010 I was devastated. It doesn't matter if you are family, friend or foe.  VGH will tell no one where they move you.  You are just gone.
 
An argument can be made that everyone's "security of person" is taken away when hospitals hide behind privacy. How can anyone be secure in a hospital setting that hides (imprisons) patients.

If a visitor harasses a resident/patient then there are criminal sanctions.  When did VCH decide to separate friends and family from visiting patients by making contact so difficult that a caring person gives to frustration and a sense of helplessness. And the patient/resident thinks that no one cares and not even knowing a no contact order has been placed on him and all mail is returned to sender. What of the pyschological pain this is causing. Who is responsible for that.

Remember Policeman Dave Dixon who told the sister of one of Pickton's victims for the sister not to worry because the sister was in rehab and didn't want anyone to visit. This went on for two years.  If the police can lie so can VCH.

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