In memory of November 11.

I still can't believe what they did to Randy and me.  Those precious hours that I was prevented from being with Randy before he died.  Why.  I still want to know why. Randy wanted to see me so who made the decision that I could not see him. Who, a broken medical system that controls 50% of our economy.  Who are these people.


I could not even see Randy on the sidewalk away from the hospital for a few minutes because it was too much work for our gigantic expensive health system designed for patients to arrange as I was banned from accessing all VCH properties. The first time I met Nurse Ratchet in 2010 when Randy was transferred from VCH to GPC she came down on me dictating that if I wanted to visit Randy, I would have to sign a visitor's contract.  Where did that come from: a visitor's contract.  Later I learned this is common practise.

We speak of the fallen soldiers this day.  What about Randy who believed in justice and in country and in family.  What about him.  What about him being badly treated by denying him his rights by our own government (health care system). They are not suppose to be the enemy. We should not be afraid of them.

What about the mothers in Ontario who spoke on national television that they are afraid to talk after being abused by health professionals when giving birth because their children might need medical attention later on.  What about them.

When people are afraid to talk, then the medical system is the enemy.


I am off to the November 11 memorial service at Hastings and Cambie ... Victory Square.

You do not have to be a soldier to die for your country.  Randy also died for his country.

1:OO PM

I just returned from Victory Square. I was in disbelief, in awe, at what I saw. It was amazing. The square was overrun with people.  Last time I went to a November 11th event at Victoria Square, maybe twenty years ago, there was relatively no one there.  This time, people everywhere.  Children and doggies and friendship. It energized me and my resolve to continue.  It is a movement: a societal shift from love of self to love of country.   Religion and family are being weakened and redefined.  We have an inert need to belong with a purpose.

We were told to leave our $2.00 poppies at the memorial.  My question:  are these poppies recycled.  No one could tell me.  They should be.

A post by a neuro-oncologist in Texas: the way it is

You heard it here first: the uninsured, underinsured, lower socioeconomic
white and minority groups who have no family support will be "encouraged"
to consider assisted suicide when it becomes legal. Why? because those
are the same people who are being neglected and murdered by our healthcare
system now.”

“Physicians are under increasing pressure to not offer patients care.
Sometimes this pressure comes from the hospital or medical staff, sometimes
from the insurance company. One medical staff chief tried to force me to
withdraw from the hospital staff because the nursing staff had complained
to him that taking care of brain tumor patients is "depressing." Another
hospital tried to prevent my patients from being admitted to the ICU
because "it's a waste of resources." I have had numerous calls from
insurance case managers wanting to know why my patients were admitted
instead of being referred for hospice. One of my patients, a thirty year
survivor, was told by his insurance company that he should "consider"
hospice. And this is a man who has a KPS of 90 and has been in remission
over 25 years!


A like scenario happens in Canadian hospitals each day. 

from ALERT
 

Kathryn Judson, Oregon

Doctors use this type of rationalization to coerce DNRs and withdrawals of treatment.  Although the below happened in Oregon, I was a witness to it happening in Canada. 

Sometimes doctors take the lead in assisting suicide. The following classic letter from an Oregonian is an example.
"Dear Editor, 
Hello from Oregon. 
When my husband was seriously ill several years ago, I collapsed in a half-exhausted heap in a chair once I got him into the doctor's office, relieved that we were going to get badly needed help (or so I thought). 
To my surprise and horror, during the exam I overheard the doctor giving my husband a sales pitch for assisted suicide. 'Think of what it will spare your wife, we need to think of her' he said, as a clincher. 
Now, if the doctor had wanted to say 'I don't see any way I can help you, knowing what I know, and having the skills I have' that would have been one thing. If he'd wanted to opine that certain treatments weren't worth it as far as he could see, that would be one thing. But he was tempting my husband to commit suicide. And that is something different. 
I was indignant that the doctor was not only trying to decide what was best for David, but also what was supposedly best for me (without even consulting me, no less). 
We got a different doctor, and David lived another five years or so. But after that nightmare in the first doctor's office, and encounters with a 'death with dignity' inclined nurse, I was afraid to leave my husband alone again with doctors and nurses, for fear they'd morph from care providers to enemies, with no one around to stop them. 
It's not a good thing, wondering who you can trust in a hospital or clinic. Sincerely,
Kathryn Judson, Oregon"

3

Choice is an Illusion, a blog

Many jurisdictions without legal assisted suicide (medical aid in dying) Bill C-14 already have a significant problem with some doctors and nurses administering lethal drugs to non-consenting, non-dying patients. Or use other questionable end-of-life possible options. 

If you can't control the abuses now, why would you give doctors and nurses more power to abuse patients by legalizing it?

What is happening goes beyond euthanasia, it is the blatant abuse that is an everyday "doubling" practice.  These professionals hasten death because they believe that is best for whatever reason and then they go home to their families and churches without regret.  

If a patient asks for euthanasia, then, it is an expedited "green light."


 

How mean GPC was

I came across a memo dated February 2014 saying that a friend of mine and Randy's who was visiting Randy was told that he was not allowed to use his cell phone so Randy could hear my voice because Randy was not allowed to communicate with me.  This is how George Pearson Centre behaves.  Outrageous.  My bereavement over Randy's death is now escalating into a slow rage, justifiably so.  Who told Ro Ang to do this.  Ro Ang is the manager of George Pearson Centre and she caused us much pain and demoralisation and robbed us of being together during the last  months of his life. She managed to get me banned from George Pearson Centre. The staff was afraid of me as I might take a picture of them.  I could not see Randy. Instead of discussing any concerns she had, she reported me to the Public Guardian and Trustee. Why.  Randy was dying and she created a summit conference in January 2014 with the PGT to make sure I never saw Randy alive again.  And we must not forget that she was advised by VCH's lawyers that it was okay to do this. This woman did not even attempt to manage the situation. What did Richard say, zero tolerance.  I was 70-years old then. What did I do that was so grievous. What was grievous was Ro refusing to give me one of Randy's baseball caps (Steelers) so I could put it in his coffin.  No, that was not possible I was told because the cap was Randy's and not mine.  And, just as grievous was she would not let me go to Randy's memorial service or talk to any of Randy's friends.  Immediately after VCH had a meeting with the PGT in January 2014, I was 100% banned. These agencies are good at endorsing each other's recommendations "consults" that they can do what they want hyperbolized with "on the advice of its lawyer." The Public Guardian and Trustee supposedly an independent semi-judicial body, it is a body that has unique statutory powers, but it seems to do exactly what VCH expects of them.   Randy was a quad, could not talk as he had a tach, and he was often unresponsive because he was depressed.  They never asked me if Randy was depressed so they labelled him incompetent.  Of course, Randy would be depressed as he knew he was dying and he was prevented from seeing me.  Ro had a vindictive agenda, a path to ensure that I would never see Randy again. I can see her and her co-workers going to Whistler on a paid retreat to discuss me wanting to visit Randy and how to prevent it. Lamenting over drinks. I caught social workers laughing at me behind my back.  Perhaps, GPC concurred that it was in Randy's best interest to be divorced from me. That was not up to her to decide, it was up to Randy.  And to think she is still employed robbing others of their rights. Egregiously, mean.  But then she was of the opinion that Randy had no quality of life and that he should have a DNR/DNT on him. DNRs are dangerous as they can hasten death.

Help needed to tenant "teardowns"

One of my concerns is the lack of affordable rental housing.  In the Cambie, Granville, Oakridge neighbourhoods, there are hundreds of teardowns are vacant and could be rented even for a short period of time.  I was told that we should contact City Hall.

I have drafted out the following and if you so want can you call 311 and voice your opinion.

On Cambie I know of ten rental homes/houses on ONE block that are vacant because the new owners want to demolish them and rebuild.  The new owner might just want to flip them as it is easier to resell if the property is vacant. Or there maybe other reasons.

Such homes could be rerented until all the permits are issued which could take years. The may be  proposed $10,000 City fine for vacant units will not apply to teardowns. The vacant tax is designed for long term rentals not teardowns.


These homes are vacant, some are boarded up, they are an invitation to be vandalized, and for arson. Empty homes are a public safety issue.  A danger that the public purse will pay for.

The Riley Park housing complex (Little Mountain) was demolished eight years ago and it is still not developed.

Short term rentals would be good for students and families who are in housing transition.

Phone 311 "feedback" and ask 311 to message "Mayor and Council" and the "Housing Department." Say you want the teardowns to be rented until legitimate construction starts. Or email: housing@vancouver.ca.


Every call is put into the 311 data base for statistical purposes. 311 is open seven days a week from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm.

My cousin and the Power of Attorney Act

There it is:

19(3)  An attorney must do all of the following:

 

( a)  to the extent reasonable, give priority when managing the adult's financial affairs to meeting the personal care and health care needs of the adult;

( b)  unless the enduring power of attorney states otherwise, invest the adult's property only in accordance with the Trustee Act;

( c)  to the extent reasonable, foster the independence of the adult and encourage the adult's involvement in any decision-making that affects the adult;

( d)  not dispose of property that the attorney knows is subject to a specific testamentary gift in the adult's will, except if the disposition is necessary to comply with the attorney's duties;

( e)  to the extent reasonable, keep the adult's personal effects at the disposal of the adult.

My cousin managed to break four of these terms.  I do not know about (b).

For those that have not read my posts about my cousin who put my aunt in a nursing home/assisted living home on numerous occasions from 2014 to 2016 (see (d)) in an attempt to sell her home from out from under her so that upon her death her home no longer existed.  Her designated beneficiary was her church.  He did not consult with her.  He also did not consult with her honestly when he arranged to dispose of my aunt's car which was in excellent condition although it was 50 years old.  It was not a pile of junk which is what he told my aunt. 

I blame the lawyer, Debra Burden, who drew the power of attorney who did not impress on my cousin what his duties were.  She should have had him sign off on the above clause.

The most important part of this is (c) he cannot do anything unless my aunt is aware of whatever he is doing.  She was and is competent.  He cannot go behind her back.  How dare he.

I would like to know why the Public Guardian and Trustee did not rescind Allan Barton's power of attorney.