Can We Talk about Health Care?

In my years of nursing I have seen many things.  Some of these things make me laugh, some make me cry, some make me down right angry and some just leave me shaking my head.

Our governments are trying to feed us the line that our Canadian public health care system is no longer feasible,and that we must introduce private health care.  I say phooey on them.  The public system is sustainable what we need to do is look at how and where the monies are being spent and start to get some kahunas and make some real hard ethical decisions on how health care is delivered.

We are all going to die, that is inevitable.  Some of us are going to die sooner than others.  Heart breaking as that is, it's just the basic and simple truth.  So why do we as a society insist on prolonging something that is inevitable?

I know this topic is going to get some folks backs up, but really, we have to look at some of the things we do in health care to prolong life.

Let's look at one area in particular.  Dear beloved grandma or grandpa who is 80, 85 or maybe even 95 years old who have severe dementia have fallen and fractured their hip.  They are rushed to the hospital and now put in a very strange environment, they become increasingly more confused and in some cases combative.  The surgeon tells the family he can fix grandma's hip and of course the family go along with what ever the surgeon says.  So grandma under go's surgery, oh did I mention that grandma also has severe cardiac issues and COPD?  Yes well grandma goes and has her surgery and comes out on a ventilator, the doctors tell you oh that it will only be temporary, but grandma now has to go to the ICU.  Do you really think this is what grandma wanted?  Grandma makes it off the ventilator and out of the ICU, but she is by no means ready to go back home.  She goes to a surgical ward and then a medical ward, where because she is now demonstrating that there is no way she can go back home she sits in a hospital bed waiting for placement.

Not long ago the health care system would have just given grandma medication to keep her comfortable.  Yes she might have been bed ridden  but she would be made comfortable.  Think about this, grandma had to have surgery and so did the young 48 year old who fell off a ladder while working and got a head injury...he came into the hospital hours after grandma but grandma took the last ICU bed so now what?

WE as a society have to start making some tough decisions on where we will allow our health care practitioners to take us.  Ethics enters this arena. When you become a doctor you take an oath to sustain life at any cost.  Well I think it is this oath that has skewed how care is delivered.  Again, please don't get me wrong but I look back 25 years ago  when my sister went into premature labour at 5 and 6th months. Three times this happen to her.  She endured labour like any other woman but the outcome was not the delivery of a healthy child.  In those days it was unheard of for babies to live at 23 or 26 weeks.  Now days they are saving babies some as young as 20 weeks gestation.  Mom's and dad's are thrilled that the technology is there to save their precious bundle, but what about the long term effects?  Research is now showing us that even though these babies are being saved the long term health effects are huge and hence a cost on the health care system.

So let's ask ourselves, where do we draw the line, when do you say enough is enough, when do we allow nature to just take it's course?

I have never spoken as blatantly about this as I have today. I have eluded to this topic when I posted about Living Wills and Code status.  We as a society need to take a good hard look at where we draw the line. It's not an easy decision or topic to talk about but we have to.  Death is part of living, we know at some point we are all going to die.

I think we all need to start talking about this, don't you?

Lest We Forget

This Friday November 11th is Remembrance Day.  A day dedicated to our war veterans.  A day where we take a moment  to remember those who lost their lives to keep our country safe.  My daughters grandfather is a WWII veteran.  He was in the navy.  My father in law is a Korean veteran.  Both of these men put their lives on the line for their country, and for that I am thankful and thanks doesn't seem to be enough.  How many of us would voluntarily sign up for something when you knew you might not return?  I don't think to many.

On Friday my father in law will attend our local Remembrance day celebration and lay a wreath in remembrance of his fellow soldiers who lost their lives in the Korean war.

Thank you Bill and Reg for your service and dedication to your country.  We will never forget!