Tagged With "Geriatrics"

Sometimes life throws a curve ball and the best you can do is bunt. It's been almost two weeks since my nearly 80 yo mother fell at home and dragged herself towards the phone, using her walking stick to knock the handset onto the floor to call 911. Not wanting to alarm her neighbor's she asked that the ambulance drive up without their siren. I received a call from my mom's cell phone and I was surprised to hear a mans voice - the EMT - my mom was being transported by ambulance..... at the...

Karen, clearly it's a good thing you are there to advocate for her. Your comments have made me rethink some of the issues I've been dealing with in terms of caring for my parents, so thank you for raising this matter. I think as many of us are or become involved in the care of our parents, we will see the system of care in a new light. Within the healthcare system, there is far too much pressure to address the presenting problem and not acknowledge the person or underlying issue.

Thank you for sharing this story, Karen! A friend of mine just posed on facebook today a similar experience of feeling despondent in a hospital setting. His two year old son is a patient at the Children's Hospital in Oakland, and is undergoing very painful procedures. My friend was struggling to be a strong, supportive parent as his tiny, dear child suffered. Shouldn't "care" include best efforts to mitigate trauma as it occurs and certainly to be sensitive to compounding trauma from the...

First of all, Karen, I am so sorry for your mother and yourself. Secondly, there are few times that people feel more vulnerable than when there is a medical emergency. We are so dependent on the care of others, and anytime that care is not trauma-informed, it is less than quality care. I think this is a very BIG issue. We don't necessarily choose our medical providers because they are people that show compassion. We choose people that are smart and like to read books and study chemistry!