I hope it is ok to copy and paste a portion of a newsletter I received. The person is not identified so I don't see the harm. What I do see is how our health system has deteriorated. I wasn't aware of how bad we actually were until COVID hit and the amount of disaster stories that were being told at how horrible people were being treated in old age homes. So many died needlessly and were treated inhuman. Imagine the military needed to be called in to investigate and aide in how we treated our elderly. It was shameful. It was not until I injured myself last summer that I experienced the problems I had when I went to the hospital. I won't repeat my self because I have told you about it in an earlier blog close to when it happened. I left the hospital prepared to die at home if I had to. The security officer apologized to me because he could see the state I was in. Since then I continue to hear the nighmare stories and am so disappointed in how the quality of life in Canada continues to corrode to help the rich because money is pored into private care rather than the public, taking away nurses where they are needed. Why should one life be more important than another because I could afford private care if I wanted it? Not all agree with me because they live comfortably for the moment. This is why I have copied below, so you can see what is happening here. We need to know the facts so we can change it. Having people care for us who are not qualified is not the answer. Terrible:
I have been taken by ambulance to emergency five times in the past seven years to four
different Toronto hospitals.
Given that patient care is no longer what it used to be because of cuts made to healthcare
and a shortage both of physicians and especially nurses, it will not surprise you to hear
that such an experience is hardly pleasant and, from what I have observed, can be
downright dangerous.
Therefore, I will tell you some of the things I observed and what you should do to prepare
yourself in case you ever need to go to emergency. Indeed, there are certain things that
you can do to prevent risks to your health and to make your life easier during that arduous
experience. (However, I am not covering situations where one has been in a car or biking
accident and suffers from broken bones.)
After you arrive, someone from hospital staff will examine you and, if necessary, send
you for CAT scans as well as for blood work. That is, after you have survived the triage.
Each time I arrived by ambulance, I was rapidly triaged. However, in some of the
hospitals, even after triage, it can take several hours before you see a doctor and a friend
told me that he had to wait eight hours before he saw a doctor.
Depending on the location of the hospital, the behavior of patients in the emergency
department can vary greatly. While sometimes the other patients are quiet, in most cases
there is at least one “screamer.” Sleeping is practically impossible. I was very unlucky
the last time as I was put in an area where, by coincidence, there were several patients
who were accompanied by police officers and one was tied to his bed. The screaming,
the swearing, the raging, the verbally assaulting of the nurses were extreme. I ended up
rather traumatized after three days.
What is very different from the past is that there are fewer registered nurses and most
of the patient care is given by PSW’s or Personal Care Workers and nursing assistants.
Another thing that was very annoying is that, because of the lack of nurses, most patients
end up being diapered. Yes! Diapered! At other places, they bring a potty chair next to
your cubicle and this is a great help.
Of the seven times I went to emergency, I was hospitalized only four times and the last
time was for six days because I acquired a serious problem as a result of the lack of
treatment received in the emergency department. I am focusing on that because I have
learned how to prevent some of this in the future if ever I have the unfortunate experience
of returning to one of those places.
When I arrived, I thought that I suffered from low sodium (hyponatremia) which is a
recurrent problem with me that can have serious consequences. However, this was not
the case and they confirmed to me that my sodium level was normal. I could not eat
during my three days in emergency because I had arrived vomiting copiously and my
stomach needed to rehabilitate itself slowly. I was put on an IV feeding which is fine.
However, be warned that you may not be receiving the same medications that you had
at home and you may not be able to take them at the same times as when you are at
home.
Then here comes the kicker. On my third day in emergency, in the morning, a nurse
arrived with about 10 pills that she said I had to take right away. Fortunately, I had
brought with me the list of the medications that I take as well as the time of the day when
I take them. Furthermore, I am a person who does not react very well to medication, and
I have to be started on a very low dosage to make sure that I don't react negatively and
become very sick.
However, the nurse wanted me to take all these pills at the same time, including several
new ones. Because she had brought them all together and because most of them were
white, neither she nor I could figure out which was which. I told her that I was not going
to take them and I finally was able to find the one that I take in the morning and I took
that one. I also told her that it would be a good idea if I got some salt which I take when
I’m at home.
She said "I don't know what you're talking about and I will have to ask the doctor." Now,
asking a doctor is not something that happens immediately and can take a whole day.
As a result, when I was transferred to a ward upstairs, I was diagnosed with suffering
from low sodium. And, remember, I had arrived with a perfect sodium score. In other
words, I had acquired an iatrogenic illness something that happens to about 25% of
people who go to hospitals.
I was put in a very nice room with two elderly ladies like me. It was peaceful and the
nurses were pleasant and competent. And it is only at that time that they were able to
10sort out my pill situation. I was still on IV feeding for the entire duration of my 3-day stay
in Emergency. And I was finally taken out of these diapers and given a potty chair next
to me!!
However, don't expect a nurse or an assistant to come running to you if you press on
the call button to ask for help. You may have to call four times in a single hour to see
anyone to help you unless you decide to start yelling. And, ladies, this is the second time
that I noticed that male patients received a prompter response than us women.
How to Prepare Yourself
Have someone with you.
The most important thing for a patient to arrive at emergency or to a regular ward is to
bring a friend or a family member who know about your case. The friend can go and get
help when you need it. But, especially, he or she can advocate for you when your
medications are not the proper ones or when care is not arriving on time.
Actually, when I go to visit my doctors at the hospital, including some specialists, I always
bring either a friend with me or my nephew. I have noticed that doctors give me more
information and pay more attention to my real needs when I am so accompanied.
Your list of medications
What probably saved my life the last two times I went to the emergency room was that I
had my list of medications along with the time of the day when I take them. This was my
saving grace.
Have a carry-on emergency bag ready
After my second hospitalization, I prepared a carry-on emergency bag in which I have a
change of clothes because generally I have left in my night gowns. Little by little, I have
added the following items to my emergency bag -small toothbrush and toothpaste,
hairbrush, small mirror, and whatever other objects related to your physical grooming
that are important to you.
Also important may be a bag of digestive cookies because meals come three times a
day and you're not always hungry at the same time. Chewing gum may be helpful along
with a pack of anti nausea pills, such as Gravol Ginger.
11Bring your own meds
Now I have finally learned my lesson and I now include these 7-day little pill containers
in my emergency bag so that I can take my pills in the correct order if I ever go back to
the hospital. That way I can be sure to take the right meds and not develop a hospital
created disease. Every month, I take all of these pills and exchange them with a new
batch so that they don't expire in terms of their viability.
Finally, bring your cell phone and a charger. The nurses generally are very cooperative
and help you plug it in somewhere. And keep it in your bed with you.
It's also important to think about what NOT to bring with you. Leave as many jewels
behind as possible. Bring maybe $20 to $40 in cash. No credit or debit cards. Nothing
expensive that could be stolen."
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