I'm glad this week is nearly done. We squared away the hospice situation for my father, which I thought might help his frame of mind, but it became just another turn on the dimmer switch darkening an already heavy shadowed mood. Nothing ever seems to be good enough. It is always too many on hand or not enough. Porridge too hot, porridge too cold. But, nearing the end of days what does anyone expect?
My dad has an adage regarding his late stage in life, "These are not the golden years, these are the rust years." I know my dad could not name one Neil Young song, but he certainly summed one up brilliantly. Now it becomes a finite waiting game. I will say his current care is probably the best he has experienced in a long, long while. Lots of attention with a variety of people to interact with from Chaplains to nurses to social workers to doctors, all very pleasant and understanding. If only the health care situation for those who don't have a set end-date were so thoughtfully constructed.
My dad's health care in the past has been like many in this country. A problem that made a journey to the doctor necessary, which was met with a brief visit and exam with the ubiquitous prescription to mask the pain or control a problem which would remain. For most of my dad's ailments, whether it was the irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), or the limited blood flow and oxygen intake (Chronic Obstruction Pulmonary Disease and Cardiovascular Disease). The short and sweet version is defined as getting up in years with too much smoke on the lungs, which hurts the heart. Take some more drugs, which slow you to a crawl, and when you cannot crawl any longer meet your new attendants.
All hospices accept Medicare that I checked out. I'm not sure what the future of hospice will be for all those who didn't put away the million dollar retirement package. Given our current battle to provide universal health care coverage, and the blow-back from the entrenched conglomerate interests who not only control the insured in this country but the government as well, I am becoming more and more resigned that not much change will happen for health care in these United Stupids of America.
There is news out this week that there will be no votes from Republicans to put a government single-payer option program into play as part of health care reform. There are Democrats who do not want this option????? A health care plan gets unveiled soon, but the whole process may be in jeopardy due to our failed economy, and the onslaught of conservative pundit rhetoric that the sky is filled with socialists and they are all falling on you with plans to ration your health care.
I don't know about you, but rationing by rescission, by ever increasing premiums with higher out of pocket expenditures and having insurance bureaucrats dictate what treatments you should receive, and when, seems to be the norm in this country already.
But rest assured for those nearing the end of the trail, hospice is still there. Given the head splitting loud anti-tax drum it probably will not be a social service provided through a government program in the not too distant future. You will be looking ahead to real premiums from real insurers to cover your real end of days, which will leave you and yours with what you came into the world with.
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