What now with care of the elderly

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Dear All,

Over the last few weeks there have been numerous media articles on the care of the elderly.

IN my opinion this translates into simply.

What do we do with so many frail elderly.

If you do not save their life in a life threatening health episode. You are heartless and cruel with no respect for life.

If you save their life and throw em on a scrapheap you also are not compassionate.

If you put them in a home you are cruel and non compassionate.

If you leave them isolated in their own home you are cruel and non compassionate.

if you let them go to Switzerland on a one way ticket you are complicit in their murder.

So as we are an increasingly ageing population with many debilitating pathologies that wont kill us

What are we to do with the millions of dependent frail vulnerable elderly.

Factory Granny Farming

Millions isolated in solitude in poor housing.

Where are all the carers to come from to care for these people??????

Where are the massive financial resources to come from.

Also pensions are all over the media, so where will the money for the pensions come from.

Do we have a sell by date such that if you get ill after that date then nature is allowed to take its course.

Do we have the Soylent Green scenario????

As we do not have enough young fit (predominately female) people to care for the increasing numbers of elderly, what do we do.

What is the point of actively prolonging the life of an 80 year old for maybe 10 years when they have almost zero quality of life and are TOTALLY dependent on others for all their acts of daily living.

I have no idea where to start!!

I have worked in a Long stay geriatric hospital and a rehab hospital and seen some pretty terrifying things.

One brain dead guy , as he was 35 on admission after stroke and fall, had a 35 year old heart.

So he lived , curled up in a foetal position ball for over 15 years. Pneumonia was a regular occurrence for him . But anti biotics kept his heart beating for over 15 years. To what purpose?????

i appollogise for having no real answers. Also for maybe appearing to lack some empathy for the poor souls in this predicament, and also for the families.

So how do we deal with this increasing crisis in long term care for the frail vulnerable and totally dependent?

David

 

Hi , DAVOhorn . Yes I agree that the ageing population is a huge problem. Only yesterday I went to do an elderly ladies nails who hadn't had them cut for seven months. You can imagine what they were like. When I arrived one of her carers was there at the same time. She pointed out to me that she didn't think her nails were too bad. Her nails were awful, but at least they're OK for now. I myself am not too many years away from being old. My late father spent the last fifteen months in a nursing home before he died, he hated it, but had no choice because of the nature of his illness. The thought of having to leave my house and go into one as well terrifies me. I've worked as a chiropodist in nursing homes, like many other people on this forum. I don't think they're much fun.

 

A friend sent me this. This country has enough money to care for it's elderly, they just choose to squander it elsewhere

"DID YOU VOTE LABOUR, CONSERVATIVE OR LIB DEM? WHY WHY, WHY?
Remember, these people control YOUR money. Just look at the way they care for our OAP's who have worked and paid taxes for forty or more years
* OAP who has paid taxes
all his/her working life /

Political refugee who has paid nothing to the British economy

Weekly allownce * £106 £250
Weekly allowance for partner *£25 £225
Hardship allowance *£0 £100
TOTAL WEEKLY INCOME *£131 £575
TOTAL ANNUAL INCOME *£6812 £29,900
Clearly successive Labour and Conservative governments would much rather give YOUR MONEY to foreigners who have done nothing for this country than to our own OAPs whose hard work built the wealth of this country.
Are you happy with this outrageously unfair situation?
If not, ask yourself, WHY, WHY OH WHY DID I VOTE FOR THESE PEOPLE WHO HATE OUR OAPS SO MUCH ?"

I've put my tin hat on to await more flack from the PC brigade.

regards

Catfoot

 

dave i would like to apply for the post of national euthanasia director hands on salary £175000,or perhaps we should just appoint some vets who seem to be more practical when it comes to dealing with unfortunate beings which have no use or purpose.

 

Cat Foot,

Don't believe everything that you hear, are have sent to you by a "friend"
Same completely false information went around Australia.

the UK Parliment has released a briefing memo debunking it. it took me 2 minutes to find. So any "flack" you get from the PC brigade, will be the smame we give to the bearfoot running zealots, who don't check their facts before making outrageous and in your case verging on racist comments.

http://www.parliament.uk/briefingpapers/commons/lib/research/briefings/snsp-05621.pdf

http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/refugees.asp

 

cant discus immigration without being a racist must not be anti immigration the liberal left wing elite dont like it. however if we had a referendum most hard working british people would vote to stop immigration immediatlly they would also vote back the death penalty, th

ese things will never happen cos we dont live in a democracy but do have the rule of law .

the ruling elite wont even have areferendum on europe why because they would lose.

 

Watch all 3 parts of this reality TV come documentary that is currently on TV In Australia. Called Go Back to Where you came from.
http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/goback
People can have what ever view they want, but the facts they use should be correct.

 

i havent given you my views im just trying to be the devils advocate everything has more than one view and by having a different view from you it does not make poeple racists it just makes them concerned citizens who worry about the effects of mass immigration which has been a secret policy of the last labour government . in britain the government does not even know how many people are in the country tony blair said 14000 polish people would come 5000000 came , i like polish people but my word didnt he get the figures wrong.weapons of mass destruction how many more lies will come to light. yours aconcerned citizen.

 

You misunderstand me. It is the misinformation that concerns me, not the opinion.
And that is misinformation from governments, newspapers, tobacco companies, bare foot runners etc.
When misinformation is used to push a cause it muddies the waters considerably.

 

ok no prob

 

Getting back to the main topic...
If you allow your dog to suffer in pain you can be charged with cruelty.
If you allow a human to suffer it's called "care".

The more I see in nursing homes the more I think I'll be getting the gun out when I can't care for myself.
Oh, that's right, the government in this country won't allow you to have a gun either.
Switzerland - do they take bookings 40 years in advance?

 

DAVhorn,
The elderly at home are not isolated, well not in Australia.

My wife works with these people, in their own home's, where they recieve council sponsored carer's, church sponsored carer's, self funded carers and meals on wheels meaning these people are rarely on their own.

My wife helps to shower them, prepare meals for them to cook and takes them for outing's to thier culture based clubs (my wife speaks 4 languages, smart alec) and shopping trips, they behave 10 years younger after an outing to their club

Keeping them in their own home and their own society as long as possible is the aim, familiar surounds help them deal with the day to day issues and for those with a partner with dimentia that means even more.

But why do the care givers have to be predominately female?

Remeber, it all starts with and finishes with RESPECT.

 

I used to go to great retirement village at Casula near Sydney. 108 bungalows good facilities and a great manager.

Trouble is if you live in your own home you will probably be very isolated.

On monday morning the carer came to call

On tuesday morning the podiatrist came to call

On wed the physio came to call

on thurs the Dr came to call

not exactly a stimulating life

Add up the hours in a week when a professional calls and compare that to the hours on your tod.

A weekly outing care of a charitable agency is great but that is only say 3 hours a week.

People really do become isolated. Doing home visits for the NHS here in UK years ago i met very many lonely souls whose high light was a visit from a health professional. For a max of say 30 mins.

Carers do not have to be predominately female. I would suggest that the female has a more pronounced nurturing trait than us hunter gatherer males.

Kara i share your sentiment.:drinks

Jjust to have a beating heart is not enough:butcher:

This is a massive topic and getting worse each year as nobody will deal with the concept of spending thousands to save the failing life and

NOT A DAMNED DOLLAR FOR THE AFTERWARDS

David

 

No DAVOhorn, to the most part any way.

Carerer arrives first thing in the morning for two hours, two hours in the later day and some have two hours in the afternoon as well, that is just from the carer and these sessions can be up to 4 hours, pending the level of need/care required.

This does not take into account visits from meals on wheels, district nurse, podiatrist and hopefully family members and friends fill the gaps.

Some live in extended families, 3 generations in the one house or like my wifes fav. client has her 30 year old grandson live with her meaning they are never alone.

The list of visistors is endless.

 

funny that. most old people i visit smell of piss and nobody visits them they are forgotten visited nice 87 year old on friday who had removed her care button as usual i let myself in she called me she was laying on bedroom floor with broken neck of femur been there 5 hours if i hadnt of called she could have died. just luck she fell on my 3month visit.paramedics took her off so hope she is ok i suspect she l be on the way to the dreaded old peoples home after surgery and her discharge.

 

Yes Fishpod,

A common occurrence. The home is not always an appropriate place to live even though it may be desirable.

So yes the old girl will be on her way to a Granny Farm, and more importantly not one of her choosing.

I have for years advised choose your Granny Farm before some other idiot puts you in the only available one.

Boots n all,

You have a very fortunate situation. I can assure you that level of care is not the norm

regards david

 

Thank God l am growing old in Australia...well thats the plan