Warehousing Healthcare for End-Stage Lifers
Recently I volunteered to take my neighbor to Dialysis close to my apartment and near him. I realize that for the family to take him to treatments three days a week was a bit much. They are working daughters and sons and getting up at 5:30 am each day was a lot. So, I stepped into the mix and offered to take him and bring him home each day. I am certain there is available transportation, and it is most likely covered by Medicaid or insurance. For me to address the topic seems inappropriate at the moment.
I drop him off and come back home. At about 10am I go back to get him and sit in the waiting room with my cell phone, reading the news or playing solitaire. Today I was motioned to come into the room. I was aghast at the setting. It looked like a cold empty warehouse, dark, depressing and completely devoid of anything cheerful. For most, this is the last lifesaving stop. Some hopefully await a transplant. As a nurse who has taken care of many patients, young, old, and for many reasons and type of care. I attended many procedural treatments, like L&D, psychiatry, correctional health, and so forth. Never have I seen such a depressing environment.
It is no wonder why the ambulettes bring patients to the building looking lost and vacant. Perhaps it is that they have given up on life. Sadly, I can understand their lack of normal congenial greetings. The life has all but left them at this point. The presence of despair overpowering the waiting room. There must be a way to address this situation. It causes me such sadness and grief to even see my friend’s facial expressions. The first day he came to the car with the appearance of a homeless person. His hair was uncombed, and he was unshaven and well as a bit disheveled. I spent the next day thinking of how to encourage his appearance without insulting or making him even more disinterested. Today, however, he transformed into a more cared for man.
Life is so sad when we give up and stop losing the little controls we have for our own selves. I sit here, just now wondering how to infuse some cheer into this situation. I mean little things to bring joy to someone on the brink of death. It passed my mind that I could offer to work there parttime, but I truly feel it would be so difficult to carry the sadness in my heart at home after a shift. Oh GOD, that I would have an answer! I do believe it was meant to be that I would do this and see this, unpleasing picture. Perhaps I can at least call attention to such an empty warehouse-like setting and patient care so in need of modifications.
jjldee64 