I was hoping for a nice time when finally saying adieu to dear world. ‘It has been fun knowing you.’ ‘I always knew it would not last.’ But…this case of elderly care takes the cake.
To think that this ‘care facility’ was rewarded by extending its accreditation doesn’t surprise me. I mean, look at the care for refugees on Nauru and Manus.
I might seriously have to consider taking some Jiujutsu lessons or perhaps pack a nice gleaming 45 calibre under my pillow to teach that killer of a nurse a good lesson. There I was, dreaming of a nice kind nurse, snapping the rubber gloves, wearing an enticing smile, seductively feeding me garlic prawns or some other tasty morsel, kindly wiping my forehead or dribbling chin.
It’s all so grim-reaper stuff. Is this what awaits us in staying healthy, giving up smoking, considering others, when finally getting old and very cold?
Where are our rewards for having been so good? Do the old and dying have to install cameras now, in case of someone snuffing the life out us. Is that what might prevent a nurse from doing that? I hope to still have the presence of mind and the freedom to enjoy a friendly act of euthanasia with family, friends and Milo at my site while listening to Leonard Cohen ‘A bird on a wire.’
Patience, it all gets there at the end!
Tags: Bird on a wire, chin, cold, Jiujutsu, Leonard Cohen, old, Prawns, Seniors
Oosterman Treats Blog 
August 30, 2016 at 4:11 am |
Nursing homes are the pits. I hope that I can die a sudden death, the way my parents did. There is always the possibility of some evil person, lurking in places that you’d least expect.
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August 30, 2016 at 5:00 am |
Well, Ivonne. Not all aged care homes are the pits. My mum had fantastic care right up till she died at almost 96 years of age.
In Australia aged care is mainly in private hands. When profit is the main driver in aged care and health, short cuts will be taken.
Private health care is expensive and as shown above in that video, staff are employed that should not be left with patients or clients.
Even, accepting that mishaps do happen, the main objection I have is that the accreditation for that place went through and given the go ahead to keep going.
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August 30, 2016 at 7:54 pm
I think Europe has better care for the elderly. Wasn’t your mom in a home in Holland? Private and or government assisted is expensive here.
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August 30, 2016 at 10:25 pm
Yes, but Europe also believes in sufficient revenue coming in through taxation so it can pay for better health, better education. My mum was well looked after on many aspects, not just health but also social level. It is a totally different world out there. Here in Australia much aged care is handled by huge corporations including church organisations, where often profit above all else is the main driver..
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August 30, 2016 at 6:52 am |
I wish Milo a long life!
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August 30, 2016 at 7:06 am |
I think he will. Lonia. He is 11 years and still very lively. Today he enjoyed the special dog parlour treat with nail clipping, grooming and a bath. How are the paintings going? Each time I look at your paintings I get homesick.
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August 30, 2016 at 2:07 pm |
Every time I read something more about nursing homes, assisted living, extended care, and so on, I make a firm resolution to walk more, eat better, and generally take myself in hand. Avoiding those joints is high on my list.
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August 30, 2016 at 10:28 pm |
Yes, that’s also my idea of aged care. We walk every day, eat reasonable food. No sugar or very little. Keep the mind active and generally make the best of each day.
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September 1, 2016 at 6:41 am |
That is the way to go. Better collapse on a run than being mistreated in a home or even murdered. Live a healthy life and avoid those places of horror.
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September 1, 2016 at 9:30 am
You are right, anything but ending up abused. I would rather run or fall asleep never to wake up. In any case, book nr three is coming along. There are some years left yet.
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August 30, 2016 at 9:50 pm |
If you eat well, exercise and pursue a healthy lifestyle, you have a 50-50 chance of dying in your sleep – at home.
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August 30, 2016 at 10:51 pm |
Yes, that would be best. Dying in a sound sleep. They reckon there will be thousands of people over a hundred years soon.
I watched video of a hundred metre race for people over 80. One woman over a hundred ran the hundred meters.
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August 31, 2016 at 9:35 am |
Yes, as an old Dutch mate often says, ‘None of us are getting out of this life alive.’, but, I guess no one wants to spend the last few minutes here with a pillow over one’s face, either.
We are surrounded by older folks in our suburb who, like you and H, have pets, walk daily, and take an interest. I just read that in Japan they are enticing the elderly out of retirement to come back to work to act as mentors and advisors. It would be nice if we all had a place right until the end!
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August 31, 2016 at 11:49 am |
Yes, I would say that walking and having a pet or a passion (or both) is about the best path to take to avoid some dreadful carer to psuh a forkful of lumpy porridge or brown vegemite deep in your mouth. I suppose writing on blogs is also a pretty good way to keep reasonably alive and in tune with others.
I could be playing lawn bowls, but bending down and often, after a hearty lunch with prawns might be a task too far for the bowels to comply and remain quiet during play.
It’s not easy, but we do our best.
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August 31, 2016 at 11:52 am
Yes, Gez, intestinal hurry, with prawns would only be exacerbated by frequent bending. Better to do what you a
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August 31, 2016 at 12:25 pm
Yes, I can tell you were in a hurry, Big M.
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September 1, 2016 at 1:22 am |
My recent stay in a nursing home showed me what so many poor people endure. Unbelievable noise all night, so you try to sleep during the day, but that’s when the nurses come to do their nursing thing. No thank you. We eat well, exercise, and walk Charlie, and hope it works.
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September 1, 2016 at 9:36 am |
Last time I was in hospital I had this computer screen dangling above my bed on which to chose my menu. At night, every two hours I would get woken up and get fiddled with on the pretext of seeing if I had carked it. It was horrible. I woke up after the operation and thought an angel was sitting next to me. It was Helvi.
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September 1, 2016 at 6:11 am |
Appalling story and, like you, I hope very much to be allowed to choose my own exit when the time comes. However, I am so moved and enchanted by the Leonard Cohen clip that I may have to go and listen to my old LPs over again. Thank you.
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September 1, 2016 at 9:41 am |
Yes, Leonard is sometime nice to listen to. We need a dose of Beethoven ninth with all our cyclamen stolen in their pots and beautiful dishes. Our neighbour opposite had an angel head stole. A piece that belonged to her mother. It might even get to Sibelius’ Swan of Tuonela.
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October 6, 2016 at 4:57 pm |
Our politics in Finland have decided to low nursers quantity, witch is so fool. We have already too lidle nursers! Today we had a protest of this. I’m also personal assistant and I know what this job takes. It takes a whole lot of time and patience! Both will endure if we minimum our resource. Thank good I’m helping only one person. Still it takes all my time! I even can’t think what it is in hospital, when you have many help needing senior.
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October 6, 2016 at 11:04 pm |
Welcome tansiTytto,
I think world-wide nursing is in a crisis with countries not raising enough revenue. In Australia we seem to hold up Finland as a country with the best education.
In Holland they now are emptying jails but I also read about 7000 prisoners are missing? So what to make of that.
I hope the nurses protest went well in Finland. Nice to hear from you!
I lived in Finland for a while and my wife Helvi is Finnish from Alaharma.
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October 7, 2016 at 6:41 am
Yes, I think your right! We’re in sad situation. What’s the destiny of my parents, or my own, when I’m old? I really don’t want to get seniorage, but we
all do…
Welcome to my reader. 🙂
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