What to expect from health care industry and the people that are part of the system.
    (This blog here as are the others are written out of my own experience and that of family and friends.  The observations are drawn from these experiences)
    
   Most people expect the health care industry to be caring as a whole and that is farthest from the truth.  There may be people within the system that gives that impression like the hotels and theme parks, but it is the sale of an illusion.  Now let it be said there are people who do actually take seriously the oaths they take as nurses and physicians and conduct themselves accordingly, but recognize they are few in comparison to the whole.  Many people in the industry have the attitude that they are not human and the ills of others will never affect them, this lack to identify is one of many layers for not caring. What has been observed is this self elevating concept affects not only nurses and doctors but others in health care industry with administration being the worse.  Administration in health care has a disassociation not only with the health care consumer but with their own employees. The health care industry whatever part you may encounter, profit or none profit they are all to make money.
      So what can you expect?
1. Expect not all to care about your condition and total needs there and on discharge. Home care forget it for the most part, this depends on the availability of family or friends to help and competent professional home health assistance.
2. You will be billed and expected to pay for the services rendered no matter how shoddy and uncaring it may have been.  The post discharge survey received by clients is questionable if they are really utilized as they should.
3. Like in law the health care industry has it's own language that is not understood by the consumer and few will explain it fully to the questioning public. You must take nothing they say in the way it was said because they have ulterior meanings. It is up to the client and family to make the health care representative explain fully with out hidden meanings what is being told them. Get a very clear understanding.
4. The representative will tell one and their family all the ideal things and treatments that should be done but in reality you are blessed to get anything outside the basics.  The underlying thought is we done enough to say we did our job and you did not die. And if the loved one passed while in their care the family gets from the health care representative "we did all we could you know they had other problems".  They will not look at what they may have done to contribute or minimize the outcome.  If you are told the family will be taught wound care and they are excluded at dressing change time count on it to be a set up for home care and recovery failure.  
5. The client and family are a job to most, a challenge to some, and a necessary evil (especially the family) to others.
    Basic human kindness and treating others as one would like to be treated cost nothing but reaps many rewards in the end.  These rewards can be financial as well as earning a good name and reputation. 
    A challenge to health care industry is to realize the product you sell is not like a hotel or major theme park. You deal with life and death with all points in between. What can health care providers and the industry do to make this better?
1. To focus on caring, see your self and or loved one in the place of the client and their loved ones.  Simply say "this could be me or one of mine, what do I need to be done?  What are my expectations"?  Is there any compassion and concern for the people as valuable human beings being displayed by the health care representatives?  
2.  Clients and families should not pay for poor services and care.  Be willing to negotiate the price to give them some satisfaction that they are a valuable customer.
3. Explain clearly and be willing to back it up with written explanations all instructions and communication that the client and love ones can reflect on later to bring clarity. Be patient, open, and honest.
4. Families and loved ones are not necessary evils and clients should not be ignored.  Once stabilized all are to be included in the day to day care because with limited hospital days the family/home care givers needs to be well trained. Professional home health care is not a given and the practitioner's experience may be very limited.
5. Attitude adjustments are in order by having some time on the "other side of the rail" work shops to drive home how clients and loved ones are affected by the various attitudes that are displayed by health care workers and the industry at large.
   They (the  client and their loved ones) are your best friends and partners in giving excellent health care and services. They will keep your doors opened and business good for you for a long time to come.  Please note well Health Care Industry your life is in the balance.

2/21/2014  
                                            No time to declare life 
(This blog as all others are based on my experiences and observations and those of family and friends)

     Health care in this country has to change in the sense that all life has value and is not to be destroyed. You and I would go to the doctor and the hospitals thinking they will help and are  knowledgeable to help when one is not able to care for self. I no longer believe that illusion.  Many times it is  a wrong assumption that is paid for by the patient and their family.  Lately now in the news I have noted that many people who have had serious injury to the head or body are removed from  life support after a few days with the diagnosis of Brain Dead. What do we as health care providers really know about brain death and actual death of the whole person? We know some but not enough to use the brain as an indicator of death for the whole being. There has been many documented cases of people who have awaken from a coma and live their new normal if not in time normal lives ( before coma). Now some would say that pupillary reaction ( response of the eye to bright light) and the established protocol for death is more than adequate but from my experience this has proven to be subjective to the examiner. 
      In this day and age there is a race to harvest organs or to free up equipment because for this client it is not cost effective, they score too low on the quality of life scale.  An elderly white man who is a famous politician or of great wealth has more quality of life points than a young black male.  Continue to observe the news and life in this country to illustrate this event.
 The young man would be highly prized as an organ donor and the white man as a valuable contributor to society, alive.
      The more we think we know, the more we do not know, and lack the adequate wisdom to apply correctly the little we do know.  And pride makes one too arrogant to admit one's limitations.  This to me is the summation of all so call advancements in health care with every new toy or idea proclaimed and utilized in the great experiment of patient care.