Several months ago, Effie wrote about her mom and the way seniors are treated by the medical profession. She wrote of her mom’s doctor speaking past her and only to Effie, as if her mom could not understand or was not in the room. I have had similar experiences taking my parents to their doctor appointments. I know most medical professionals are well meaning, and sometimes they miss the mark. But I also know that most medical professionals shape their work in the dignity and respect for life.
The problems are broader than just the senior citizens. I work as an emergency room registrar in a very busy city hospital that serves as a trauma center and a regional mental health crisis center. The ERoom sees every walk of life and every stage of life. Nowhere will you find a more diverse section of our society converging together with one goal: healthcare. Some come expecting, demanding the best they can get, while others come grateful that anyone would help them. Nowhere will the meaning of the dignity of every life become so profound; and nowhere will you find more divergent practices preserving that dignity.
The staffs of ERooms stand witness to the effects of the total disregard of human life. Violence, abuse, and neglect from one to another or from one to oneself find their way to an Emergency room. The staff must affect physical as well as mental healing in ways that show and preserve the gift of human life. They do this under extreme pressure and yes, sometimes they miss the mark. But, I have seen overworked nurses, doctors and ancillary staff take those steps that let a patient know that they are a gift and they matter.
My 96 year old father is dying from lung and prostate cancer. He fell the other night which necessitated a trip to the ERoom with a cut and bruise on his head and possible rib fractures. My father has significant hearing loss and my sister and I always jump in during conversations to “help”. The doctor, very young and new, glared at us when we did this and then spoke directly to my father in a clear voice. He treated my father like he mattered, he treated my father with dignity. There is hope.Lesson learned.
Susan
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