An Instance of Healthcare Failure

We all have horror stories regarding experiences with various healthcare professionals and institutions.

Majority of the time, inappropriate care received or some other type of medical interaction gets resolved in an appropriate manner.

This does not serve as a deterrent or to aid in the prevention of a recurrence of such episodes.

Due to my having more medical appointments and procedures than most people I have an inside and an outside understanding of system as a whole.

I have been victim to Emergency Room abuse, neglect and rudeness.

On numerous occasions I have witnessed the failure of the system.

But, the topic I wish to speak about today is the gap in the care of the disabled and seniors.

The fact that we categorize seniors and disabled in the same group is a sad portrait of how we are treating “the lost ones“. The ones we prefer not to discuss.

Specifically,  the lack of follow-up care and assistance post release from a hospital stay.

I’m going to use my neighbour, whose name I will withhold, as a prime example.

He is a lower limb amputee who’s in desperate need of surgery to remove his other leg due to complications of his diabetes and gangrene beginning to set in.

He has been waiting over two years for the “emergency” surgery.

He is also plagued with deep depression. He has made feeble suicide attempts. More a cry for help than a want for death.

Before his most recent hospitalization, his home life was depressing and lonely at best. His quality of life was almost nonexistent.

He should have an around the clock care giver or at the least access to care as needed.

The best solution would be longterm care in a communal manner, such as a Seniors residence or a nursing home.

This past week he was brought home and – literally – dumped into his electric wheelchair.

He had been in the hospital for a variety of medical issues and also for his depression.

During his hospitalization he received excellent medical care.  He was first told he would spend a week in ‘medical‘ and then be transferred to the ‘psych‘ unit.

Upon discussing this with the staff psychiatrist they decided him being in the chaos of the unit would be detrimental to his health.

He was discharged and delivered home by a patient transport service.

When he was brought into hospital via ambulance he was in wet soiled clothes.

When he was discharged the attendants pulled out the soiled pants from the plastic bag and dressed him in them.

The pants had sat soiled and wet in that bag for the eight days he was a patient.

When they reached his residence they literally lifted him from their stretcher and transferred him to his chair.  Then they left.

I understand that they have a job to do and they cannot provide care beyond safe transporting.

Thankfully, our building has twenty-four hour PSW’s and he was able to receive assistance in getting clean clothes and washed.

But, what if he didn’t have access to immediate care?

There are many seniors and disabled people out there who do not.

PSW’s are in short supply and the ones available are stressed out by the workload forced upon them.

These patients are left to acclimate to being at home after a lengthy hospitalization on their own and to the limitations of their health.

I call them ‘patients’ because even when they are in their own homes they are still in need of nursing and support care.

They do not have someone who is there to help them out of soiled clothes.

They are in a treatment and care limbo.

Alienated from the benefits of proper homecare.

The ‘gray‘ void in our present healthcare.

This is a major issue in our healthcare system. Or, rather I should say ‘homecare‘?

This gap in the system exists where disabled and seniors are left to care for themselves at a time that they are not capable of doing so properly.

A gap that must be bridged.

We must develop a viable strategy to unifiy the complete plan of care for all patients.

A streamlined way to provide one complete treatment. From pre-hospitalization to post-hospitalizaion.

One who will oversee and assist the patient in preparing for the treatment,  be there to control the logistics throughout the hospitalization and assure that upon discharge all necessary plans of aftercare are in place.

Healthcare’s equivalent to an air traffic controller. 

Many seniors and disabled people are simply ‘existing‘. Their quality of life is substandard to say the least.

Many have lost hope. Most because they know there is no hope for a better existence.

Many have resigned themselves to believing that the state of their life will only worsen as they grow older.

Causing them to live in fear.

Those with disabilities live in the constant fear that their physical condition could worsen and they could lose whatever little mobility they have left.

The changes the system must make and definitely needs can not and will not be done in haste.

Realistically we are talking a decade, if not longer, to fully implement and to have it become the norm.

There lays no doubt whatsoever that our present healthcare system is collapsing.

Post pandemic PTSD amongst all the staff of our hospitals,  from the surgeons down to the housekeeping departments, is obvious.

Even though they smile and do their best to make their patients comfortable,  you can see the stress and burnout in their faces.

The most crucial departments of every hospital in the province are far understaffed and patient overloaded.

Which to date has caused the closure of fourteen emergency departments in our province.

There are simply not enough emergency room doctors, nurses, nurses aids, PSW’s or any other support staff.

A hospital is like a stack of Jenga blocks. You can remove blocks with out endangering the structure. But, remove blocks from the very foundation and collapse is eminent.

Simply put, if the Emergency Department is overwhelmed then the numerous other departments are soon to follow.

Change would first have to begin within the core functions of patient care.

Such things as:

More streamlined triage procedures.

Proper patient to nurse ratio to be maintained at all times.

More doctors present in the Emergency Department. Not ‘on call‘ and therefore not on the premises.

A set mandate to secure timely and efficient aftercare upon a patient’s discharge.

Open transparent communication between all involved with a patien’s medical, in-patient care, safe discharge and in place homecare as necessary.

A logistical coordination for patients from their diagnosis, throughout their treatment and including homecare recovery.

This is not simply something that we are discussing, but rather something that is already beginning.

It is still in the basic stage of it’s infancy.

The Province of Ontario has formed fifty-six “Ontario Health Teams”.

Recently I was honoured with an offer to take a seat on the team and I am now a proud but humbled member of the “Downtown East Toronto – Ontario Health Team“. The DET-OHT for short.

As I have said,  I am honoured to have this opportunity to be a part of change for  better future.

Whether it is a minuscule part or an integral part makes no matter. What matters is that we are making a difference for the betterment of us all.

I don’t do these type of things for fame or glory. Nor kudos or awards.

I do it because change only happens when change happens.

Here is a quote from the Downtown East Toronto – Ontario Health Team webpage.

Which can be found at:

http://detoht.ca

“The Downtown East Toronto Ontario Health Team is a group of health and social service partners who have deep roots in the community and is committed to creating an integrated system of care.

Our vision is to provide our community with seamless access to inclusive, high quality, and responsive care through one connected system of diverse providers and community members who enthusiastically embody holistic approaches to improving population and individual health and well-being.”

There are many organizations and groups that have realized the severity of our healthcare crisis,  for it is in crisis, and are getting onboard the train of healthcare evolution.

That have the collective goal of creating a more efficient and unified system of healthcare.

Every one of these groups and organizations are in desperate need of participants.

Google your Neighbourhood sites and see if there may be one that you could be part of.

The more of us who step up to bat, the faster we can enable change.

The quicker we can alleviate the suffering of those who the system has or is failing.

It’s a time of man that demand we care for one another