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The Capable Robot

My elderly mother was released today with a relatively vague diagnosis. The only specific they gave was an antibiotic and an "urgent" requirement that my mother go on home oxygen.

All well and good. I supose. Until I start to call and arrange for home oxygen service. As the hospital will not make such a determination, we are told to work through our family doctor to establish said service. So I call her family physician, he of course is not available, but his nursing assistant who runs the front desk is there. She tells me that this is normally something the *hospital* does [sigh]. So I ask her what I should do? She says it may take a while and she will have to be evaluated to determine if she is elligible and this may take several days.

I do not understand this crap. My mother, who normally has a pulse/oxygen level of 98 or 99% in room air, was discharged with a pulse/oxygen level of 86%, a decree of needing oxygen, and yet it will take SEVERAL DAYS?!?!?!?! What the hell is this crap?

My entire day has revolved around performing my teaching duties (I am teaching several workshops to practicing K-12 teachers), while scrambling to be able to contact and interact with a bullheaded and "I'll do it when I damn well please, and you just have to take it!" medical system. Why should it be so hard for my mother to receive help? If she had to handle this medical nightmare for herself (including the new outsorced perscription coverage she has had for the past three years), she would simply have a) died because she could not successfuly navigate the health care system, b) died because she would not have understood the 21 day time-delay in submitting a perscription and actually obtaining the medicine from the damn mail-order pharmacy in New Jersey, or c) died because she was ignored AND also given the wrong medication in the hospital.

It is insane. I cannot understand why we as a nation do not riot in the streets for national, equal, fair, health care for all.

PipeTobacco