Patient

I think that long-term health care needs to be made more affordable for everyone involved.  Our family of seven grew up on a small farm, so extra money was not plentiful.  There was no way to put any money away for a long-term health care situation or afford the insurance one may or may not use.  As I recall from my younger years, health insurance was not a priority issue to my family because we did not run to the doctor for a scratch or cough.  I don't remember Dad ever saying anything about medical insurance.  We got out of the house and worked hard to get exercise and stay in shape to do the farm work.  Also, back then medical procedures were a fraction of the cost compared to now.  

This was one of several reasons why Mom didn't want to go to a nursing home when she became ill nearly ten years ago.  She had visited friends and relatives in nursing homes over the years and had the opportunity to see how they were cared for.  After seeing this she had always commented that she would never want to go to a nursing home.  In conversations with other people who have patients in long-term care facilities, the patients are put on schedules and have to stick to them whether they like it or not.  Everything is dictated as to when and where they have to be.

Fortunately, when Mom was diagnosed with an illness that would eventually take her life, she was able to make decisions about her care up until the last three to four months of her life.  She was able to get around most of the time with the aid of a walker but it was still a challenge for her to do some things.  Eventually she was down to where she had to use a wheelchair and eventually was confined to a bed set up in her living room.  We were able to respect her wishes but it did no come without sacrifices to family and friends.

One thing she did have was a circle of family and friends that were willing to come in and visit with her.  They made offers to help her do things around the house, run errands, sit and listen to her, or even entertain her in the privacy of her own home.  This allowed her to do things that she wanted to and did not have to be on a schedule to do anything if she did not want to.  With the help of her friends, the family was able to get time away to spend time with their own families.  I am not saying Mom was a burden to the family, but many personal sacrifices were made to schedules to make things work and that everybody took their turn to help with her care.

Near the end of her life she has spent some time in the hospital which was harder on her because she did not want to be there.  There was talk of sending her to a nursing home but Mom said no to this.  She wanted to go home.  We as a family, had to decide and work out a plan with our family/friends on how to grant her final wishes.  When hospice came in to help we were able to get a home health nurse to come in several days a week to help her get breakfast and shower in the morning, and help her freshen up for the day.  This service relieved some of the stress on the family and gave them opportunity to get a way for a little while.  We simply knew that hospice was a call away if we had questions.  I think that they were the most helpful during the long-term care process because they covered everything in detail to make things run smoothly.

Another thing that Mom did during her illness was to visit a chiropractor several times a month, but Medicare and Medicaid only allowed for so many visits to be covered.  Her number of treatments exceeded this amount so she worked with the chiropractor to continue her care and not use all her finances to pay for care.  This treatment helped relieve some of the symptoms of her medical illness.  She was fortunate to live in a small town, where the chiropractor knew her and her circumstances and would help her with her billing to help prevent large bills from being accumulated.  Sometimes I feel that living in a small community has some advantages when it comes to health care.  One can be a person, not just a number.  There are still people that care about the patient and not just the almighty dollar and how much they can collect from insurance companies or even the patient themselves.  

It just does not seem fair that the government or insurance companies should be able to tell doctors or nurses how to take care of patients.  Each case is unique in it's own way.  I feel that it should be left up to the people who know the patient to get the proper treatments.  I feel that the government should have less control over how much of the service can be provided to the individual in need, and the doctor should be able to work alongside the insurance company to help the patient to the best of their ability

We can not tell the government how to do their job.  Sure we can protest but will they listen to the public?  It takes a long time to have a specific government official voted out if we want to see some sort of change.  I feel that the health care bill that was just passed may mess more things up than it will help but then who knows.  I understand that everyone should have access to affordable health care, whether it is long-term or short-term but why does everything have to be so complicated just to get the coverage that we need?  It is bad when the law that is passed is confusing even to the lawyers of the insurance companies!  I heard that my employer's insurance company has lawyers working to interpret the current health care reform.  I think that the government officials need to make the bill understandable to everyone!  There is no reason why they continue to speak at a higher reading level that the average citizen of the United States.

Who is getting screwed?  Us as a patient because I can't see the government screwing up, can you?

I feel that the health care reform that was recently passed may be a step in the right direction, but it is not going to solve all of our health care issues.  I agree that we need to make health care more affordable, especially when it is coming to the end stages of one's life.  I also feel that the patient should not be limited to a certain amount of care.  Mom could have been more comfortable in the end of her battle with her illness if her insurance company covered more chiropractor appointments.  Take into consideration what the patient really needs, not what you think is best for the patient.  EACH PATIENT IS DIFFERENT!