If You Can’t Afford Good Health Care, You’re Screwed
The lack of empathy is shocking
Until her death at age 98, 3/4, my mother had round-the-clock care with multiple caregivers, weekly nurse visits, and every other weekday, a home health aide gave her bed baths.
Her family, whom she never appreciated, regularly visited, and friends and neighbors stopped by. My mother never realized how lucky she was that she had the resources to stay in her own home and die in her bed.
However, my friend Annie isn’t so fortunate. She’s had cancer and continues to have kidney disease and major heart issues. Last year, she was given three years left to live.
We’ve been friends since 8th grade, and though we’re far apart religiously (she’s religious, and I’m not) and politically (she’s conservative, and I’m not), we’ve stayed friends. She’s one of the kindest people I’ve ever known, and although she’s had consistently terrible things happen to her, she’s remained upbeat.
She lives in a tiny room in a building for retirees, but not assisted living. A nurse visits her every day, and family and friends check on her often, but much of the time, she’s by herself.
Lately, her blood pressure has been dropping, causing her to fall. A week ago, she fell, split her head open, and got a…
