Murder Suicide in hospital - elderly crisis

[Karlin]

The fact that it happened means we are not doing a good enough job placing our elderly in care facilities. It is insane to separate couples who want to stay together until death just because one of them is more ill than the other.

I want to see accomodations where the healthier partner can stay in the same rooms as the ill partner, not separating them. Savings from not having their own home could be applied to the larger room needed for couples with one that needs care.

It is inhumane to get to this point where one partner needs to shoot the other just "to get out" the way they choose.

Euthanasia should have been offered - the "healthier" one, the husband, had cancer and other health problems, and was going to die soon too. The end for this couple could have been "beautiful" but instead we made it ugly as possible.

This will be a much bigger, more common scenario in coming years as the Boomers reach old age. We better figure it out so as to accomodate couples in need of extended care, its too scary and inhumane the way we do it now, and that drives people to do this kind of thing.

 

[tracy]

Our resources are just stretched too thin when it comes to elder care. I don't see how we could possibly have enough beds to not separate couples when one needs care and the other doesn't. Those spaces are very expensive unfortunately. It's so sad.

 

[fuzzylogix]

I think like Karlin, that it is very sad that couples get separated just at the time that they need each other most. In some instances, both need care but because they are different sexes they are not in the same room. I think it would be great to have a healthy loved one beside you in the room. The loved one would provide much needed moral support which studies show is extremely important in a person getting better. Also a loved one provides the ultimate in nursing care, and particularly in times of such a huge nursing shortage and stretching of nursing resources, we should be encouraging family members to stay in hospital with their loved ones.
Many underdeveloped countries depend on family members to help out with nursing care in hospital. Perhaps we should be tapping into this major work force as well.

 

[tamarin]

Karlin, it is a crisis and one the government promotes. Health Canada is one of our most nutty organizations. They want everyone to live to 100 and haven't a clue as who is to care for them. I'm surprised at the zealotry of the anti-smoking campaign as one example. Health ministers should be kissing the feet of smokers. Their demise guarantees more money in our pension funds and more room at seniors' institutions. An article yesterday stated fully one third of seniors become demented. Now there's a scary thought as boomers age.

 

[Colpy]

The fact that it happened means we are not doing a good enough job placing our elderly in care facilities. It is insane to separate couples who want to stay together until death just because one of them is more ill than the other.

I want to see accomodations where the healthier partner can stay in the same rooms as the ill partner, not separating them. Savings from not having their own home could be applied to the larger room needed for couples with one that needs care.

It is inhumane to get to this point where one partner needs to shoot the other just "to get out" the way they choose.

Karlin, down to this point I agree completely.

As of Sept 3, I will have been married 30 years. My wife and I have been inseperable since we were both 16 years old. I can't imagine being separated from her, especially if either of us had troubles as this couple did.

The way we treat our elderly in this regard is simply outrageous.......

Having said that, I'm not willing to endorse euthanasia either.