I was listening to my favorite radio station and program Tuesday morning when they had a half hour on northern health. They were talking to a former MLA and cabinet minister about northern health. Very few people have a family physician. Very few people have access to hospital treatment and fewer yet to long term care.
It's similar to the situation I described about a murder that took place. People are sent south to something that is very strange. They have different food to eat. They have challenges with the language. They don't have visits from family and friends. Sometimes the visits keep people going. The people back home worry and don't get information about the patient.
In 1963 to 1966 I taught in Inuvik and we had little kids that stayed in the hostel and were 1000 miles from home.
What caught my ear on this program, is that for long term care some seniors had to be 1000 miles from home. The distance from Iqaluit to Ottawa is 1305 miles. I'd heard this number before. Right? I thought things had changed a bit.
Seniors are taken to Ottawa from Iqaluit. They are 1000 miles from home in a strange environment.
One example of a problem made me snicker. Some seniors would be given pajamas and asked to wear them. Some of these people had never ever worn pajamas. They didn't like pajamas and weren't comfortable wearing them.
Then I thought of myself. I don't wear pajamas. I dislike them. So the thought of me being given pajamas got me thinking about their problems in a very personal way.
