tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272455258393873876.post8618505989384255692..comments2009-11-08T12:21:07.210+02:00Karen Littlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446187228064686202noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272455258393873876.post-61764123946084269252006-10-20T20:00:00.000+02:002006-10-20T20:00:00.000+02:00I tend homeless people on the streets. Some of whom have alienated their families to the same degree.<br />Homeless people die all the time, most without anyone caring for them.<br />They are in no way entitled to health care, decent food or clean water. (I wish!)<br />And I really dont know where the burden lies - who gets fault or blame?<br />I just dont think it's a black and white issue. Many health professionals (as I said) totally disagree that my brother is able to care for himself in ANY way. The state gives him disability.That Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13025131337233751880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272455258393873876.post-71710670880365400372006-10-12T08:39:00.000+02:002006-10-12T08:39:00.000+02:00<b>scribbler</b> - don't worry, I'm not a stickler for threads anyway. I definitely agree with you about the number of exclamation marks being inversely proportional to the quality of the content - and that applies to any writing, and not just blogging. It took me a while to hit on this medical themed blog though. I also had a bit of a 'this was my day and these are my thoughts' blog, and initially I used to avoid blogging about medicine at all because I thought others would find it so hideously boring. I'm still amazed that people actually enjoy reading my blog sometimes, although it's a very good feeling to have readers coming back.<br /><br /><b>that girl</b> - I am sorry for the way health-care professionals have treated and judged you - I think it's a good example of how we're often too quick to believe the first story we hear, and hasty to judge people when we don't appreciate the circumstances completely, but, with all due respect, your situation is completely different to the one I described. While you're dealing with a delinquent individual who probably could take responsibility for himself if it was in his nature, my patient was an old man who couldn't even roll himself over in bed. I don't know what his past relationship with his children had been like - maybe he was manipulative and abusive and opportunistic, but the point is that now he's entirely defenseless and helpless. Maybe forgiveness is hard to come by, but I don't know... in our society, even murderers and rapists are entitled to decent food and clean water.<br /><br /><b>david</b> - you're right - I think abandonment in old age, particularly by the ones we love, is a basic fear for very many people. <br /><br /><b>flightfire</b> - thank you for visiting!Karen Littlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446187228064686202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272455258393873876.post-51048488368930011712006-10-11T20:39:00.000+02:002006-10-11T20:39:00.000+02:00Great Story, Thanks for sharingFlightfirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647096598425044337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272455258393873876.post-91410245462805706232006-10-11T00:56:00.000+02:002006-10-11T00:56:00.000+02:00I've heard what's clearly another version of the trough story, but featuring a cheap blanket given to the grandfather. The son suggests cutting the blanket in half, for when the father gets old.<br /><br />The appearance of such stories clearly reflects a basic fear. Unfortunately, stories like this show that the fear is sometimes justified.David Harmonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272455258393873876.post-21975693589567033932006-10-10T15:27:00.000+02:002006-10-10T15:27:00.000+02:00Having been on the receiving end of people calling me a monster for the way I treat my brother Id like to play the devil's advocate for a moment and say that without knowing both sides of any story you may not understand it at all.<br />My brother is well-spoken, charming and presents sympathetically to even experienced health professionals. Health professionals who call me and my family to tell us that we are horrible people for having nothing to do with him, that we lack understanding about what he needs, that with some tough love and their insight he will be made whole, blah blah.<br />Then a few months later we get the call from these same people, angry because he has stolen everything of value from them, angry because he scammed them too.<br />I have let my brother live in my backyard for months because he would rather live there (he says) than a shelter. I bring him food every day but bringing him into my house is not going to happen. He has stolen everything time and time again - once racking up over 100,000 worth of debt on my credit cards (In one night!!).<br />If he got sick, I would send him to the hospital too. And no doubt when he explained where and how he lived I would seem like a monster too when in reality I am at times his only hope.<br />I could evict him from my property and let him become a homeless street person (which he has been also) but I fail to see how this is any better - it only makes me look better by not having any burden of caring for him.That Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13025131337233751880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272455258393873876.post-77378823452617882232006-10-09T17:52:00.000+02:002006-10-09T17:52:00.000+02:00You see. I can't even leave a comment on the right thread. Don't let me loose with a blog.<br /><br />Re: this thread - I agree, it's shocking and genuinely hard to comprehend.Scribblernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272455258393873876.post-30105432440103281732006-10-09T15:33:00.000+02:002006-10-09T15:33:00.000+02:00I don't have a blog I'm afraid. Would quite like to, but I know that the ones that work best are generally related to a specific job/subject that many of us are affected by and curious about (medicine, police, traffic warden, prostitute etc). If I ever come across ones that say 'I'll be writing about my thoughts and opinions and life and any other crazy stuff that comes into my head', then I leave immediately. And if it has several exclamations marks in the description, I won't even bother reading it. I find that usually, volume of exclamation marks is in inverse proportion to the value of the content.Scribblernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272455258393873876.post-87040798053739593262006-10-09T05:40:00.000+02:002006-10-09T05:40:00.000+02:00It is so heartbreaking that scenarios like this even happen, never mind the fact that you hear about these things often enough to make you wonder how common it actually is... any number of times is too common.Miettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02879796367787379960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272455258393873876.post-29750908019160578522006-10-08T18:48:00.000+02:002006-10-08T18:48:00.000+02:00people like that deserve to have their toe nails pulled out one by one slowly with a rustic pair of pliers, then made to live the life they gave their fatherLexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03292075470124674629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272455258393873876.post-45355972600024343772006-10-08T16:10:00.000+02:002006-10-08T16:10:00.000+02:00<b>jennifer</b> - aw, shucks. thanks for the visit!<br /><br /><b>debaser</b> - ja, 'horrific' is a bit overused - I think the problem is people don't know what <i>bad</i> really is. Someone else may read this and think it's nothing compared to what they've seen.<br /><br /><b>mike</b> - sometimes I wish I could do the best thing for my parents <i>now</i>, and get them to stop smoking and start exercising and all the rest, so I won't have to be worried about them in their old age. But that's easier said than done, and unfortunately a healthy middle age is no guarantee of a healthy old age.<br /><br /><b>jane!</b> Yay! You're back! Are you back? Or just visiting? I'm so glad to see you here! Ya-a-a-a-ay!<br /><br /><b>wendy</b> - I firmly believe the wheel always turns. I'm sure they'll get their justs...Karen Littlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446187228064686202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272455258393873876.post-29664269194820656292006-10-07T18:40:00.000+02:002006-10-07T18:40:00.000+02:00Shocking!!! I can't believe that this happens. It is truly disgusting. I hope that the wheel turns and that son and daughter-in-law get some harsh treatment in return.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05399442660473485679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272455258393873876.post-83579575177136681592006-10-07T13:00:00.000+02:002006-10-07T13:00:00.000+02:00what bastards. not even hell would take them....jungle janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09920962076098898236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272455258393873876.post-82394276049432850052006-10-07T12:44:00.000+02:002006-10-07T12:44:00.000+02:00That's awful.<br /><br />I am so scared about what to do with my parents when they get old. Nursing homes... they're easier but have such a bad connotation sometimes.<br /><br />Hmm.mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005182732967488112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272455258393873876.post-25536135533142348982006-10-06T18:16:00.000+02:002006-10-06T18:16:00.000+02:00I didn't really understand using the term "horrific" when it came to describing people's treatment of other people. I thought that it was overused or inaccurate but in both these cases it fits like Lego.Debaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692716191250063169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272455258393873876.post-75088304981139672502006-10-06T17:30:00.000+02:002006-10-06T17:30:00.000+02:00wow. that made me cry.jennifer starfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12405465488512302569noreply@blogger.com