Old Lives Matter

OLD LIVES MATTER…..

How dare you play with our lives...(Times article)

When you read this article you will feel as I do, utterly shocked, and utterly disgusted. I always believed that you went to the doctor when you were ill and they took your temperature, gave you some pills and then you got better! Sometimes the doctor would send you to hospital if there was a more serious health problem, there you would be looked after by nurses who helped you get better. That is what doctors, hospitals and nurses are for, I always thought...who are these people issuing these ‘BLANKET ORDERS ?’

‘Blanket orders?’ What are they?  Apparently they are orders given to doctors and nurses when hospitals are full during this dreadful pandemic, and when their patients are elderly or disabled. I gather the order means ‘do not resuscitate .” I suppose it’s one way to clear beds for the younger patients. Have I got it wrong? Weren’t Doctors, hospitals and nurses meant to look after us!

I’m sure some of the Nightingale hospitals are empty, perhaps I got that wrong. Or is it that we don’t have enough staff to man them? What a shambles...

I will never criticize the work, the kindness and the gentleness that nurses give to their patients...so where do these orders come from, which department issues such disgusting orders?

I do have a few words to say about Doctors, but I’m sure there is a reason why some, only some doctors, have forgotten their bedside manners. Again they are not to blame, it’s just how things are nowadays. It must break their hearts not to be able to help some patients. But they are overwhelmed due to the pandemic...NO!  This attitude was growing long before the word PANDEMIC was ever mentioned. Now we have to order our pills on a computer, we can book a telephone consultation but I, sometimes, need to speak to my doctor, not just because I am elderly, but I may need reassurance and a warm smile like we have been accustomed to, YES I know everyone is busy and YES we should just shut up and be thankful that we, in the UK , have the NHS, but I pay for this service and I do feel like I’m being a bit of a nuisance at times and it’s not fair. I can’t help growing older, we all have to  do it, so stop making us feel that we are just ‘a pain in the neck’ and help us through the worst days of our lives...it’s not much to ask is it?

...it’s simple really, so say I, who is just a member of public and know none of the real facts…THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM! SHUT THE DOORS at least until we can get our act together!

We are a small island, we, generally, all work and pay our taxes, we are a great bunch, we British, but we have so many ‘hangers-on!’ Why do we have to keep giving? Give when you have it, of course, but why should we issue BLANKET orders to get rid of some elderly and disabled patients as there are not enough beds...please explain!

We give to overseas aid, we support everything that we are asked to support, so why don’t we have enough beds in this crisis. There is a saying, old fashioned I know, SAVE FOR A RAINY DAY...where are our rainy day savings? We should not be in this position.

It’s obvious that it is down to successive BAD GOVERNMENTS, all parties, who can’t see further than the end of their noses! We need to stop running our country in such a haphasidas  (how do you spell that!!) way. We have ministers running departments who one minute were transport and then get moved to education etc...what the hell are we like!

I am 82 years old, and I have all my marbles, thank goodness, but supposing I have a stroke next week or have a fall and hit my head? It is so sad to think that it could be that someone gives the ‘do not resuscitate ‘ order to my carers if I had any...how bloody sad, it’s actually murder when you think about it.

DON’T ASK OUR NURSES AND DOCTORS TO CARRY OUT THESE ORDERS IT’S NOT FAIR NOT JUST OBVIOUSLY TO THE ELDERLY BUT TO THOSE CARING NURSES WHO GIVE SO MUCH.

Let me make it clear that although now I am aware of this way of dumping old and infirmed people, I am absolutely sure 99% of doctors and nurses do not behave in this way BUT where do these orders come from, who is the body behind these inhuman orders?

Please  tell me that after the age of 70 we are no longer needed...maybe we would be more use minced up and made into SPAM...then we would feel we had some use! I’m angry...

Tell us please we are not all gaga...we need to know what will happen to us when we are ‘past our sell by date.’ Perhaps the charity the BRITISH OF HUMAN RIGHTS could clarify this because when one is over 70 , one is HUMAN after all!