Tuesday, August 4, 2009

When Old Age Becomes a Burden

THE WAITING ROOM
Brought to you by Universal Health Care
What happens when you simply become too expensive to maintain?
By Pastor Thomas Robb

This was his 3rd visit to see the Doctor for Elderly Care. He was still quite healthy and strong, but she was none the less worried as she gripped his hand. The short walk from the parking lot was harder to do than the last visit 5 years ago. The decline was obvious to her, but he was still strong she insisted. He was. however, 75 years old just last week and men of his age are are not given the same consideration as younger men.

She thought about the first time she met Robert. He was working as a mechanic for a large airlines. He could outwork most of the other men. He always had a lot of endurance. Genetics perhaps? But he was strong, not in a tough way - just strong! He had stong character as well. Strong willed!

When he saw a job that needed to be done, he was always the first to volunteer. He took a lot of pride in stepping up to take on a tough job when others would shrink back - hoping to become invisible.

Not Robert. She was proud of him because she knew his strength made her stronger.

She let him push open the heavy glass door because she didn’t want any of those monitoring the cameras think he was too weak to push open the door. She was told they watch for things like that. But what if he actually did have trouble, that would not be a good thing either.

She had been worrying about that for weeks, ever since he was notified of his evaluation date.

He told her not to worry!

She was evaluated when she turned 65. That is when evaluations first begin, however she heard they are considering lowering the age to 60 and change the evaluation process. Most people pass the first evaluation, unless there is something obviously wrong. Her sister had developed some health problems when she was in her late 50’s. Someone from the neighborhood watch committee reported her condition to the Department for Elderly Care, but she was able to talk her way out of a negative decision from the clinic. She always had a good and bubbling personality and the doctor simply adjusted the reports in her favor. Such reports from citizens are not usually taken too seriously anyway. But seven years later when her first real evaluation came we all knew she would not pass.

They visited late into the night before her appointment. She says she can still feel that last long hug as she went to the clinic.

Robert pushed open the glass door with ease. She was so proud of him. The waiting room had 15 others sitting around on chairs waiting with patience for their name to be called.

Most looked like they were still in good shape. Robert appeared to be the oldest, but perhaps the healthiest. One women in the corner was in tears, her husband had his arm around her trying to offer as much comfort as possible. His evaluation was negative. His health had gotten so bad over the last couple of years that the expense for medical care would be impractical.

Counseling convinced him (as it does for most) that it’s more practical to depart with "dignity." Fortunately he qualified for a 30 day extention so as to get things in order before returning to the clinic.

Seeing friends and family facing termination is hard to do, but they had grown to accept it. She had seen her parents and Roberts parents as well as many friends go though these evaluations. Most pass the first one, but the second one at 70 and the third at 75 sees a great increase of negative reports. Very few pass the 4th evaluation. She, as well as most others have learned to accept it. Everyone understood that it was their patriotic duty.

Besides what choice do they have. She and Robert did have a good life together the past 50 years. Trips to the lake, picnics, vacations and just quiet time on the porch watching the squirrels darting across the grass and up the trees.

They missed not having children. When she was 35 she was able to get a permit from the Department for Healthy Families, but in her 3rd month of pregnancy she was ordered to undergo an abortion because of "complications." She never found out what the complications were, but friends thought the bureaucracy may have decided that she was to old to start a family.

She waited with the others alone with her thoughts asking for strength if the doctor’s report was negative.

In leaving the clinic, she wasn’t concerned about pushing open the glass door. Robert’s years of working hard had secured him a good evaluation.

As they walked back to the transportation bus she felt so relieved and excited - she wanted to skip down the sidewalk. Robert would not have to have another evaluation for 5 years. However, she would have to be evaluated in three, but she felt strong and wasn't concerned.

As they approached the bus, her ankle twisted and she fell to the ground with a broken hip.
Because they had no children and being a woman an extention was denied.

Robert can still feel her kind, gentle and fragile hand as he leaned over to gently kissed her on the cheek.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

"A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just."
-- Proverbs 13:22

Good article, Thomas Robb.

I have seen the foreshadowing of this in events in my own family.

Right now, even before universal health care, most elderly Americans are totally dispossessed before they leave this world (including losing their life insurance), provided they require anything other than very short-term health care.

Both my parents have been stripped of ALL their worldly possessions, investments, and savings of a lifetime and have no material inheritance to leave their children.

Then the State tries to sue the children as well! Sometimes the children have to hire a lawyer to prove that they cannot pay their parents' "debts" to the government.

This, in my opinion, is nothing but communist redistribution of wealth, mainly from the middle-class white to the black and other minority communities.

Anonymous said...

Very well done! Keep up the good work.

Lutheran said...

Could political adversaries be denied needed health care? If this government grows more and more liberal that maybe possible. Think about it!

Lutheran said...

"This, in my opinion, is nothing but communist redistribution of wealth, mainly from the middle-class white to the black and other minority communities."

Agreed! Give to those who do not work and punish those who do. This is the idea of the New World order: Tell your children not to get a degree heck they can live off the government and they will be better off than the working stiffs who have to pay for them.

Anonymous said...

Great article and I think it will come true if the liberals are allows to pursue their agenda. We must stop them. Pastor Robb, can I reproduce it? I want to pass it out to people in my church and some frinds. Perhaps even mail some to people. This is what is going to happen!

Anonymous said...

Always got to take things to the extreme dont you?

Anonymous said...

I don’t think what Pastor Robb is saying is extreme at all. All he is doing is watching the dominos fall and he is looking at the last one. Euthanasia is already being promoted as a means to die with dignity. The article is not suggesting that old people are murdered, but it does tell us that under universal health care, a bureaucracy which must watch the budget will simply flex its muscle to prevent wasteful spending on elderly people who are too old to be given the same consideration as younger people.

Anonymous said...

I don't think what Pastor Robb is saying is too extreme at all. Abortion, the killing of unborn chidren already proves that these Secular Humanists place no value on life.

Thomas Robb said...

Yes you may reprint the article and distribute it. However, please include the webpage for our church, www.ChristianRevivalCenter.net

Anonymous said...

You can write articles of a future with hope (the Bible) or you can write articles of a future of despair (Hinduism).

Let's have another bite of 'soylent green' and join the ranks of 'Mad Max' stories shall we?... lol.

innervision said...

I have talked to a bunch of people who are strongly infavor of abortion yet are against the death penalty or assisted suicide.

I have had family members in nursing homes or the hospital. I hear people say the same things well at least they are alive. I just ask how is that living? They can't feed themselves, they have little to know comprehendtion that there is even another person in the room with them. others can't get up and walk to the restroom. how is that living? If it were me getting on in years or in a state where I am just a body with a machine doing the breathing and bags to catch bodily fluids in I pray that my family has the strength and courage to do the right thing and pull the plug.
I would rather make the hard choice of pulling the plug on a family member who lived a full life and is now in a condition that belittles the way they were than to serve my own selfish needs to prolong the person's suffering by prolonging the enevitable death of that loved one. Cruel, I bet a person doped up on Morphine and dying of cancer or somebody who can only blink one eye in response to a question would think otherwise.

Adeimantus said...

This talk by C.S. Lewis explains why social do-good programs, apart from Christ, can do little good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHxs3gdtV8A&feature=rec-HM-r2

If the link gives you trouble, try typing in --

C.S Lewis's surviving BBC radio address

on www.Youtube.com