Discussions

I had a most disconcerting experience today regarding my mother she is of an age referred to as aged as in 92 yrs, she has had a bout of bad luck and has ended up in the ‘Assiniboine’ hospital. Her failings were initially health then mental (depression due to the health issue) and then health again, she is well on the road to recovery in both areas. Now to my issue, she has recently, as in today, been allocated to a different floor (probably due to the fact that we are awaiting “homecare” delivery and when that is in order she will be dispatched back to her apartment) of the same establishment of which she has been a patient for the let us say 6 weeks when mealtime approached she was informed (do not take the word lightly) that she is expected to join the other patients in the “dining room/kitchen”. When she stated she would prefer to eat in her room she was again informed that was not an option. Now my big deal is “what’s up with that!!” Every other floor my mother could eat where she chose, now all of a sudden she has NO such choice. WHY? I would understand the reasoning for co-activity BUT…. why the lack of choice? Reason given they don’t want patients eating alone in their rooms…okay… but they are allowed to do so on the other floors, my mother was on her on in a room for several days and yet was allowed to eat in her room by herself no questions asked. Keep in mind my mother is totally capable of making her own decisions (as sharp as a tack) and living on her own with minor assistance. I feel this is an excellent example of how our elderly citizens are systematically deprived of their rights as these same rights are given to any other citizen of our country without guestion. The reason for this discrimination…age and because of that, lack of power.