Some of you may remember my post back in November 2007, "Your Papers, Please." I had discovered on a family trip that I'm one of the lucky, lucky people on the Department of Homeland Security's "Selectee" list. I regularly get the "special" screenings, can't print out plane tickets from home or from kiosks, get pulled from the airline gate for additional security checks... lucky me.
FINALLY, a politician is trying to fix it! Enter Senator Amy Klobuchar. I first heard about this on a Fox 9 news report tonight. (I know, I know... Fox News... but for this story, it was worth it.) Check out Senator Klobuchar's website to learn more.
I even wrote her and pointed her to my blog post from last year.
Oh, and apologized in advance for the occasional expletives from a very, very angry Geek Goddess.
Showing posts with label Government. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Government. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Friday, March 07, 2008
DST a Sham?
Wow, am I ever a bundle of rant today.
I just got an email from the very thoughtful production manager of the theater where we're doing Sound of Music. She was reminding us to set our clocks ahead for Daylight Savings Time, so that we weren't late for Sunday's performance.
It got me thinking. What is Daylight Savings Time anyway? What's it's purpose?
As a kid, I'd always heard that it had something to do with farmers having more sunlight to work. That explanation didn't set right with me though, since farmers are pretty much free to make their own hours from sun up to sun down, regardless of what the clock says.
Daylight Savings Time, ever a controversial concept intended to help reduce energy consumption, was adapted by the United States in 1918, but repealed in 1919. President Woodrow Wilson tried to repeal it... he liked to have that extra daylight time off the office clock to play golf. No joke. DST reared it's head temporarily over the next 50 years, but became standard in 1966.
Recently, a University of California study found that DST actually raises utility bills. According to sources listed in Wikipedia, it not only costs consumers more in utilities, but also creates increased revenue for many buisnesses. I guess that's why, over the years, big businesses, often backed by politicians have supported the continuance of DST, even though it's been proven to be unsuccessful in providing any kind of savings for Americans.
Yes, we'll all grudgingly "spring ahead" this Sunday while we lose an hour of sleep. But next time the question of continuing this practice comes up, let's not let the lobbyists prevail so they can sell more french fries and slurpies.
I just got an email from the very thoughtful production manager of the theater where we're doing Sound of Music. She was reminding us to set our clocks ahead for Daylight Savings Time, so that we weren't late for Sunday's performance.
It got me thinking. What is Daylight Savings Time anyway? What's it's purpose?
As a kid, I'd always heard that it had something to do with farmers having more sunlight to work. That explanation didn't set right with me though, since farmers are pretty much free to make their own hours from sun up to sun down, regardless of what the clock says.
Daylight Savings Time, ever a controversial concept intended to help reduce energy consumption, was adapted by the United States in 1918, but repealed in 1919. President Woodrow Wilson tried to repeal it... he liked to have that extra daylight time off the office clock to play golf. No joke. DST reared it's head temporarily over the next 50 years, but became standard in 1966.
Recently, a University of California study found that DST actually raises utility bills. According to sources listed in Wikipedia, it not only costs consumers more in utilities, but also creates increased revenue for many buisnesses. I guess that's why, over the years, big businesses, often backed by politicians have supported the continuance of DST, even though it's been proven to be unsuccessful in providing any kind of savings for Americans.
Yes, we'll all grudgingly "spring ahead" this Sunday while we lose an hour of sleep. But next time the question of continuing this practice comes up, let's not let the lobbyists prevail so they can sell more french fries and slurpies.
Who Just Up and Leaves the Work Force?
There are lies, there are damn lies, and there are statistics. It all depends on how you shift and spin the numbers.
In the Labor Department's report released today, the nation's unemployment rolls dropped by .1 percent to 4.8 percent this month, even though employers cut more than 63,000 jobs in February. The highest number of cuts in one month in the past 5 years.
So how did our unemployment rates end up looking better? According to the article in the Star Tribune from the Associated Press:
"The reason why the jobless rate went down, rather than up, is because so many people stopped looking for work and left the labor force."
WHO LEAVES THE LABOR FORCE? Four possible reaons, (1) you're retired (2) you're disabled and unable to work (3) you stay home to care for children, the elderly, or disabled (4) you're dead. A person who is unemployed still needs to pay for a roof over his head, clothes on his back and food in his belly. Those needs do not end with lack of job prospects. In other words, they've just STOPPED COUNTING a bunch of people. Of course, that's going to make the numbers look better.
This isn't unlike the spin doctoring of the Consumer Price Index and other indicators. Check out John Williams' Shadow Government Statistics site for more information. Makes you wonder how bad things really are.
I especially like this quote at the end of the article, "All the economy's troubles are putting people in a gloomy mood."
No shit, Sherlock.
In the Labor Department's report released today, the nation's unemployment rolls dropped by .1 percent to 4.8 percent this month, even though employers cut more than 63,000 jobs in February. The highest number of cuts in one month in the past 5 years.
So how did our unemployment rates end up looking better? According to the article in the Star Tribune from the Associated Press:
"The reason why the jobless rate went down, rather than up, is because so many people stopped looking for work and left the labor force."
WHO LEAVES THE LABOR FORCE? Four possible reaons, (1) you're retired (2) you're disabled and unable to work (3) you stay home to care for children, the elderly, or disabled (4) you're dead. A person who is unemployed still needs to pay for a roof over his head, clothes on his back and food in his belly. Those needs do not end with lack of job prospects. In other words, they've just STOPPED COUNTING a bunch of people. Of course, that's going to make the numbers look better.
This isn't unlike the spin doctoring of the Consumer Price Index and other indicators. Check out John Williams' Shadow Government Statistics site for more information. Makes you wonder how bad things really are.
I especially like this quote at the end of the article, "All the economy's troubles are putting people in a gloomy mood."
No shit, Sherlock.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Are they taking applications at the Ministry of Silly Walks?
A tanking U.S. economy and Monty Python. What could they possibly have in common?
British Invasion
I admit it. I've always been a bit of an Anglophile. As a child, I'd adjust the rabbit ears on our old black and white television to get a glimpse of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" coming in from Canada. Four channels, NBC, ABC, CBS and PBS were all I had to choose from, unless I could hijack one of those signals drifting over the border into North Dakota... and it was a heck of a lot funnier than "Gomer Pyle" or "Gilligan's Island".
Bad News
Anyone who reads my blog with any regularity has probably noticed that my posts mostly go to extremes - either very serious or very silly. I'm a pretty low-key person on the outside, but I let things boil in my noggin'. Sometimes that spills out to my blog. When I've just had too much of the bad news, I have to post something silly. Like laughing in the face of danger. Or getting a case of inappropriate giggles at a funeral.
Reading the news lately, I can't even seem to drum up a snort in the face of the charging rhino that is the U.S. economy.
Take today's headlines:
Reports Reflect Bleak Housing Future - "U.S. home prices lost 8.9 percent in the final quarter of 2007, Standard & Poor's said Tuesday, marking a full year of declining values and the steepest drop in the 20-year history of its housing index." "No end in sight."
Home Depot has First Annual Sales Dip - Profits dropped 27.5% in the fourth quarter.
Confidence Plunges, Inflation Rate Soars - I won't even post the numbers on this one. "No good news today on the economic front. Consumer confidence plunged, the wholesale inflation rate soared, the number of homes being foreclosed jumped, home prices fell sharply and a report predicts big increases in health care costs"
Slow Sales Push Target Earnings Down 8.1% - Consumers all over the place are cutting back on discretionary spending. It's not in this article, but in a previous one I read, that people are now using the gift cards they've received for necessities like groceries instead of frivolous items.
Those were the first four news stories in the business section today. I'm not too proud to say that doesn't scare the shit out of me. It's bad. Combine this with the war, our record sky-scraping national debt, unemployment, rising energy costs, poor health care... we're in trouble.
That's when my wonderful Avindair sent this goodie my way. It was written just after Dubya was "re-elected" for his second term. Personally, I think Mr.Cleese has a point. Would someone pass me the Shepherd's Pie? I'll have my CV ready shortly.
A Message from John Cleese
To: The citizens of the United States of America:
In light of your failure to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.
Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy).
Your new prime minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a governor for America without the need for further elections.
Congress and the Senate will be disbanded.
A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.
1. Then look up aluminium, and check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it.
2. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix -ize will be replaced by the suffix -ise.
Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').
3. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as 'like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication.
There is no such thing as US English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of -ize. You will relearn your original national anthem, God Save The Queen.
4. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
5. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent.
Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.
6. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. A permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
7. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and this is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean. Holden Monaro's are also approved.
8. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
9. The Former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) - roughly $6/US gallon. Get used to it.
10. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
11. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting Nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
12. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
13. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies). Don't try Rugby - the South Africans and Kiwis will thrash you, like they regularly thrash us.
14. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America . Since only 2.1% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
15. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
16. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).
17. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 pm with proper cups, never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; strawberries in season.
God save the Queen..
John Cleese
British Invasion
I admit it. I've always been a bit of an Anglophile. As a child, I'd adjust the rabbit ears on our old black and white television to get a glimpse of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" coming in from Canada. Four channels, NBC, ABC, CBS and PBS were all I had to choose from, unless I could hijack one of those signals drifting over the border into North Dakota... and it was a heck of a lot funnier than "Gomer Pyle" or "Gilligan's Island".
Bad News
Anyone who reads my blog with any regularity has probably noticed that my posts mostly go to extremes - either very serious or very silly. I'm a pretty low-key person on the outside, but I let things boil in my noggin'. Sometimes that spills out to my blog. When I've just had too much of the bad news, I have to post something silly. Like laughing in the face of danger. Or getting a case of inappropriate giggles at a funeral.
Reading the news lately, I can't even seem to drum up a snort in the face of the charging rhino that is the U.S. economy.
Take today's headlines:
Reports Reflect Bleak Housing Future - "U.S. home prices lost 8.9 percent in the final quarter of 2007, Standard & Poor's said Tuesday, marking a full year of declining values and the steepest drop in the 20-year history of its housing index." "No end in sight."
Home Depot has First Annual Sales Dip - Profits dropped 27.5% in the fourth quarter.
Confidence Plunges, Inflation Rate Soars - I won't even post the numbers on this one. "No good news today on the economic front. Consumer confidence plunged, the wholesale inflation rate soared, the number of homes being foreclosed jumped, home prices fell sharply and a report predicts big increases in health care costs"
Slow Sales Push Target Earnings Down 8.1% - Consumers all over the place are cutting back on discretionary spending. It's not in this article, but in a previous one I read, that people are now using the gift cards they've received for necessities like groceries instead of frivolous items.
Those were the first four news stories in the business section today. I'm not too proud to say that doesn't scare the shit out of me. It's bad. Combine this with the war, our record sky-scraping national debt, unemployment, rising energy costs, poor health care... we're in trouble.
That's when my wonderful Avindair sent this goodie my way. It was written just after Dubya was "re-elected" for his second term. Personally, I think Mr.Cleese has a point. Would someone pass me the Shepherd's Pie? I'll have my CV ready shortly.
A Message from John Cleese
To: The citizens of the United States of America:
In light of your failure to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.
Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy).
Your new prime minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a governor for America without the need for further elections.
Congress and the Senate will be disbanded.
A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.
1. Then look up aluminium, and check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it.
2. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix -ize will be replaced by the suffix -ise.
Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').
3. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as 'like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication.
There is no such thing as US English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of -ize. You will relearn your original national anthem, God Save The Queen.
4. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
5. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent.
Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.
6. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. A permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
7. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and this is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean. Holden Monaro's are also approved.
8. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
9. The Former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) - roughly $6/US gallon. Get used to it.
10. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
11. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting Nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
12. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
13. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies). Don't try Rugby - the South Africans and Kiwis will thrash you, like they regularly thrash us.
14. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America . Since only 2.1% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
15. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
16. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).
17. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 pm with proper cups, never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; strawberries in season.
God save the Queen..
John Cleese
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Will Insurers of 35W Victims Cash In?
SUBROGATION is the word that worries survivors of the 35W bridge collapse and their attorneys. Are you familiar with it?
sub·ro·ga·tion
1 : an equitable doctrine holding that when a third party pays a creditor or obligee the third party succeeds to the creditor's rights against the debtor or obligor; also : a doctrine holding that when an insurance company pays an insured's claim of loss due to another's tort the insurer succeeds to the insured's rights (as the right to sue for damages) against the tortfeasor called also equitable subrogation
2 : an act or instance of subrogating
NOTE: Subrogation can take place either by operation of law or by contractual agreement.
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law at dictionary.com.
I'll give it to you in laymen's terms.
Say you're driving along the highway. A large semi is in front of you. All of a sudden, the doors at the back of the semi swing open, spilling boxes onto the highway. Your car is hit, you swerve and your car rolls. You end up in the hospital with multiple injuries. You're out of work for months and will have to endure many months more of physical therapy. Your insurance pays most of the medical expenses.
At least the company that owned the semi is paying you compensation for pain and suffering. It's a good thing. You didn't know how you were going to get by. You get paid a reasonable settlement.
This is where subrogation steps in. If your insurance falls under federal regulations your insurance company can lay claims to your settlement. They can require that you repay them out of your settlement money.
That's the problem that's wracking the brains and legal knowledge of Minnesota state representatives and attorneys for the 35W bridge victims. They want to compensate them, but they don't want it to go to the insurance companies, waiting like sharks in the bloody waters below.
So... not only do health insurance companies charge you through the nose, refuse to pay for preventative and necessary treatments, and drop you for sneezing the wrong way - now they can take your settlements as repayment, too.
Sick. Absolutely sick.
Read the Star Tribune article, "Will insurers go after 35W bridge victims' awards?" by Pam Louwagie that got me ranting at 700am.
sub·ro·ga·tion
1 : an equitable doctrine holding that when a third party pays a creditor or obligee the third party succeeds to the creditor's rights against the debtor or obligor; also : a doctrine holding that when an insurance company pays an insured's claim of loss due to another's tort the insurer succeeds to the insured's rights (as the right to sue for damages) against the tortfeasor called also equitable subrogation
2 : an act or instance of subrogating
NOTE: Subrogation can take place either by operation of law or by contractual agreement.
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law at dictionary.com.
I'll give it to you in laymen's terms.
Say you're driving along the highway. A large semi is in front of you. All of a sudden, the doors at the back of the semi swing open, spilling boxes onto the highway. Your car is hit, you swerve and your car rolls. You end up in the hospital with multiple injuries. You're out of work for months and will have to endure many months more of physical therapy. Your insurance pays most of the medical expenses.
At least the company that owned the semi is paying you compensation for pain and suffering. It's a good thing. You didn't know how you were going to get by. You get paid a reasonable settlement.
This is where subrogation steps in. If your insurance falls under federal regulations your insurance company can lay claims to your settlement. They can require that you repay them out of your settlement money.
That's the problem that's wracking the brains and legal knowledge of Minnesota state representatives and attorneys for the 35W bridge victims. They want to compensate them, but they don't want it to go to the insurance companies, waiting like sharks in the bloody waters below.
So... not only do health insurance companies charge you through the nose, refuse to pay for preventative and necessary treatments, and drop you for sneezing the wrong way - now they can take your settlements as repayment, too.
Sick. Absolutely sick.
Read the Star Tribune article, "Will insurers go after 35W bridge victims' awards?" by Pam Louwagie that got me ranting at 700am.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
United States Ranks Dead Last
Regular readers of Rhapsody know, the state of our nation's healthcare system is a hot-button subject for me. An article I read in Yahoo! News this morning is a much-needed slap in the face to all those who espouse the "evils" of socialized medicine.
Guess what? Socialized medicine is kicking our U.S. healthcare asses!
Fucking, duh.
Normally, I'd just link to the article. But this one is important enough that I'm posting the entire thing. Read on.
France is healthcare leader, US comes dead last: study
WASHINGTON (AFP) - France is tops, and the United States dead last, in providing timely and effective healthcare to its citizens, according to a survey Tuesday of preventable deaths in 19 industrialized countries.
The study by the Commonwealth Fund and published in the January/February issue of the journal Health Affairs measured developed countries' effectiveness at providing timely and effective healthcare.
The study, entitled "Measuring the Health of Nations: Updating an Earlier Analysis," was written by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. It looked at death rates in subjects younger than 75 that could have been prevented by timely and effective medical care.
The researchers found that while most countries surveyed saw preventable deaths decline by an average of 16 percent, the United States saw only a four percent dip.
The non-profit Commonwealth Fund, which financed the study, expressed alarm at the findings.
"It is startling to see the US falling even farther behind on this crucial indicator of health system performance," said Commonwealth Fund Senior Vice President Cathy Schoen, who noted that "other countries are reducing these preventable deaths more rapidly, yet spending far less."
The 19 countries, in order of best to worst, were: France, Japan, Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Some countries showed dramatic improvement in the periods studied -- 1997 and 1998 and again between 2002 and 2003 -- outpacing the United States, which showed only slight improvement.
White the United States ranked 15th of 19 between 1997-98, by 2002-03 it had fallen to last place.
"It is notable that all countries have improved substantially except the US," said Ellen Nolte, lead author of the study.
Had the United States performed as well as any of the top three industrialized countries, there would have been 101,000 fewer deaths per year, the researchers said.
Guess what? Socialized medicine is kicking our U.S. healthcare asses!
Fucking, duh.
Normally, I'd just link to the article. But this one is important enough that I'm posting the entire thing. Read on.
France is healthcare leader, US comes dead last: study
WASHINGTON (AFP) - France is tops, and the United States dead last, in providing timely and effective healthcare to its citizens, according to a survey Tuesday of preventable deaths in 19 industrialized countries.
The study by the Commonwealth Fund and published in the January/February issue of the journal Health Affairs measured developed countries' effectiveness at providing timely and effective healthcare.
The study, entitled "Measuring the Health of Nations: Updating an Earlier Analysis," was written by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. It looked at death rates in subjects younger than 75 that could have been prevented by timely and effective medical care.
The researchers found that while most countries surveyed saw preventable deaths decline by an average of 16 percent, the United States saw only a four percent dip.
The non-profit Commonwealth Fund, which financed the study, expressed alarm at the findings.
"It is startling to see the US falling even farther behind on this crucial indicator of health system performance," said Commonwealth Fund Senior Vice President Cathy Schoen, who noted that "other countries are reducing these preventable deaths more rapidly, yet spending far less."
The 19 countries, in order of best to worst, were: France, Japan, Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Some countries showed dramatic improvement in the periods studied -- 1997 and 1998 and again between 2002 and 2003 -- outpacing the United States, which showed only slight improvement.
White the United States ranked 15th of 19 between 1997-98, by 2002-03 it had fallen to last place.
"It is notable that all countries have improved substantially except the US," said Ellen Nolte, lead author of the study.
Had the United States performed as well as any of the top three industrialized countries, there would have been 101,000 fewer deaths per year, the researchers said.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Your Papers, Please?
We all know how the criminal justice system works in this country. A crime is committed. A perpetrator is identified. Evidence is brought against them. They go to court. But in every case, the defendent is required to know and understand what they are accused of and have the chance to refute the evidence brought against them.
Unless, of course, under the current administration, it's a matter of "National Security".
I've been quiet about this for a week and a half, but it's time.
Two weeks ago I traveled back and forth between Minneapolis and Dulles International (Washington, D.C.) with my husband and kids. We were taking a quick trip to visit friends and family. In a repeat performance from our trip to Orlando earlier this year, I once again got "selected" for the special security treatment on the flight out. (On the Orlando trip the entire family got the pat down treatment coming and going.)
After a really lovely weekend in D.C. and Lynchburg, we headed back to the airport. We picked up our tickets at the counter (since I mysteriously could not print out boarding passes at home) and headed for the security line. My 10-year-old daughter stood with me, while Avindair took care of our 15-year-old son. I handed TSA Guy our boarding passes and my ID. This was the conversation we had.
TSA Guy: (pointing at my daughter) I need her photo ID.
Me: She's only 10. She doesn't have a photo ID.
TSA Guy: Huh? I need her ID.
Me: We're not flying overseas. We're only traveling domestically. She doesn't need identification for domestic travel.
TSA Guy: (to TSA Gal next to him - pointing at Kate) Doesn't she need an ID?
TSA Gal: Um... nah. They don't need IDs if they're 15 and under.
TSA Guy: Oh.
TSA Gal: Oh... wait. No... I think it's 18 and under.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK!
The crack security staff didn't even know how old you had to be before you needed a photo ID? These people passed their training? HUH?
Finally, he grudgingly handed back our boarding passes and my ID and allowed us to get in line.
Wait... I don't get the "special treatment" today? I'm going through the line like a normal person for the first time in a long time? It's my lucky day!
Three more TSA people look at my boarding pass, walk me through the metal detector, slide my binned travel bag and shoes through the scanner, and finally allow me to be on my merry way with my family.
We had arrived at the airport very early. The plan was to get through the infamously difficult Dulles security, eat dinner in the terminal, then sit quietly, relax and read until the flight boarded. All was going as planned until about 30 minutes before boarding.
"Would passenger GeekGoddess (name removed to protect the innocent-until-proven-guilty) please come to the gate counter?"
Fearing the worst, I walked up to the counter, Avindair and the kids trailing behind me. At the time, I thought the worst would be a problem at home... someone in the hospital, an accident. Maybe they couldn't reach me on my cell phone.
Nope.
Turns out security had contacted the airline. I was supposed to have had the "special treatment" and get a "special stamp" on my boarding pass before getting on the flight. Apparantly, the crack TSA staff hadn't done it and the airline wasn't going to let me on the flight without it.
*****
NOTE: At that time I wondered, just how did they *know* I didn't have the stamp without looking at my boarding pass? How did the TSA know to call the airline? I found out today. Before every flight, no later than 15 minutes before departure, airlines have to send their passenger list to the TSA. The TSA then checks that list against the No-Fly (means you are NOT flying) and the Watch (means that you get the "special treatment") lists. Of course, they don't tell the passengers this.
*****
It took the airline gate staff another 15 minutes to FIND A WORKING TELEPHONE NUMBER for the TSA desk to call them back and ask what to do with me. Apparently, they never found it. Eventually, a surly Continental staff member showed up to escort me all the way back to the security checkpoint, leaving Avindair and the kids at the gate... confused and worried.
As she led me away, slowly rambling along the long concourse, she complained about the long day she'd had and mumbling that I could catch a shuttle back.
Me: A what???
Her: A shuttle.
Me: Why do I need a shuttle? Where am I going? My flight leaves in 30 minutes and my family is waiting for me.
Her: Aw, you'll probably make it.
Me: First, I don't know this airport. Second, where am I going?
Her: Back to get a stamp.
Me: A stamp from where?
Her: Security.
Me: You mean the main security checkpoint? All the way back by the ticket counters?
Her: You'll make it back. It only takes 7 minutes if you use the moving sidewalks.
Fuck.
So. We finally make it to security. Continental Gal start arguing with the TSA Guy #2 over my need for a "special stamp". They argue some more. TSA Guy #2 decides to get a supervisor involved. TSA Super #1 argues with TSA Guy #2 and Continental Gal. Then TSA Super #2 joins in the fray. I jump in with "FLIGHT BOARDING IN 15 MINUTES! FAMILY WAITING AT GATE!" I'm given a look by all of them that sees me as more of a noisy child than a US Citizen/paying passenger. TSA Super #1 suggests I have a seat while they make some phone calls.
I wait for another 10 minutes.
Anxiously.
At last, TSA Guy #3 calls me over to once again take off my dangerous jacket, my dangerous shoes, empty my dangerous pockets, and put my dangerous carry-on in the bin. I once again walk through the metal detector (who knows what I might have picked up on the OTHER SIDE of the security barrier the first time). I get the pat down, have TSA Gal #2 swab down my belongings for bomb-making residue.
At least TSA Guy #3 has the decency to look sheepish and say, "Sorry about this," as he stamps my boarding pass with the stamp that TSA Guy #2 said didn't exist.
Continental Gal looks up at me from her magazine and says, "You know the way back," and turns away.
I look up at the clock. Boarding for my flight should be starting about... NOW.
I start to run. I'm guessing it's about 3/4 of a mile. Oh, and the moving sidewalks? Ha! More like mechanical arteries blocked by human plaque.
I arrive at my gate as boarding is beginning. My husband is worried... and angry. My even-tempered son is fuming and furious. My daughter is scared and crying.
After a lot of arguing, Avindair finally pried out of an attendant that I'm on the TSA's "Watch List".
Why? Who knows? Hundreds of thousands of people are on it. The government doesn't have to tell us why. The criteria are a matter of "national security". It could be as simple as having a name similar to someone on the No-Fly list... or it could be "something else". They just won't tell you.
When I got home, I did a little research. The facts so far:
1. There's no way of knowing why you are on the list.
2. The TSA admits that there are many people on the list in error.
3. There is no method an individual can take to be removed completely from the list.
4. If you provide the TSA with more personal information about yourself, you may be shifted to a "verified" portion of the list... but you'll still be subjected to the same scrutiny when traveling.
5. I can no longer print boarding passes from home.
6. I can no longer use eTicket machines at the airport.
7. Every time I fly, I have to wait at the ticket counter to receive a boarding pass from the airline representative.
In short:
- I've been accused of something by our government - along with thousands of other U.S. Citizens.
- My personal freedoms are being curtailed by a government agency without having to provide me with reason, evidence or proof.
- It's impossible to defend myself, when I don't know what I'm defending myself against.
Without having to site criteria, under this umbrella of "national security", who knows what reasons normal U.S. Citizens are being treated like criminals? Is it truly to keep terrorists out? Or is it to "legally" profile and track people based on religion, political affiliation, cultural activities, personal opinion...? We don't know. And if you ask... if you question... you might just end up on a list yourself... perhaps for being "Un-American".
I'm still trying to decide what to do... how to handle this. The ramifications of being identified on this list are more than a little frightening to me. Here I am: 40-year-old woman, married 20 years, mother of two, home owner, good work record, business owner, tax payer, former government employee with security clearance, former Girl Scout leader, never had a run in with the law for more than a speeding ticket, grew up in a Cessna with a father who was a flight instructor... but I get treated like a criminal now every time I travel.
The Watch list, by the way, is filled with people who are considered a potential threat to civil aviation.
Does the description above sound like I'm a threat?
Have you seen the news lately? You all might be joining me before long. Check this out:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/12/flying_into_data_hell/
There are lots of other good articles/blogs about this. Just do a Google search on "government permission to fly". Funny. For something as important as this, I didn't see anything on the regular news.
If this rule goes into effect, forget about flying off to a romantic getaway at a moment's notice.
Your papers, please?
Unless, of course, under the current administration, it's a matter of "National Security".
I've been quiet about this for a week and a half, but it's time.
Two weeks ago I traveled back and forth between Minneapolis and Dulles International (Washington, D.C.) with my husband and kids. We were taking a quick trip to visit friends and family. In a repeat performance from our trip to Orlando earlier this year, I once again got "selected" for the special security treatment on the flight out. (On the Orlando trip the entire family got the pat down treatment coming and going.)
After a really lovely weekend in D.C. and Lynchburg, we headed back to the airport. We picked up our tickets at the counter (since I mysteriously could not print out boarding passes at home) and headed for the security line. My 10-year-old daughter stood with me, while Avindair took care of our 15-year-old son. I handed TSA Guy our boarding passes and my ID. This was the conversation we had.
TSA Guy: (pointing at my daughter) I need her photo ID.
Me: She's only 10. She doesn't have a photo ID.
TSA Guy: Huh? I need her ID.
Me: We're not flying overseas. We're only traveling domestically. She doesn't need identification for domestic travel.
TSA Guy: (to TSA Gal next to him - pointing at Kate) Doesn't she need an ID?
TSA Gal: Um... nah. They don't need IDs if they're 15 and under.
TSA Guy: Oh.
TSA Gal: Oh... wait. No... I think it's 18 and under.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK!
The crack security staff didn't even know how old you had to be before you needed a photo ID? These people passed their training? HUH?
Finally, he grudgingly handed back our boarding passes and my ID and allowed us to get in line.
Wait... I don't get the "special treatment" today? I'm going through the line like a normal person for the first time in a long time? It's my lucky day!
Three more TSA people look at my boarding pass, walk me through the metal detector, slide my binned travel bag and shoes through the scanner, and finally allow me to be on my merry way with my family.
We had arrived at the airport very early. The plan was to get through the infamously difficult Dulles security, eat dinner in the terminal, then sit quietly, relax and read until the flight boarded. All was going as planned until about 30 minutes before boarding.
"Would passenger GeekGoddess (name removed to protect the innocent-until-proven-guilty) please come to the gate counter?"
Fearing the worst, I walked up to the counter, Avindair and the kids trailing behind me. At the time, I thought the worst would be a problem at home... someone in the hospital, an accident. Maybe they couldn't reach me on my cell phone.
Nope.
Turns out security had contacted the airline. I was supposed to have had the "special treatment" and get a "special stamp" on my boarding pass before getting on the flight. Apparantly, the crack TSA staff hadn't done it and the airline wasn't going to let me on the flight without it.
*****
NOTE: At that time I wondered, just how did they *know* I didn't have the stamp without looking at my boarding pass? How did the TSA know to call the airline? I found out today. Before every flight, no later than 15 minutes before departure, airlines have to send their passenger list to the TSA. The TSA then checks that list against the No-Fly (means you are NOT flying) and the Watch (means that you get the "special treatment") lists. Of course, they don't tell the passengers this.
*****
It took the airline gate staff another 15 minutes to FIND A WORKING TELEPHONE NUMBER for the TSA desk to call them back and ask what to do with me. Apparently, they never found it. Eventually, a surly Continental staff member showed up to escort me all the way back to the security checkpoint, leaving Avindair and the kids at the gate... confused and worried.
As she led me away, slowly rambling along the long concourse, she complained about the long day she'd had and mumbling that I could catch a shuttle back.
Me: A what???
Her: A shuttle.
Me: Why do I need a shuttle? Where am I going? My flight leaves in 30 minutes and my family is waiting for me.
Her: Aw, you'll probably make it.
Me: First, I don't know this airport. Second, where am I going?
Her: Back to get a stamp.
Me: A stamp from where?
Her: Security.
Me: You mean the main security checkpoint? All the way back by the ticket counters?
Her: You'll make it back. It only takes 7 minutes if you use the moving sidewalks.
Fuck.
So. We finally make it to security. Continental Gal start arguing with the TSA Guy #2 over my need for a "special stamp". They argue some more. TSA Guy #2 decides to get a supervisor involved. TSA Super #1 argues with TSA Guy #2 and Continental Gal. Then TSA Super #2 joins in the fray. I jump in with "FLIGHT BOARDING IN 15 MINUTES! FAMILY WAITING AT GATE!" I'm given a look by all of them that sees me as more of a noisy child than a US Citizen/paying passenger. TSA Super #1 suggests I have a seat while they make some phone calls.
I wait for another 10 minutes.
Anxiously.
At last, TSA Guy #3 calls me over to once again take off my dangerous jacket, my dangerous shoes, empty my dangerous pockets, and put my dangerous carry-on in the bin. I once again walk through the metal detector (who knows what I might have picked up on the OTHER SIDE of the security barrier the first time). I get the pat down, have TSA Gal #2 swab down my belongings for bomb-making residue.
At least TSA Guy #3 has the decency to look sheepish and say, "Sorry about this," as he stamps my boarding pass with the stamp that TSA Guy #2 said didn't exist.
Continental Gal looks up at me from her magazine and says, "You know the way back," and turns away.
I look up at the clock. Boarding for my flight should be starting about... NOW.
I start to run. I'm guessing it's about 3/4 of a mile. Oh, and the moving sidewalks? Ha! More like mechanical arteries blocked by human plaque.
I arrive at my gate as boarding is beginning. My husband is worried... and angry. My even-tempered son is fuming and furious. My daughter is scared and crying.
After a lot of arguing, Avindair finally pried out of an attendant that I'm on the TSA's "Watch List".
Why? Who knows? Hundreds of thousands of people are on it. The government doesn't have to tell us why. The criteria are a matter of "national security". It could be as simple as having a name similar to someone on the No-Fly list... or it could be "something else". They just won't tell you.
When I got home, I did a little research. The facts so far:
1. There's no way of knowing why you are on the list.
2. The TSA admits that there are many people on the list in error.
3. There is no method an individual can take to be removed completely from the list.
4. If you provide the TSA with more personal information about yourself, you may be shifted to a "verified" portion of the list... but you'll still be subjected to the same scrutiny when traveling.
5. I can no longer print boarding passes from home.
6. I can no longer use eTicket machines at the airport.
7. Every time I fly, I have to wait at the ticket counter to receive a boarding pass from the airline representative.
In short:
- I've been accused of something by our government - along with thousands of other U.S. Citizens.
- My personal freedoms are being curtailed by a government agency without having to provide me with reason, evidence or proof.
- It's impossible to defend myself, when I don't know what I'm defending myself against.
Without having to site criteria, under this umbrella of "national security", who knows what reasons normal U.S. Citizens are being treated like criminals? Is it truly to keep terrorists out? Or is it to "legally" profile and track people based on religion, political affiliation, cultural activities, personal opinion...? We don't know. And if you ask... if you question... you might just end up on a list yourself... perhaps for being "Un-American".
I'm still trying to decide what to do... how to handle this. The ramifications of being identified on this list are more than a little frightening to me. Here I am: 40-year-old woman, married 20 years, mother of two, home owner, good work record, business owner, tax payer, former government employee with security clearance, former Girl Scout leader, never had a run in with the law for more than a speeding ticket, grew up in a Cessna with a father who was a flight instructor... but I get treated like a criminal now every time I travel.
The Watch list, by the way, is filled with people who are considered a potential threat to civil aviation.
Does the description above sound like I'm a threat?
Have you seen the news lately? You all might be joining me before long. Check this out:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/12/flying_into_data_hell/
There are lots of other good articles/blogs about this. Just do a Google search on "government permission to fly". Funny. For something as important as this, I didn't see anything on the regular news.
If this rule goes into effect, forget about flying off to a romantic getaway at a moment's notice.
Your papers, please?
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
The 2030 Problem
Some of you may remember my post from September, Beware of Aging, outlining the worries my mother is going through caring for her elderly mother and the outrageous cost of care.
Quick update. Grandma was moved into a nursing home a couple of weeks ago. During that time she's undergone an evaluation to determine the level of care she needs and to figure out exactly what the cost will be. We have the answer - $195 per day - about $6000 per month - $72,000 per year. Much more than the average full-time worker in America makes in a year.
Even when the nursing home insurance kicks in in three months, after they've incurred over $18,000 out of pocket in care bills, it will still only pay out $2700 per month, leaving $3300 out of pocket.
The solution? Mom and Dad haven't figured that one out yet. Just a few days ago, care workers visited my Dad's mother. This grandmother has just come home from several months in the hospital and can no longer take care of herself either. Mom and Dad have to find a way to put two grandmothers, on opposite ends of the country in nursing care or give up what years they have left on their own good health, caring for them themselves.
This is insane. And it's only going to get worse - it's called the "2030 Problem". That's the year when the youngest of the Baby Boomer generation will turn 66 -- and will number 61 million people in our country facing care needs. Those born prior to 1946 is estimated to number 9 million. Conservative estimates of long term care costs from the Congressional Budget Office set expenditures at $154 billion in 2010, $195 in 2020, and $270 billion in 2030. Currently about 59% of care is paid for by the government, about 40% by individuals, and a meagre 1% by private insurance.
"The $120 billion in current expenses underestimates the economic resources devoted to long-term care, however, because most care is delivered informally by family and friends and is not included in economic statistics. Among the elderly who require assistance with daily activities, 65 percent rely exclusively on families and friends and another 30 percent rely, at least in part, on informal care. It has been estimated that the economic value of such informal care-giving in the United States reaches $200 billion a year--one and a half times the amount spent on formal care giving (Arno, Levine, and Memmott 1999)."
There's also a shortage of people willing to go into the elderly care industry. Low wages and poor benefits are the rewards of caring for an aging America.
Granted this is just one of the problems facing our nation in the future, but it's a future my kids will be inheriting. What burdens are we placing on future generations by our lack of attention to this growing dilemma? What kind of a country are we handing over to the next generation?
Quick update. Grandma was moved into a nursing home a couple of weeks ago. During that time she's undergone an evaluation to determine the level of care she needs and to figure out exactly what the cost will be. We have the answer - $195 per day - about $6000 per month - $72,000 per year. Much more than the average full-time worker in America makes in a year.
Even when the nursing home insurance kicks in in three months, after they've incurred over $18,000 out of pocket in care bills, it will still only pay out $2700 per month, leaving $3300 out of pocket.
The solution? Mom and Dad haven't figured that one out yet. Just a few days ago, care workers visited my Dad's mother. This grandmother has just come home from several months in the hospital and can no longer take care of herself either. Mom and Dad have to find a way to put two grandmothers, on opposite ends of the country in nursing care or give up what years they have left on their own good health, caring for them themselves.
This is insane. And it's only going to get worse - it's called the "2030 Problem". That's the year when the youngest of the Baby Boomer generation will turn 66 -- and will number 61 million people in our country facing care needs. Those born prior to 1946 is estimated to number 9 million. Conservative estimates of long term care costs from the Congressional Budget Office set expenditures at $154 billion in 2010, $195 in 2020, and $270 billion in 2030. Currently about 59% of care is paid for by the government, about 40% by individuals, and a meagre 1% by private insurance.
"The $120 billion in current expenses underestimates the economic resources devoted to long-term care, however, because most care is delivered informally by family and friends and is not included in economic statistics. Among the elderly who require assistance with daily activities, 65 percent rely exclusively on families and friends and another 30 percent rely, at least in part, on informal care. It has been estimated that the economic value of such informal care-giving in the United States reaches $200 billion a year--one and a half times the amount spent on formal care giving (Arno, Levine, and Memmott 1999)."
There's also a shortage of people willing to go into the elderly care industry. Low wages and poor benefits are the rewards of caring for an aging America.
Granted this is just one of the problems facing our nation in the future, but it's a future my kids will be inheriting. What burdens are we placing on future generations by our lack of attention to this growing dilemma? What kind of a country are we handing over to the next generation?
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Sick at Heart
It's official. Bush has vetoed the child health care bill raising it by an additional $35 billion over 5 years. That bastard. It was getting too close to that phrase that strikes fear into the hearts of Republicans - socialized medicine.
Of course, it's perfectly okay to tell congress he needs an additional $150 billion in 2008 for the "War on Terror".
Over four times as much spent on killing people in other countries, rather than healing our own.
We have a fucking sick country... and I'm not talking about disease.
Speaking of sick. If you haven't seen Michael Moore's SICKO yet, please, PLEASE do.
One quote from the film continues to stick with me from the British... and I continually forget this gentleman's name and position in government. But he was explaining why the Brits moved to socialized medicine after World War II, when their country's economy was in shambles. To paraphrase, "If we had enough money to kill people, we had enough to heal them."
Amen to that. Come on, America. Put your money where your oh-so-Christian-ideals should be - helping people instead of harming them.
Of course, it's perfectly okay to tell congress he needs an additional $150 billion in 2008 for the "War on Terror".
Over four times as much spent on killing people in other countries, rather than healing our own.
We have a fucking sick country... and I'm not talking about disease.
Speaking of sick. If you haven't seen Michael Moore's SICKO yet, please, PLEASE do.
One quote from the film continues to stick with me from the British... and I continually forget this gentleman's name and position in government. But he was explaining why the Brits moved to socialized medicine after World War II, when their country's economy was in shambles. To paraphrase, "If we had enough money to kill people, we had enough to heal them."
Amen to that. Come on, America. Put your money where your oh-so-Christian-ideals should be - helping people instead of harming them.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Beware of Aging
My cell phone buzzed against my desktop.
"Oh, no," I thought. It was probably a school nurse. Seasonal colds and flus were making the rounds.
I answered, expecting to have to make my excuses to my boss, grab my keys, and go.
It was my Mom. Mom calling my cell phone in the middle of the work day couldn't possibly be good.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, honey. Nothing's wrong. Everything is just fine. We're okay."
Her voice didn't sound like everything was okay.
Mom is a 24/7 live-in caretaker for my grandmother -- her elderly mother. For years she's done everything for her and her home with the tenderest of care and attention to every detail for years... often to the detriment of her own health, well-being, and general sanity. The woman hasn't had more than a handful of 8-hour sleep sessions in all that time. Waiting on my grandmother, attending her every need, night and day, day in and day out. A short time ago, to the relief of the rest of the family, she decided that she simply couldn't do it any more and put Grandma on the waiting list for a nursing home.
Monday they called and said they had a room open -- for Wednesday.
Mom's voice was a heart-breaking combination of relief, guilt, fear, loss, excitement...
My grandmother needs complete care. She needs help to eat, to stand up, to sit down, to go to the bathroom, to get dressed, to get in and out of bed, to walk from place to place... everything. The intelligent, strong-willed, opinionated, sometimes infuriating, but always supportive woman I knew is trapped inside this elderly shell of weakness, pain, and confusion. It's no longer safe for her to live in her home she loves so much. It's no longer possible for my mother to give her the care she needs.
Then there's the financial question. The home my grandmother will be going into, for the full care she needs, will cost almost $6000 per month. That's above and beyond the cost of all of the medication she needs on a monthly basis. The nursing home insurance she and my grandfather paid for most of their working lives, only shells out about $2500 per month. Medicare pays nothing. Leaving my grandmother's assets, investments, cashed in life insurance policies... and possibly even, her home... to take care of the balance. Eventually, if she stays in the nursing home, virtually any inheritance... any assets that would have gone to my mother, will have to be liquidated to pay the nursing home. Of course, if she had no assets, she'd pay far less and get the same care.
My mother is trying to think of alternatives. There are no other family members to help. Mom's brother died years ago. She's considering taking in renters at my grandmother's house. At 63, she'd like to finally start enjoying her life a little, travel, see her grandkids... but she may have to consider taking a job. But the kind of jobs open for women like my mom in the town she lives in will net her maybe $8 / hour after taxes... tops. I can't offer any help, with two kids and a mortgage, and living 300 miles away.
I just get angry at the lack of help for caretakers of the elderly. Little to non-existant breaks, compensation, support, information, legal help, finanacial advice... just a bunch of vultures waiting to rip of their piece of the carcass.
Sorry for the downer of a post. It's been on my mind all day.
"Oh, no," I thought. It was probably a school nurse. Seasonal colds and flus were making the rounds.
I answered, expecting to have to make my excuses to my boss, grab my keys, and go.
It was my Mom. Mom calling my cell phone in the middle of the work day couldn't possibly be good.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, honey. Nothing's wrong. Everything is just fine. We're okay."
Her voice didn't sound like everything was okay.
Mom is a 24/7 live-in caretaker for my grandmother -- her elderly mother. For years she's done everything for her and her home with the tenderest of care and attention to every detail for years... often to the detriment of her own health, well-being, and general sanity. The woman hasn't had more than a handful of 8-hour sleep sessions in all that time. Waiting on my grandmother, attending her every need, night and day, day in and day out. A short time ago, to the relief of the rest of the family, she decided that she simply couldn't do it any more and put Grandma on the waiting list for a nursing home.
Monday they called and said they had a room open -- for Wednesday.
Mom's voice was a heart-breaking combination of relief, guilt, fear, loss, excitement...
My grandmother needs complete care. She needs help to eat, to stand up, to sit down, to go to the bathroom, to get dressed, to get in and out of bed, to walk from place to place... everything. The intelligent, strong-willed, opinionated, sometimes infuriating, but always supportive woman I knew is trapped inside this elderly shell of weakness, pain, and confusion. It's no longer safe for her to live in her home she loves so much. It's no longer possible for my mother to give her the care she needs.
Then there's the financial question. The home my grandmother will be going into, for the full care she needs, will cost almost $6000 per month. That's above and beyond the cost of all of the medication she needs on a monthly basis. The nursing home insurance she and my grandfather paid for most of their working lives, only shells out about $2500 per month. Medicare pays nothing. Leaving my grandmother's assets, investments, cashed in life insurance policies... and possibly even, her home... to take care of the balance. Eventually, if she stays in the nursing home, virtually any inheritance... any assets that would have gone to my mother, will have to be liquidated to pay the nursing home. Of course, if she had no assets, she'd pay far less and get the same care.
My mother is trying to think of alternatives. There are no other family members to help. Mom's brother died years ago. She's considering taking in renters at my grandmother's house. At 63, she'd like to finally start enjoying her life a little, travel, see her grandkids... but she may have to consider taking a job. But the kind of jobs open for women like my mom in the town she lives in will net her maybe $8 / hour after taxes... tops. I can't offer any help, with two kids and a mortgage, and living 300 miles away.
I just get angry at the lack of help for caretakers of the elderly. Little to non-existant breaks, compensation, support, information, legal help, finanacial advice... just a bunch of vultures waiting to rip of their piece of the carcass.
Sorry for the downer of a post. It's been on my mind all day.
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