[Hippocrates_Garden]

Ya’ll, Have you ever worked on an ambulance? There are a few things in play here, from their point of view, you may not be cognizant of. (oh, and they are not “attendants” They are either EMT’s, EMT-A’s or Paramedics, the latter being equivalent in skill and training, though not the exact scope of practice of an RN, I’m an RN and EMT-A)

1) they are not trained, nor is it in their scope of practice to diagnose. Thus you find out later that she has a brain bleed, is something there is absolutely no way they could have determined unless there was some outword physical symptom such as unequal pupils or other indication of an immediate medical issue. As to confusion and such, without prior knowledge of what her “normal” is, this could be her “normal”, no way to tell.

2) While it is great one or more neighbors got involved, in one or more ways, a strict interpretation of HIPAA can put the EMT’s / Medics in a place of not being able to discuss any of her medical information or condition with you, and experience has shown that while what a concerned neighbor offers as information or such is listened to, it is with a grain of salt, as you are not family, you do not live with her, and you do not have Medical Power of Attorney to direct, influence or be given medical information regarding the lady who is during the time of contact, their patient.

3) If this is a time of severe weather and such, there are likely 5-10 or more other calls in the cue waiting for a unit (and if anywhere like Memphis, half the units are tied up on B.S. calls, because they are not allowed to say -no- to patients wanting a free ride to the hospital, because their big toe has been aching for 3 days, and they want a free shot of Dilaudid at the ER.) Harsh but true. If the lady is answering questions indicating some level of competency, is ambulatory with minimal assistance, and refuses to go to the hospital, then yes, I’d accept this, document it, and then check back into service to answer the call of the child reportedly trapped under a tree which may be holding, or the multi-vehicle collision on the other side of town.

I’m not trying to be harsh, but life is harsh, and those who have not rode a truck, or worked in an ER, may not be fully cognizant of the complexity of everyday pre-hospital care even on good and calm days, much less during a region wide weather emergency. Truth is, even on a “calm” cay, it’s not unusal for there not to be a single ambulance crew available, as all are committed on other runs.

I’m glad someone at least noticed and cared enough to dial 911, however another possible response, is to notice and go over there oneself, then if they do not have family phone numbers, check with other neighbors to see if anyone does. In an ideal world, this 100 year old keeper of history and wisdom, would not be living alone in the first place.

I put the real responsibility on the family first, and true neighbors second. 911 should not be a kneejerk first resort, but a safety net when other options have been exhausted. Perhaps, (and I may have missread), if the weather is so bad, a neighbor should have gone over and invited her to their house, just in case and out of concern.

So long as we expect -Government- (which in some way, EMS, police, fire etc are in some way part of, at least by funding) to be the fix, the cure, the first call, we become ever more dependent, and less “free”.

Just my own perspective, as a one time firefighter, emt, parttime LEO, LPN, RN, and more.

[KimC]

Valid points, all. Thank you for providing this perspective. I imagine that there are far more folks like me, without such extensive training, understanding and experience as you have had, than those of you who have done these jobs, been in these situations and circumstances, and comprehend the intricacies of it all far better than the average person. My point in the entire post was the realization I had that nobody will likely come in a true SHTF and I need to ponder and prepare for that. Perhaps the emotion of what happened to this neighbor was charged by what’s going on with my own now-demented mother who seems to be declining rapidly.

The 96-year-old neighbor was raised picking cotton, has remained (until now) healthy, physically fit and very active. She had still been on the move continually, out daily doing yard work of various kinds and sweeping the gutter in front of her own home and others. Her daughter had left the day before from her usual multi-day visit (and more often if needed/wanted). The daughter and I have talked about little issues and concerns as they came up over time that I alerted her to. Her mother still wanted to live alone and on her own as long as possible. Now we know the time has come for change. There had been no forecast for high winds or extreme weather before we went to bed, and I regularly check on the lady, so she hasn’t been left completely alone with nobody to notice. We’ve shared food, laughs, stories and enjoyable conversations with this woman for decades. We care about her, and particularly her soul, which is the most upsetting part to me.

I’m sure she and her family would appreciate your prayers. God bless, Kim

[Hippocrates_Garden]

Absolutely, and thanks for clarifying, I likewise interjected some emotion where it likely was unwarranted.

And likewise, I’m living with my parents, to provide as much care as required, trying not to overdo what’s required to allow them (if not prompt them) into doing as much as possible for themselves, moving and such, because, if at all possible, a nursing home is not an option in our current society, for many reasons. Heck, seeing these days coming when they would need care, is really the only reason I went to nursing school in my 40s, so I could get that side of training and experience, and those letters after my name, so doctors and other nurses would actually listen when I called out the BS, and said NO.

I agree, one needs to test and observe, to realize, as the saying goes, “when seconds count the (insert public service) is minutes, or hours away.”

[KimC]

Indeed.

[KimC]

Ambulance attendants are folks who already presumably want to help, or why else would they be in that profession? The woman’s local family came and realized something was definitely not right, and within an hour or less, 911 was called again and she was taken to the hospital. Her daughter informed me later that she had a bleed in her hypothalamus! The last update I got yesterday was that she was stable and would require physical therapy, at the least. I am concerned that she may not make it, especially given her age. We’ve witnessed to her for decades, yet her response was always that she believes all you have to do is be a good person to go to heaven. Had the attendant not returned and contacted local family members, she may have already passed away from a brain hemorrhage and gone into eternity — her fate sealed. If you think of her, please pray that she will not die without Christ.

If the professionals who supposedly already want to help in a non-SHTF situation were willing to walk away, imagine what it might be like in a true SHTF.