Dealing with an elderly parent part II

Normally I don't delve too much about my "personal" life here unless I feel it can benefit others.

I had a family emergency this week regarding my father who is diabetic and insulin dependent. He was transferred from the Marion VA Hospital to the one here in Saint Louis. Thankfully there are benefits out there for veterans like my dad and myself when the need should arise.

However, I can easily see how more money needs to be filtered into the VA hospitals in this country for several reasons (it's just not Walter Reed--check out this story for more reasons why we need to be an active voice for our nation's veterans):

The scandal has reverberated through generations of veterans. "It's been a potent reminder of past indignities and past traumas," said Thomas A. Mellman, a professor of psychiatry at Howard University who specializes in post-traumatic stress and has worked in Veterans Affairs hospitals. "The fact that it's been responded to so quickly has created mixed feelings -- gratification, but obvious regret and anger that such attention wasn't given before, especially for Vietnam veterans."

Across the country, some military quarters for wounded outpatients are in bad shape, according to interviews, Government Accountability Office reports and transcripts of congressional testimony. The mold, mice and rot of Walter Reed's Building 18 compose a familiar scenario for many soldiers back from Iraq or Afghanistan who were shipped to their home posts for treatment. Nearly 4,000 outpatients are currently in the military's Medical Holding or Medical Holdover companies, which oversee the wounded. Soldiers and veterans report bureaucratic disarray similar to Walter Reed's: indifferent, untrained staff; lost paperwork; medical appointments that drop from the computers; and long waits for consultations.

My personal observations

1. They are understaffed (big time)
2. The hospitals are outdated and in need of repair. (The conditions which these vets are hospitalized in leaves allot to be desired).
3. With the influx of war veterans the US Government has to step up to the plate and fix these problems...along with everything else that is in need of help in the VA system.

Be your own advocate

Being a diabetic means watching (diligently...almost religiously) what you eat and HOW you take care of your body. Dad, for whatever reason, doesn't take care of himself like he should with this disease.

Everything falls on mom or the children.

I cannot stress enough how important it is for parents to ensure that they can manage their health care. Create living wills, make sure your affairs are in order (for the inevitable), use common sense....(canNOT stress that enough).

Children are there, of course for the moral support and if need to be to step in. But at the same time I am a strong advocate of people taking charge of their lives if they are capable of doing so. Don't get lazy or stubborn about these issues. I for one plan on making sure that my affairs are in order, that I use common sense when it comes to my health, and to create the least amount of stress for my only child when that time does arise in the far off future.

Taking care of my health now, mental and physical not only is common sense but a responsibility that I have to myself and to my family.

Be your own advocate!!!