STREET JOURNAL - JANUARY 27 - Greetings to all! Our service on Tuesday was busy, we served approximately 28 people. Many are new to us which prompts questions of 1) why are there so many new street people, 2) where are the long term street people -- did they all find shelter?, did they all leave town?, etc, 3) why are there so many new YOUNG people out? It seems that several of the newer street people must be stretching their age a bit to get into the shelter. There does not appear to be any quick answer to any of the questions or any quick solutions to the problems. Please pray for them all.
We encountered a situation with one gentleman on Tuesday that is of a different concern. He has some medical issues, and this seems to be an unfortunate problem for several people. This person has a condition that is being treated with a medication that causes this man to be very groggy and sleepy in the morning. The condition itself is of concern but that is being monitored by a physician. The man's worry is that he is so fatigued in the morning that he feels unsafe driving to his job, a valid worry for himself and for the community. He is at the mercy of the shelter's rule's and policies as far as when he can take the medication and when he's supposed to be quiet and in bed as well as when gets up and then when he must leave the shelter in the morning. We spoke with him for quite a long time about options or ideas regarding his rights as a patient and the need to talk to his care provider. He is trying hard to get back on his feet and get out of the shelter to more "normal" conditions. We've worked with people who have had serious medical conditions, including surgeries, that have been discharged from the hospital to their "home" on the streets. They are expected to convalesce and heal without aid, without a good place to sleep, without consistent nutritional meals. Its hardly fair to expect these patients to not return to the ER with problems and create bills that they will likely not be able to pay. This particular gentleman was not aware that he could question his physician, that he could call and ask for advice. He believed that because he was referred to a particular doctor that the doctor was an expert and that he had to follow the orders. He agreed to seek advice at a local ER that night and had not returned before we left, I do not know the outcome of the visit. I don't have an answer to what should happen in the system to help the homeless with medical problems, I just know that the average person would not want to recuperate from illness or surgery in their car or at a shelter or the local library. Just something to think about~
Thank you for your prayers, your donations and concerns for the homeless.
Karen
We encountered a situation with one gentleman on Tuesday that is of a different concern. He has some medical issues, and this seems to be an unfortunate problem for several people. This person has a condition that is being treated with a medication that causes this man to be very groggy and sleepy in the morning. The condition itself is of concern but that is being monitored by a physician. The man's worry is that he is so fatigued in the morning that he feels unsafe driving to his job, a valid worry for himself and for the community. He is at the mercy of the shelter's rule's and policies as far as when he can take the medication and when he's supposed to be quiet and in bed as well as when gets up and then when he must leave the shelter in the morning. We spoke with him for quite a long time about options or ideas regarding his rights as a patient and the need to talk to his care provider. He is trying hard to get back on his feet and get out of the shelter to more "normal" conditions. We've worked with people who have had serious medical conditions, including surgeries, that have been discharged from the hospital to their "home" on the streets. They are expected to convalesce and heal without aid, without a good place to sleep, without consistent nutritional meals. Its hardly fair to expect these patients to not return to the ER with problems and create bills that they will likely not be able to pay. This particular gentleman was not aware that he could question his physician, that he could call and ask for advice. He believed that because he was referred to a particular doctor that the doctor was an expert and that he had to follow the orders. He agreed to seek advice at a local ER that night and had not returned before we left, I do not know the outcome of the visit. I don't have an answer to what should happen in the system to help the homeless with medical problems, I just know that the average person would not want to recuperate from illness or surgery in their car or at a shelter or the local library. Just something to think about~
Thank you for your prayers, your donations and concerns for the homeless.
Karen