Even though this is a beauty blog I hope you'll excuse me going off piste from time to time.
I read an article in the Lifestyle Section of the Daily Mail this morning and it has sparked me to write about a subject that I am incredibly passionate about.
The article itself is a diary about the hell that a woman went through when her Grandma was rushed to hospital. The Grandma in question received a level of care that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy and the only thing that saved her was the fact that her grandaughter stayed in the hospital and cared for her for the entire time that she was there.
Certain things about the article sent a shiver of recognition down my spine. The lack of care, lack of respect and a dangerous lack of communication between the Drs and nurses were just some of the things that I observed when my own Grandma was in hospital.
My Grandma Lily was an amazing, talented and fascinating woman. In her youth she was a successful fashion designer and throughout her life she never looked anyhting less than impeccable with a great sense of style and Hollywood grace about her. She was a strong woman who combatted alcoholism and spent her later years counselling members of Alcoholics Anonymous. Lily was a kind, inspiring woman with a wicked sense of humour and she was fiercely proud and protective of her family and friends. Unfortunately old age always gets us in the end and when she broke her hip things started to go downhill for her.
Visiting my grandma in hospital was a real shock for me. It was the first time I had ever seen her without immaculate hair and makeup and the first time that I realised that she wasn't immortal.
When you know and love somebody, one of the most frustrating things is seeing them treated like a generic "old person" by the medical staff in a hospital. I was shocked at how condescending and patronising the nurses were with my Grandma. They spoke to her like a child rather than a woman and it was quite clear that they did not care about her as an individual but as a number.
I found myself freaking out when it was clear that my Grandma wasn't receiving the care that she required. I won't go into details because she wouldn't have wanted me to, but I found myself having to consistently chase the nurses as they had forgotten to do a number of basic things to ensure Lily's comfort and basic rights as a human being. I also found myself talking to the nurses and telling them a bit about the woman that lay before them. Why couldn't they see how incredible she was? Why couldn't they speak to her with a bit of respect and humanity?
I know there are a lot of truly amazing people in the NHS who work harder amd care more than many of us can even imagine but for those other ones who ignore their duties or are just too damn busy to really care, I beg them to find another job.
More importantly, Everyone needs to remember that one day they will be old. Quite frankly, our attitude to old people in this country stinks. We spend our lives fearing the ageing process and somehow this translates to a fear/lack of respect for the elderly. I look with envy at other countries where the elderly are revered for being wise and every wrinkle is celebrated as telling a story about their lives!
Next time you look at "a little old woman/man" remember that she/he was once your age and had your dreams and ambitions and deserves the utmost care and respect.
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