Guilt trip to the extreme
An LOL comes in from an assisted living place.
She was found down on the floor with a blood sugar of 26.
The medics fixed her. She was coming around by the time they got to us a few minutes later.
After all of the important just-got-to-the-ER stuff, like vitals, labs, EKG, etc, I went to get her some food.
"Oh, good, I haven't eaten all day. I'm starving."
When I asked why she didn't eat all day, she responded with, "I don't know. I guess I was too busy."
Yeah, right. Too busy hanging out watching TV in the single room apartment of your assisted living place to eat? Sure.
I hear her a little later on the phone with her daughter telling her that if she paid a little more attention to her and came over to see her, this wouldn't have happened. She told her it was all her fault.
Of course, daughter rushed down to be with mom.
Doc wanted to keep her overnight for observation.
Nope. LOL signs out AMA. Daughter is going to take her home and stay with her. She'll keep an eye on her.
ALS Ambulance transport = $1500.00
ER visit complete with various diagnostic tests = $3000.00
Using the ER to guilt trip your kids during the holidays = Priceless.
7 comments:
You should write this catchy jingle up for the holidays for that credit card company.
In a way. Very funny. In a way. Very disturbing. Don't worry Mom! Monkey Girl and I will take care of you in your infirm years! (Although you will probably be wishing to be sent away after we start caring for you... :))
mother of three grown daughters...am very vigilant for this syndrome in myself. I bet when that daughter shows up at the alf she'll take it out on the staff and mom will revel in all the drama...sigh
Aaahhh yes, and your next patient is back pain for three years who just has to be seen Thanksgiving morning. The Thanksgiving morning that I would kill to have off but I can't because people like this decide to come in. Don't you people have real lives.
Ugh. I had a patient like that. She would refuse to eat whenever her loving husband and grown children didn't cook her her VERY FAVORITE FOOD (which changed, without her telling anyone). Every two weeks or so we had to come and get her, as she complained that nobody REALLY loved her enough to take care of her. HORRIBLE woman.
It's really very sad, and it happens all the time.
Grandma will end up in the hospital needing hip surgery. She's been in a nursing home for 3 years and they've visited her 4 times. Then the entire time she is in the hospital they don't want to leave her bedside.
I'll try not to become like this. My time is coming...of course, that time is coming in all of our lives. Treat our parents as we hope our chilren will treat us.
Guilt trips don't work they turn into resentment.
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