Last evening, a meal with five Octogenarians, and two slightly younger and as does happen, conversation turned to health. One of the seventy somethings has recently lost her man at age 84 from complications that began with an Infected “Toe”.
Dinner conversation was probably little different to a bigly number that occur in villages and rest home setting across the country, however this group have all managed to remain living independent from the “Old Buggers Industry” waiting like buzzards and vultures to sweep money into their coffers. Two couples, three Octos and a septa still surviving in their rural homeland
What the Health system delivers to those depending on The Public System sans any insurance is being revealed and was hinted as scary in extreme.
We, swambo and self gave up any notions of remaining as funders of “Southern Cross” some three years ago when premiums reached a thousand a month for basic cover for the two of us, in consultation with the family.
I understand how the cover becomes problematic as ageing delivers an increasing cost but it still grates that over 40 years with minimal claim history suddenly reaches a grand a month in premium extortions.
Personally so far touching wood our needs are addressed and solved satisfactorily but a couple of cases including the recent death that left one of the group widowed did however give cause for concern with one relating a case of someone being placed on a waiting list of some 44 weeks wait for an initial assessment. Oh there were other matters such as being given an all clear to continue to drive with some medical practitioners asking for memory tests such as repeating an address after a delay during an assessment consult. There did appear to be a wide variation in different Doctors, mine for example does litytle beyong reading my notes after an assessment by a nurse of the Practice conducting a basic eye test with a minor assessment of peripheral vision.
What pray tell is the benefit of memorising an address, sheesh am I the only one who punches in the destination into the iphone and placing it on its magnetic holder on the dash.
My dear old Mum was relieved of her right to drive by a grand daughter concerned about her dementia from ministrokes (TIAs) when her adherence to road rules was minimally affected but she might drive to a mall and return home because she forgot what she set out to get.
Just how fraught is the Health system, and for this old cynic are there any residual additional pressures resulting from the great mRNA international scamdemic still being ignored? A suspicion that remains unanswered to my satisfaction.
All in all though a very rewarding and enjoyable evening, a departure for sure from a slowly disengaging from such frivolity. We seem to no longer have Monday Tuesday etc, there is now Put out Bin day, Bin collection day, Braintree day, Cleaner day etc.
Aah well time for a short ziz then lunch?
No Minister 
A mate of mine recently got banged up in a dirt bike accident (hit the side of the ramp), with a lot of broken bones that saw him immobilised from the neck down for almost two weeks.
His initial stay was in Palmerston North hospital and he and his wife described it as a horror show, a “3rd world dump”. They were grateful when he was airlifted to Waikato for surgery – although a nurse friend of ours who works there has her own horror stories of patients left waiting.
Surprisingly I’ve never been in hospital, but the days are approaching when that will happen and hearing all this does not give me much confidence.