2022-12-07 - 7:43 a.m.

Good Lord
God help seriously ill folks who are actually typical older adults

For Christ's sake... and yeah seems the perfect phrase to have popped into my mind...

For Christ's sake why the fuck can't our systems actually have one actual iota of meaningful care for the most vulnerable.

At the job I have where work with caretakers I have been fortunate to have worked a couple key days

The last days of the so called "deadline" ( I say so called as I fucking HATE artificial deadlines) to pick your health insurance carrier and enroll.

Companies that set those *dates* and act like they are impermiable

are just fucking being evil. YEAH They all fucking do this.

Its to avoid the administrative work of doing the task OVER AND OVER AGAIN on the part of the HR Benefits Person who has to deal with the fucking insurance companies.

SURE more efficient to send them all the data once.

But it is also a LIE that the dates are so fixed.

This freaking company was sold. Acquisition of the really well run assisted living community to some investor.

The family that ran it prior is indeed a privately held family business that was in construction in N. Carolina and maybe 15 or 20 yrs ago expanded into Assisted Living. And they rocked it. Seriously.

Then someone died.
and they were sued.

It happened during COVID The death was due to a dementia resident ( not in the facility I work at- but one in NC) walking into another resident's room and hitting them over the head

and the resident died.

Inadequate staffing ostensibly.

But the thing is- Assisted Living is INTENDED for those who are able to provide basic self care and just need some help

and the problem is dementia folks should be in spaces solely for those with dementia
the person with dementia likely walked into what they thought was THEIR apt and freaked out and hit this stranger "intruder" so there is a defense..
and it is just freaking tragic

And it was during COVID so sure their staffing was down LIKE FREAKING EVERYWHERE IN the world of healthcare

But nonetheless
I mean they were like

lets get the fuck out of dodge and cut our loss on this
with the current health care climate of pandemic and SARS related viruses NOT going away-- increased liability and risk

and lets just stick to building communities and not the healthcare piece.

A few lawsuits may be a chilling factor in my mind.

BUT the thing is the family run company literally provided BETTER CARE Than most out there. I mean the old person killed by the other is tragic and no idea if it WAS negligence of staff not being on point.
If so I think anomaly in the whole company

CAUSE NOW some OTHER Construction/builder investment company from Freaking FL thought a good idea to expand THEIR HOLDINGS and buy this business.

And it's been a literal SHIT SHOW for the leadership/middle management-

the locals running the actual homes providing the actual care for the actual people needing services and healthcare in their old age.

And in the end there is this huge disconnect of the new management who are fucking CLUELESS Not only about WHAT THE FOLKS DO at these Assisted Living Places
but also how to effectively run operations of a business.

Just one disaster of emergency management of operations snafu after another for the Executive and Assistant Executive Directors' to have to manager.

But the one I think most awful is their fucking arrogant and complete lack of understanding of WHO these hard working people are actually providing healthcare.

There are a bunch of folks that have worked there for years who are literally like angels- caring well for the loved elderly at the end of their life.
These are special people who are gifted at LOVE
Nothing short of that.
They change the clothes, wipe the asses gently, change the diapers and sheets and keep elders clean and dry in a healthy environment free of bed sores with DIGNITY in the place I work. (Bed sores are common in nursing homes that suck!) There is a hairdresser on site and the activity person give manicures to the ladies and the place is festive and beautifully decorates and cheerful. The cook is amazingly dedicated and even when short staffed the guy nearly lived there himself something like 70 hr weeks and no days off for MONTHS ON END.
I am not fucking exaggerating.

and its a place that hires neurodivergent
and we have a BLIND dishwasher ( he is fucking AMAZING. I mean I wanted my kids to work there to just get to know him! I am pretty sure he is autistic too- he is so smart and quirky and a hard worker.)

They treat all their staff with respect.

BUT this freaking company that just wanted to turn a buck and buy a great business thinking they don't have to DO anything is fucking awful. They needed to do the baseline operations management:
Take care of back end processes
and they have fucked up LITERALLY EVERY ONE

Peoples pay is wrong
It was a shit show transitioning operations from one system to the new one. It was rocky as hell
I have NEVER seen such a mess.

Cause they would not keep the existing vendors and had to switch everything and there was awful communication
they never visited
they never trained any of the existing management on the tools they thought were such great ideas to use.

And they seem to be so out of touch with the fact these folks at these sites are really fucking busy CARING FOR PEOPLE.

I mean these are not all computer literate staff.
Plain and simple.

They are often CARETAKERS by PROFESSION.
And housekeepers BY PROFESSION
and COOKS BY PROFESSION

and many very well trained and skilled and outstanding at what they do.

I mean I think of the amazing lady who cleans that place daily who has worked there since it opened.

But she doesn't use a computer. NEVER HAS
Nor does the head laundress and her staff who mostly are Spanish speaking.

The ivory tower syndrome is so fucking ridiculous.

So thank God I was working as I was able to help a number of folks sign up for their health insurance. The thing is there is SOMEWHERE an HR PERSON
and they just send a 1 800 number and tell people to call it.

I am sorry when you call a 1800 # that is not helpful to older people who learn visually ( as some do)
it is so ridiculous there was no hands on help offered.

So me, the overqualified part time receptionist who is there cause I ENJOY IT
just HAPPENED to have the skills.

But that is a stretch to expect these
housekeepers
CNAs etc...

to be able to understand these processes.

There are a LARGE NUMBER OF WORKERS IN OUR COUNTRY who ARE not skilled at use of computers and smart phones

They are the older workers who are no longer able to retire.

Its like there is this disconnect that much of our economy still is dependent on services we all need!
BASIC Fucking services
and that those are provided by really good hard working people.

That no, don't know how to navigate complicated and crappy designed web sites like the VEC one.
or the Health Insurance Sites.

So now after helping folks there. It just pisses me off as it created SO MUCH STRESS for the leadership THERE ( the Middle management stuck in the shit show of a merger) and the staff who were freaking told of the FAKE Deadline "You MUST pick your insurer by this date to sign up"
as if they won't have healthcare otherwise

Then at 3pm the day of the deadline OF COURSE a *CHEERY* Email comes "Good news the deadline extended for another week"

YOU FUCKERS

You couldn't' have done that days before and avoided the stress. Someone could have had a heart attack from the freaking stress they created with their inefficiency and their artificial BS deadline and lack of support of these really good people who have been hard workers their whole lives.

I feel like that message was received by me just like I receive the one from VEC that says "The SIMPLEST Way ... is to log into the site...""

Seriously
IVY TOWER SYNDROME

And yet... this is the worst part. I have an advanced degree. These systems are difficult for me and the freaking Mayor of the nearby small town. I mean the avg Joe can't expect to navigate them well when the above avg ( Ok-- maybe not true I am above avg. but in this respect- but at least above average EDUCATED and experienced with this thing of processes and systems and computers) can't fucking navigate a process simply!

So there is my morning rant as this morning I am spending time picking MY healthcare as I was given Medicaid.

Happy to take that for the time being.

And I do have the medical procedure to go in and get the biopsy and hope there is no cancerous growth.
(Biggest concern is that when reading of the overgrowth of uterine tissue and fibroids I have there is this correlation of that happening with INSULIN RESISTANCE.... go figure... the fucking condition I self disgnosed and asked to be tested for, how long ago now? IDK I was working my corporate job in 2007- then noticed symptoms and noticed ocular disturbances and fainted and had low blood sugar....etc..) I swear I have been self managing exercise and diet and acting like I am a diabetic that has to watch what I eat FOR YEARS. But imagine that if I had that undiagnosed condition after mentioning it to EVERY FUCKING Dr. I have seen
and
I have had neuropathy which also mentioned
and told the Dr. I feel like have arthritis- but again no testing ordered.

To be fair my Dr. did do testing for diabetes. The weird thing is the tests are in the "normal" range but the way I have symptoms it is like I have a body reacting reagardless of what are the typical normal ranges.

I feel the tingling in my feet as I write this. I have been having aches... ok no .. that is wrong PAIN
in my right knee, but also calf upon waking too. My way of dealing with it is to get up and MOVE.
It hurt yesterday but I still took the dog for a walk and then when the pain hurt walking I literally started to run

I mean it is like it is circulatory
and despite pain of what felt like combination- splin shit possibly, and calf pain and joint knee pain-

my gut knew if I MOVED and improved circulation it might get better.

And it did

Hydration is likely a huge factor too. Its weird how if dehydrated the body can be in pain but if hydrate and get my circulation going then I can forget about it and go about the day and it gets better.

This is why I hate my kids being idle.
They think I am clueless about their pain

BUT everything I read and everything I experience is that even though it is counterintuitive
If in PAIN
MOVE YOUR BODY

You just have to know how to move- and what NOT to stress.

Everyone would be better off if ALL could go see a Physical Therapist.

Seriously The PT practice philosophy of the office I visited
is "No one has to live with pain."

OK so now to the point that started this whole rant.

After helping others while at work all weekend getting set up with healthcare. (Thu-Sun)

Today it is my turn.

I received a letter (Actually two letters... in an ADHD moment I think I forgot I already applied for healthcare in person! UGH For real- I went in person in the office and filled out the application for my kid and I. I did not think I qualified for Medicaid but I honestly think the case worker, upon seeing me fill out the application and need another copy to redo and me pulling data and it taking me HOURS - no exaggeration, to get the SNAP application and Food stamp application and then me adding my own diagnoses saying YES I am disabled technically- I just work through it and keep at it and re-do and get it right eventually.... must have assessed both my kid and I and I swear that case worker pushed it through. She was like "Ok this gal needs help..."
Which is funny to me as when I was ON POINT the day I went to VEC and was all dressed up and feeling well that day and professional and went in the case worker there and then sat to job hunt the case worker there was like "Oh are you working?" when I was taking a break from job hunting and ranting about that process HERE.
Its all about fucking IMPRESSION as to if the case worker thinks you really NEED HELP! I swear there is some discretion on if you get benefits or not from case workers!
* My mental acuity is inconsistent. Some days slower at getting shit done other days sharp. It's ALWAYS been like that with my ADHD brain and I am sure medical underlying undiagnosed issues that do cause brain fog.
Now folks know what that is. But the thing is if in a job one has good days and some days good hours- so most people still can navigate quite well by getting shit done when they can. And even when not on point- can STILL muddle through and just rework and clean up their work later! But I digress as usual... heck that is the nature of stream of conscious journaling for me. Another random thought... I did not use to curse ! HA HA Just realized that. So there is a correlation with cursing and lack of education not because people don't have other words but because the less education more challenging often to get well paying jobs and then folks have to deal with this bullshit.The short curt language is most efficient, eh? Most appropriate in the circumstance! Right? I am only now experiencing the depth of stress of navigating getting help. THIS is what makes people angry! NO wonder they curse!! Its brought out the cursing in me!)

SO more accurately I got two letters... one that said as of NOV 1 I received Medicaid (maybe Oct? I now forget-- cause I also freaked out when could not find the payment button for my anthem insurance policy I had bought for this year on the marketplace and was so freaked at NOT possibly having insurance I called until someone would take my payment an paid it... I think the letter crossed in the mail and no one told me the reason I did not see the payment button was cause MEDICAID COVERED the premium for that month as I was approved! No of course the Anthem folks couldn't just TELL ME that is why the payment button was not there! (AGAIN FUCKERS! They just took my payment for Oct...and again NOV... and I eventually got an approval letter and figured out what happened. But I had to go for a procedure THAT MONTH and sure as hell was not going to be stuck with THOUSANDS in a bill from the radiology imaging!! After fighting over the non-coverage with Anthem of my kid's care denied based on trans identity honestly, I didn't have it in me to fight over billing in event there was an insurance gap... and just paid the premium to know that policy was active. I at first didn't know if they dropped that button cause of the fight over them not covering my kids' care! I had recently filed a case on that... Office of Civil Rights... and was panicking that the payment button was not there! Thought maybe retaliatory at first? That they were dropping me? Once figured out not even related- but due to approval of Medicaid felt like it was still worth it to not have the policy continued so I did not have to worry that month when went in for the imaging! I figured extra insurance for one month - what the hell- did not hurt once I had borrowed from family (despite finances being precarious). Cause I had no idea how Medicaid works but knew it would not be easy cause NOTHING is easy to figure out. BUT I also know not every provider TAKES It and I had the procedure scheduled with a provider that did take the Anthem policy.)

So forgetting about the application, I applied again when got some email it was time to renew my health insurance and I had not yet heard so ADHD brain ignored "do not apply again" - did not catch that...It was like in the moment I literally FORGOT that when we went in mainly to get SNAP I ALSO did the healthcare assistance app for me. I mean I was delighted my kid got Medicaid but somehow it was like my brain forgot I WAS ON THAT APPLICAITON TOO! I was focused on applying for my kid's health issues!

OOPS
No worries they figured that out...

Main point today is that they assigned me to a provider of insurance.
I put in a search

Not one Dr. in a 25 mile radius takes that insurance.

I will switch it but it made me think of all the folks like the ones I work with who are given Medicaid but then given a policy that is USELESS to them where they live.

WTF???

So today I have created an EXCEL spreadsheet and put in the data of all my Drs. and the possible policies offered and am aggregated what each plan provides to do the data analytics of what is a policy that will actually provide me coverage.

But really
how the fuck are most avg folks going to do this.

OH and no one sends out the info on what each possible policy covers anymore. They tell you to go to each providers website.
WHICH Is why more than a few folks at work over the weekend needed alot of help.

That ivy tower disconnect.

The most vulnerable are in a system that does NOT WORK FOR THEM. If any one of those people I helped this weekend did not have insurance and got Medicaid and were assigned the provider I was- they would essentailly NOT have any meaningful healthcare. They would now have known to go do research and change it. They would have been (like Me! This happened this year with Anthem at the phammacy we always used!) - showing up at their Dr. or their Pharmacy they have gone to for years to be surprised they can not pick up their medications or would be sent a large bill they can't afford or a denial of service and have unmet healthcare needs.

The thing the folks in the ivy towers don't get is this:

AND SOME OF THEM WILL DIE BECAUSE OF IT.

That is not an exaggeration.

That is why this is so disturbing. There is not ample concern for what is a fundamental problem in our society.

We are not caring for each other AS A SOCIETY as we should in my view as people have trouble looking beyond their own bubble. "It's not my problem. Not my responsibility"

I agree we can only control that which we control. So true it truly can't be left for EVERYONE to worry about everyone else. But the thing is we have folks who are in Jobs who are trying to care for others. We have people going into politics wanting to create policy for help of others. It is such a disappointment that they have trouble being effective.

Well kudos for doing their best.
But I know that we collectively can do better.

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