Over the last four years, my family has been on a journey of both joy and pain. We’ve been ushered through the final stages of my mother’s life where we had an opportunity to say a long goodbye and get to know this beautiful soul better than ever. In that time we were offered an up close look at our province’s health care system. Sadly, that journey has now ended and our lives are forever changed.
With a little time to reflect on what I’ve observed in the last few years, I feel more fortunate than ever to live in such an amazing country. A place where the safety of our loved ones is guaranteed by a system that truly works. Of course the system has flaws and sometimes things happen that probably shouldn’t, but once you have walked through it so intimately you realize the strengths over all else.
My mother spent considerable time at both Kootenay Lake Hospital and Mountain Lake Seniors Community over the last four years. Every new day I woke over that period, I was thankful for the care she received. My father has Alzheimer’s and also lives in Mountain Lakes. Our closest family support system is in Calgary. With a young family of my own and a responsibility to continue to be employed, it would have been impossible to carry on without a system we could trust to keep my mother safe.
What I’m most grateful for are the people. The care aides, the nurses, the doctors, the support staff and the administration all work in concert to ensure they are doing their absolute best for the patients in their care. Theydo this under extremely trying circumstances day in and day out. They do it with pride and they do it with love.They are all angels and my family will never be able to repay them for their kindness.
Regardless of changes in government, changes in policy, changes in technology … it all comes down to the people who deliver health care on the front lines. These people dedicate their lives to making ours better. Thank you all for taking such good care of my mum.
Bob Hall, Nelson
