Richard Titmus wrote in his concept of social policy about what he called the 'stranger'. He said the ultimate in social policy is to give to the stranger because you recognise that she or he is the same as you. You don't give to the stranger because they are hungry or because they are tired but because you recognise the problems of hunger and tiredness. In other words you see them as part of yourself and part of what you are responsible for. If you see them as 'the Other, you don't get that sense of responsibility.
John Rawls, who talks about justice, also uses a similar sort of model by saying that if you punish other people you always have to work on the basis that it might happen to you, which is another formulation in a slightly different format.
It is a fact in the USA that 64 million people do not have health insurance, which means there is a third world country within a country that boasts to the world that it is apparently the best.
I am personally in need of $11,000. worth of dental work at this time. That is, if I want to keep my teeth. I have dental insurance, but it won't pay for any of this work. It will only pay for me to have all of my teeth removed and get dentures, which I'm not willing to do.
My dh is a research scientist, I'm an RN. We have no kids and drive two old cars. We do have a new TV, but the old one was 14 years old, and not doing well. Our computer is old. Our house is modest. We do not use credit cards. We owe big student loans from my dh's grad degrees.
I worked my way through school and took no loans.
I will be able to pay for my dental work, it won't be easy, but I can do it.
Now, here is the situation of a daughter of a friend of mine:
LPN, single mother, gets no child support, owes a lot on school loans. She has a full time job in a nursing home. Her employer does not offer any ins.
She has a severely abcessed tooth. Dentists refuse to see her, no ins. ER refused her- "not life threatening, no ins".
Last week she was in so much pain while at work, she asked a co-worker to inject her w/ lidocaine so she could finish her shift.
She then had her friend I&D her abcess in the bathroom, after work.
She is packing the wound herself, and taking ABT left over from a deceased pt.
This is a nurse working a full time job.
I once worked a nsg home that offered no health ins. A CNA needed an emergency appy. She was not turned away at ER. But her wages are now being so heaviliy garnished, she's lost her apartment. She probably would have lost it anyway, as she missed so much work, and this employer offers no PTO.
We took up a collection at work to pay her rent. We gave it to the landlord. He took it for back-rent owed, then had her evicted 3 days later. This CNA and her child are staying temporarily with the tx nurse and his family.
I feel that our gov't should guarantee some type of health ins coverage for the working poor.
I don't know where you live but near me the dental school (a major university) does do dental work and charges you by your ability to pay. My understanding is they do good work also.
Now about your friend. About 6 months ago I had an abcessed tooth (worse pain in my life, made childbirth seem easy)....so I feel her pain. I couldn't get into see the dentis for 5 days. My husband and I were in the drug store looking for Clove oil for my tooth. My grandmother used to give it to me for tooth aches and it helped some........anyways........this woman overheard me talking and came up to me and told me to go to the healthfood store and buy some liquid Cayenne. I did that. It was expensive about $15.00 for a small bottle but I put a little on my tooth and the pain was gone until I was able to get into the dentist. And I only used it once. The dentist ended up pulling the tooth and showed me how infected it was. That stuff worked great. My dentist said he had never heard of anyone using that before. The only person was a Korean co-worker of mine said they used to use Cayenne in Korea.
As far as her being turned away from ERs. I'm sorry to hear that. We have seen several people with abcessed teeth. They should at least be started on antibiotics and pain meds. Its so hard to say but I know that where I live we do have clinics that you only pay what you can afford. You bring in proof of income and how many children etc.......I know not everywhere is the same.
I wish you and your friend luck. I'm a big wussy when it comes to tooth pain and I am fortunate enough to have resources here....both insurance and if all else fails go to the university.
My friend lives in a town of 5000 people- no free clinics, universities or health food store. She doesn't have a car either. Rides her bike to work, and catches rides when there is a snow storm.
Her mom called me today. A dentist did pull one tooth- she has a big fistula and fissure. He wants her to be on the ABT for a while before they pull the second tooth. She was draining puss.
My friend lives in a town of 5000 people- no free clinics, universities or health food store. She doesn't have a car either. Rides her bike to work, and catches rides when there is a snow storm.
Her mom called me today. A dentist did pull one tooth- she has a big fistula and fissure. He wants her to be on the ABT for a while before they pull the second tooth. She was draining puss.
Well I tried :)
I'm glad she got into see a dentist.
I was a single mother once so I know what she is going through. She is just going to have to do something to change her situation.
I don't know where you live but near me the dental school (a major university) does do dental work and charges you by your ability to pay. My understanding is they do good work also.
I think I know what dental school you're referring to. Marquette University?
Ahhhh touche suzy! But I think I know what she was saying, don't you? :)
Perhaps. But things are rarely black and white and if the government is making ANY health care decisions, that may just extend into areas we DON'T want.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
true enough Suzy......
But when I think of the waste going on the federal gov't, and the money spent to care for people who are NOT even citizens, I cannot help but wonder why we are not doing more to care for our working citizenry. It's a natural question that increasingly concerns more of us, whether we like it or not.....
As I am only a nursing student, I cannot speak for how it affects nursing as well as I'd like to. But, from my pharmacy experience, I can point out one way. I cannot tell you the number of chronically ill patients who were non-compliant on their medications. The reason was, of course, that they simply could not afford it. I'm talking about elderly patients, depressed, psychotic, asthmatic kids...the list is endless. And they could not get their medicine. Or they could only afford it every 2 months, so they took it every other day, etc. I'd imagine this would have a big effect on nursing care, simply because all of these patients typically become acutely ill and have to be seen in the ER - since they don't have to pay upfront for that. Most of these patients would have been alright had they been able to take their medication. But when unable to, there are strokes, heart attacks, psychotic episodes (even violence), required in-patient hospitalization that could have been prevented, kids on vents, transport care...it seems like this would detract from the time nurses are able to spend with patients as well as putting a financial strain on the healthcare system.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
As I am only a nursing student, I cannot speak for how it affects nursing as well as I'd like to. But, from my pharmacy experience, I can point out one way. I cannot tell you the number of chronically ill patients who were non-compliant on their medications. The reason was, of course, that they simply could not afford it. I'm talking about elderly patients, depressed, psychotic, asthmatic kids...the list is endless. And they could not get their medicine. Or they could only afford it every 2 months, so they took it every other day, etc. I'd imagine this would have a big effect on nursing care, simply because all of these patients typically become acutely ill and have to be seen in the ER - since they don't have to pay upfront for that. Most of these patients would have been alright had they been able to take their medication. But when unable to, there are strokes, heart attacks, psychotic episodes (even violence), required in-patient hospitalization that could have been prevented, kids on vents, transport care...it seems like this would detract from the time nurses are able to spend with patients as well as putting a financial strain on the healthcare system.
For "being just a student" (and to me there is no such thing, all opinions count)---you have a very good and clear grasp on the heart of the problem!
Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN
2 Articles; 3,563 Posts
I know, SBE- I just cannot understand it either. It makes my head ache trying to understand the republican way of viewing these problems.
It's also, "no no, we don't want big government in charge of anything"
but their policies put big business in charge of everything!