He was always very kind to me, about 5 years older than I, but there was a sympatico between us even though our lives were vastly different. He was a fisher and farmer and raised sheep and suffered from periodic depression which I totally understood. Late in life he went on a plane for the the first time to see an adult child in Alberta. It was a huge event, he was of the school "if we were meant to fly, God would give us wings" but after that he was inspired to get his driver's licence at the ago of 68. He only drive tractors prior to then and cheated the odd time in a car so his test was a cakewalk. He came to all my performances and applauded me vigorously.
I will miss him. He was very generous of spirit and quite shy until you got to know him. I cried for quite a while last night. He did leave footprints on my heart.
Another friend has her 96yo father (who she lives with) in hospital for the past week with pneumonia and can't visit him. It must be so very challenging as he is anxious to eat a home cooked meal and they can't bring it to him. An acquaintance had her 84yo mother fall and break a leg 8 weeks ago and she is also in the hospital with no visitors. I knew her well, played a lot of cards with her and admired her. A very cheerful woman and extremely well put together, always the lipper and bright blue eye shadow and high maintenance hair styles. She described the food being served at the hospital which sounded completely inedible, dried up meatballs and rubbery eggs and soggy margarined toast. She has lost about 20lbs as she won't eat so her daughters are really worried.
I remember the days when hospital food was nutritious, appetizing, and cooked in the actual hospital kitchens. Now it's all outsourced to the industrial "catering" industry who make obscene profits on feeding the sick and dying hospitals and hospices by serving cheap bland swill.
You'd think that hospitals would lead the way in serving local organic well balanced meals to entice the failing appetites of the sick and dying under their care.
My husband and I loved the food served at Straub Hospital. Nice menu and very appetizing food. So sorry for the death of your friend. It is sad that his family could not be with him.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your condolences Gigi. I lost another old friend today but she had been lost to Alzheimer's for quite a while.
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I was struck by the terrible food provided during some of my hospital stays. There's no excuse for that, really - it's not that hard to make food that is both appetizing and healthy.
ReplyDeleteExactly SAW. But it's all about the profit margins for these suppliers. Frankenfood at its best. And I hear they screw up on diabetic fare all the time.
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Yeah, you need some good nutritious food to keep your strength up.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Tom, and for some, a decent meal is something to look forward afloat on a hospital bed.
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So sorry for your friend - actually for every person in hospital these days. And the food! I remember forcing myself to eat the times I was in hospital recently. When I was small, I loved the food there - and no I did not change, the hospital fare did.
ReplyDeleteExactly Charlotte they outsourced the food supply and boy is everyone feeling it. I too remember nutritious food, even a roast on Sunday, all changed now.
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I am so very sorry. For your losses, and losses the world over.
ReplyDeleteHospital food is bad, but here at least nursing home food is even worse. If that is possible.
When I was looking for appropriate accommodation for my mother if the waiting areas smelt of urine and/or cabbage the institution was automatically crossed off. And a surprising number of them didn't pass that first test.
I know EC, I've had to figuratively hold my nose walking into such dungeons, jails are often cleaner. It has to affect the mental health of all including the workers.
DeleteI'd see the plates offered to nursing home inhabitants and I'd wanted to throw up. Totally unpalatable right down to the lack of colour and texture.
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It's a great shame that hospitals these days are run like a business, with profit being the main purpose. Do the nurses and doctors who eat in the hospital cafeteria get the same swill as the patients?
ReplyDeleteThe cafeterias serve quite decent food, but then you're paying.
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I can attest to hospital food, and even care home food. Especially the latter! May I never break another bone.
ReplyDeleteYou are the expert Joanne, it's a disgrace what they pass off as food.
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It's tragic that so many people are dying without their family around them and without proper funerals, but I guess the strict safety precautions are necessary.
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to have very edible food when I was having my prostate operation three years ago. I was in a brand new hospital wing so I guess they wanted to show how superior it was. But their vending machines still sell the same totally unhealthy snacks.
Indian hospitals usually have nutritionists to decide on daily menus which offer choices of vegetarian, non-vegetarian and lactose free and so on. I have been under the scalpels on six occasions and have good memories of the diet provided. Since it was not Covid, friends and relatives were allowed to visit but, I can understand the sense of loneliness when no one other than the hospital staff is around.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds really good Ramana, at least you had menu choices, I remember those days as well. Industrialization here has gone mad.
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You were lucky Nick, so many people aren't and I am so troubled by their last lonely memories in a hospital bed too with abysmal food rather than something tempting and delectable and no one around to bid them goodbye.
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I agree with your earlier response to a comment regarding hospital cafeteria food being good, WWW - because the customers are paying. People in our town were said to make a point of going to the hospital cafeteria to eat, rather than using local chain restaurants (this was before covid). My time in hospital recently brought forth only a sandwich - it was just about as basic and unpalatable as a sandwich could be. I brought it home and dumped it.
ReplyDeleteThey don't want you hangin' around there long enough to get comfortable.
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