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Settling in

When the medical team was giving me the instructions from the nursing home’s doctor & staff, I was hit by a surprise when the insulin came out with instructions on when to administer it. Now when I last spoke to the doctor he said that everything was controlled by pills & it wouldn’t be necessary to have help that knew how to give injections. So I gather, he deemed, the change in meds to be insignificant & not worth mentioning to future care-givers, as did the nursing home staff.

Seems that Ontario has changed the taking of the Hippocratic Oath by it’s doctors to the Hypocritical oath!

Thanks to my real estate lady, who had accompanied me to the airport a quick phone call to a local nurse resulted in her showing up 1/2 an hr later for an interview & being hired, with her sister her replacement on weekends when she was under contract elsewhere.

Local doctor was also called & it was arranged that he would come out after his clinic closed the next day. On giving her a check-up & checking blood sugar he figured that it could be controlled by the meds she was on + diet without the need for insulin. A week later has proven him right as she hasn’t needed an injection since she arrived. Fee for a Saturday afternoon house call was $20.

Had originally figured on the caretakers wife + another lady for nights to care for her but now I had a nurse also which was a good thing since the work load was heavier than I had anticipated.

The original nightshift lady didn’t work out, so she was replaced by my caretaker’s sister with his wife’s sister alternating nights, now there are 5 ladies + the caretaker employed to look after all our needs. The payroll for all this help for 7 months is roughly the same as 1 month at the Ontario home + the quality of the help couldn’t be bought in Ontario at any price.

The weeks worth of meds sent down by the home ran out in 5 days (short weeks I guess) so went to the doctor with the dogs breakfast of meds she was taking, he eliminated 2/3 of them & substituted the high priced brands for cheaper ones that are every bit as good. Total cost is less than $3.00/day. Was paying way more than that just for ones not covered in Ontario.

Had a visit the other day from the lady who used to own all the property in the, I guess estate subdivision would be as close as you could define it in Ontario. She had heard about me, from our little convoy entrance, guess most everyone has, & wanted to meet me. She also wanted to thank me for giving employment to the local ladies, a very nice gesture on her part. She is also the executive director of a 7 district agency helping poor ladies in the San Salvador area. Good person to have on ones side.

Have installed a washroom & shower in the old kitchen/eating area at the east end of the house. A start on making it a self-contained apartment for myself, now just have to find a girlfriend to share it with.

All in all the first week has gone better than expected, prices of groceries about 1/2 what they are in Ont. Washroom, toilet, shower & septic tank, under $400. Diesel around $3/gal. Picked up a dozen cans of beer + small jar of peanut butter, jam & marmalade the other day for $11 & change & that’s at the expensive store not the cheaper one at the market. Of course there’s fresh fish daily at the pier!

Mother has a competent doctor instead of a quack!! The weather is GREAT!!!

Best move I have made on a long time was getting to f**k out of OnturkeyO & coming to El Salvador!!!



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4 responses to “Settling in”

  1. Wilma in WV says:

    I just found your blog when you commented on the Vogel’s journey. It is interesting to read your account of moving your mother. I am a retired high school English teacher in my late sixties, married 49 years, a grandmother and great-grandmother. My parents are still living and are 89 (Dad) and 86 (Mom). My father has spent the last two weeks in a nursing home after having a broken vertebrae repaired. We have been amazed at the wonderful care he is receiving. This home has involved our whole family. I am so sorry that your mom’s experience was not good. I am happy that everything has worked out in El Salvador. I will keep up with your experiences.

  2. Dave says:

    Everything is great here in El Salvador, my 90 year old mother is receiving excellent care, both from the local ladies & the doctor. She is a retired teacher also, taught French in elementary school for years then switched to Special Ed the last few.

    The state medical system here in Ontario is a mess & the nursing homes just in the business for the money, the one she was in is the best in town but the staff is unionized so does the least possible.

    Glad to hear there are still homes around who do put the patients welfare ahead of the bottom line. I wish your family all the best.

    Dave

  3. pinamimi says:

    sounds like you’re all settled:) that’s great Dave!!

    I’m happy your mom is settled and being well taken cared of 🙂
    Bless you for taking care of your mom 🙂
    D xx

  4. Dave says:

    Still getting used to a couple things (subject of next blog entry) that come with the territory of being a gringo land owner in El Salvador!

    All I did was beat the system getting mother down here (love a challenge), the local ladies are doing all the work.:)