Hostility and Disturbance of Health Care System - Essay Example

An interview was conducted with Miss B. at the Elmwood community center in New Britain Ave, West Hartford. Miss B. is an eighty-eight-year-old elderly female. She looks physically strong and responded well to the interview. Miss B. was born in Burlington, located south west of Vermont in the United States. She lived in Vermont with her family, including her mother, father, and two siblings (a brother and a sister), but later relocated to Hartford, Connecticut. Miss B. and her family moved back and forth between Vermont and Hartford until her mother died of colon cancer when Miss B. was ten years old. Miss B. met her future husband Bill in Vermont during the summer of 1950. They dated for a few months before getting married the following year. Miss B. and Bill were married for fifty-two years and had one son together. However, her husband later became sick and passed away due to colon cancer. Miss B. claimed that after Bill’s death, she became lonely, stressed, and confused. After his death, she decided to move back to Hartford to live closer to her son and family in Connecticut. Miss B. is now living alone in an apartment building in West Hartford. She claimed that the people in this apartment building have accepted her into their family; therefore, she does not feel lonely anymore and is absolutely pleased with the new relationships she has built in West Hartford. Miss B. and her husband had only one son, who lives in Hagganum, Connecticut, about thirty-one miles from West Hartford. Her son works at Bradley International Airport, and he and his family (his wife and son) visit her three times a week. They also talk on the phone every day, and she can call him anytime she wants. Miss B. is Jewish; therefore, they celebrate many Jewish traditions, including birthdays and religious holidays. Their celebrations often include organizing a dinner and inviting friends and family to their home. Miss B. was not able to complete high school. She attended a public school called Weaver High in Hartford, which was close to her home, but was forced to drop out during her sophomore year due to financial constraints. Subsequently, she complained that almost everyone in her family has either a bachelor or masters degree, with the exception of her. She said, “I always feel bad that I did not go college.” Miss B. said that when she was teenager, she had always wanted to be an office secretary, which is why she made an effort to get a good education. Later, she was employed by Aetna Insurance Company as an office clerk and worked her way up to becoming a secretary. She said it was a great opportunity and she found working for Aetna Insurance Company very interesting, because the job was comfortable and employees were provided with good benefits, including travelling and a reasonable pay check. Miss B. later left her career as a secretary to become a homemaker, as she wanted to take care of their son and maintain the household. She said she found this decision quite normal, because her husband provided her with everything she needed. He also continued to take her to dinner as usual and they still went traveling during the summer. The most significant event in Miss B.’s life was the day she married Bill. Referring to her wedding day, she said, “it was the happiest moment in my life.” She was glad to marry Bill because she was dearly in love with him, as he was a gentleman, respectful, and an accountant with a CPA credential. He also knew how to take care of a woman. Furthermore, she said the turning point in her life was when they were living in Vermont and her husband became sick and passed away as a result of colon cancer. After Bill’s death, her whole life changed. She became very isolated and lonely, and did not like to do anything outside but preferred to stay indoors. Her reaction to his death was due to the fact that she had lived with Bill for a long time and they had done everything together, including traveling to antique shows and inviting friends over for dinner periodically. She said, “I can never have such a moment in my life again.” This is the reason why she moved to Hartford, Connecticut, because she wanted to get closer to her only son. Miss B. claimed she is old fashioned and has no knowledge about technology. She has no idea how to use many electronic devices, including computers and complicated modern phones. Although she accepts the fact that technology has changed many things, such as machines in the doctor’s office, she is not interested in technology. She is able to use her cellphone to call her son and her grandson at school, but she finds it very difficult to operate a computer. Miss B. claimed that she has no interest in any political activity in America. This disinterest is due to the fact that she has no trust for politicians; therefore, she does not even like to vote. Miss B. said she was devastated after her brother was killed at the age of twenty-six in military action during World War II. Also, her sister joined the navy in Washington, but then died for no apparent reason. Thus, she does not like any president and says she will never vote. Miss B. said that besides her husband’s death, she has not faced any major difficulties in her life. This is because she used to be a homemaker and is used to indoor life. Also, she is able to take the bus anywhere in Hartford if she needs something, and her son also provides her with everything she needs. In addition, she is often called on to participate in volunteer activities at the local community center whenever help is needed, so she does not feel bored or lonely. Miss B. said she really appreciates the great time she spent with her husband Bill during her prime time. She loved travelling to other states to see different things, including car antiques, and enjoyed taking vacation time together; however, after his death she does not see many differences in her life. She said, “I am healthy and physically strong, and this is all that I need.” She told me that she finds the present health care system a slightly hostile and disturbing. However, she is not worried because she has been insured by Blue Shield and Blue Cross for over twenty-three years; therefore, she does not find the health care system threatening. In addition, she has Medicare and Medicaid insurance, which will support her whenever necessary. Thus, she is not too worried about the health care reform because it is unlikely to affect her personally. Unfortunately, she has noticed an increase in her physician’s office charges, and she is afraid that the government’s health care reform may mess up the cost of health care services. I asked Miss B. if she could give me any personal advice, but she said nothing with the exception that her physician and nurses take very good care of her; therefore, she does not have any advice for me. Read More