a weakness in the hospital system

it's early Thursday morning... really?

You know, there's a weakness in the hospital process for dealing with patients who may turn out to be unconscious. Every few hours a doctor or nurse will ask, Do you know who you are? where you are? what day it is? and so on... Testing the patient's awareness of ... well, testing their awareness.

My mother spent time in a hospital, being asked similar questions. She was then as near as you like to being legally blind and deaf. What time is it? I don't know, dearie, I've been asleep, I can't see to read the clock. What day is it? I don't know, dearie, I've been asleep, and I can't see any calendar. Or -- more likely, due to her deafness rather than her brain: What was that, dearie? Occasionally, she would reply in German or French or Spanish -- because she could see just enough of a nurse's face to identify a "new" person and she could hear just enough to know that this stranger was having trouble communicating. Would you like me to help you with your English, dearie?

In my own hospital experience: Several times, I was not able to name Australia's Prime Minister. In "real life" I am so disinterested in... whichever person it is this month... that I have the same problem. In hospital I once made the mistake of failing to immediately identify a neurologist on his second visit :-( No, it's not "Prosopagnosia" but I try to remember that word because I have *always* had plenty of opportunities to pretend Prosopagnosia as an excuse. And it's a nice piece of verbal oneupmanship :-)

This morning -- after perhaps five hours' sound sleep, I knew the time. That's because I can see the bedside clock.

Then I came downstairs to the PC... and checked the online calendar to be sure of today's date. So, am I unconscious? No... I'm home and retired. Without the regular reminders of regular interactions with the world (eg Must remember that today is that important meeting with the boss...) I can relax. (We'll probably go shopping today... we can discuss that after breakfast...)

Yes, I do remember that there are two things which must be done "today". I also know that they will not need any preparation till nearer lunch-time. So there is no need to actively remember today's date. Nor worry about the time, certainly not till after I see the sun rise. So the date is nowhere near the surface of my memory... though I look at the calendar, just in case I am totally mistaken !

No, fine, those two items will happen "today", they are on the calendar page for "today". And "today" just happens to be Thursday 14th -- which was important when I wrote the items into the calendar -- but is no longer of any great interest or relevance.

I may not be absolutely certain of the day of the week. Yet (I believe) I am still, safely, fully aware... of things that really matter... to me :-)

Hospital staff need to be sure that they ask appropriate questions of each person. Which may depend on a good knowledge of that person in "real life" --  and the focus of their attention right now, here in the hospital. I se a weakness. Not saying that I see a solution :-)

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All that above, because I woke up and realised that I had a few items to blog. Enough that I was beginning to work through them in my mind. I was lying there, thinking, probably not going to go back to sleep. So, get up and blog...

Luckily I began with notes on what needed to be blogged -- because I've already spent a lot of time writing on a topic which was not even in my mind until I switched on the PC...

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Now much more than a clever name for a holiday journal:

 https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/  :-)

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved
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​"Today you are You, that is truer than true.  There is no one alive who is Youer than You." … Dr Seuss