‘Everyone’s Someone’ to Me

In Alberta, there is much discussion taking place concerning addiction, overdose and treatment. Part of the reason for this because of how the provincial government has chosen to address these issues.

Not surprisingly, many people are not in favour of the direction the government is taking. One of these individuals is Bonnie Larson, a doctor who has worked with people experiencing homelessness for 15 years.

Photo from https://www.avera.org

According to Larson, “Alberta’s model is unique in that it excludes harm reduction from the continuum of care. As such, it is a system akin to an extension ladder that is missing the first 10 feet of rungs. Lacking entry-level steps that meet people where they are with non-judgmental care, patient-centredness and barrier-busting pragmatism, the ROSC ladder is impossible for most to even mount, let alone climb.”

Please consider reading Larson’s article, “They’ll Always Be Everyone’s Someone to Me.” It is time well spent.

Why are healthcare workers burning out?

iStock-Juanmonino

Given that healthcare workers have been dealing with the pandemic for over two years, it is fully understandable that many of them are burnt or burning out. Howevever, as the following statement suggests, the underlying reason for healthcare worker burnout may have existed well before the pandemic began.

“Our system was not okay before COVID-19. It was functioning because of the people in it, and because they give 110 percent every time they come into work….The cracks that were there widened and it became apparent to everybody.”

Click here to read the full article.

More Than One Crisis

With COVID-19 at the fore of many people’s minds, other things can be overlooked. Unfortunately, this is seemingly the case for drug overdoses. According to Avery Haines in her article, “‘Man, I’ve seen a lot of people die’: Canada’s other health crisis,”

In the first nine months of 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, nearly 1,700 people died from overdoses in Ontario alone. That’s a 55 per cent increase over last year. In Alberta, during that same time period, more people died from overdoses than from COVID-19. 

Click here to read more.

Impact of COVID-19

While it is true that COVID-19 is affecting patients and their families, it is also having a large impact on healthcare providers. This article clearly illustrates how healthcare workers are being impacted emotionally and mentally by the covid-19 pandemic.

Opioid Crisis- Closer Than you Might Think

“Not my loved ones,” you might be thinking, and I hope you’re right. It’s certainly easier to believe, as I once did, that the opioid crisis is some far-off threat, like a flood or fire in another province. The reality is that it may be bigger and closer than many of us want to admit.  (Excerpt from a cbc.ca opinion piece written by Katherine Steinhoff.)

Read the full article here.

Elephant in the Room?

If you only have time to read only one article today and/or watch one video, you may wish to make it this one. Thanks, Peter, for bringing this topic to our attention. As you correctly noted, it is “profoundly eye-opening, unsettling, yet so important.” This “elephant” is definitely worth talking about.

Protocol prohibits transplant

Delilah Saunders is critically ill and requires a liver transplant. Unfortunately, she has been deemed ineligible based on a past history of alcohol use. What are your thoughts about this decision and the associated protocol?

Click here to read the story.