Show rM ARSONS ARSON'S AUTHENTIC UTHE TIC STATEMENT BOler Boger W naba Daba Special to THE EXPRESS I MEDICARE AND NO CARE Babson Park Mass Just a short while ago Look MagazIne published a very cle on the type of care which Americans can expect from hospitals generally throughout the land It was frightening to say the least Inefficiency in In- In Ineptness and downright careless careless- carelessness ness on the part of both nur sea ses and doctors were featured Many h have ve since since rushed to the defense of the profession But what we should all be worrying about is the added coming im Im- Im Impact p pact ct of medicare ALMOST UPON US Il If the quality and the quantity of medical care are open to criticism now what will willbe be situation when the avalanche of elderly patients needing treat meat ment starts hitting the wards and nursing homes July 1st than three short months away Studies of stalls statis data suggest that cornU condi- conditions Hons may become chaotic In some areas The first wave of our senior citizens who will seek free hospitalization under medicare will be a big one Naturally those who can postpone a visit until Uncle Sam will pay the bill are going to walt wait for July 1 But doctors look for an even bigger flood tide of the elderly to knock on hospital doors at the first cold blasts of autumn That is the season when aches pains and respiratory dIseases really kick up SOBERING FACTS Hospital beds in non federal government Institutions are estl esti- esti mated to be about Right now about 76 percent of these are occupied But that figure is an average Like other averages it is misleading for in many areas shortages of hospital facilities are already critical Furthermore there is no guarantee that big demands will not be made in precisely the spots where beds are sar test But empty hospital beds would not solve the overcrowding pro pro- problem blem They would be of little value without an adequate nurs nurs- nurs nursing Ing staff And this Is the weak est link in the medIcal care chain jOb vacancies are reported in this field The Li fi gases gures are broken down as fol fol- follows lows openings for regis regis- registered nurses and a need for 25 25 practical nurses One of the most vexing shortages shortages may be maybe in the field of visIting nur nur- sea ses Visiting nurses are slated to play a big part under medi- medi medicare care Judging from the situa lion tion at present it appears In evitable that the suPply will be befar befar far short of needs HOW BIG THE RUSH So much for the availability or lack of It of doctors and nurses An even bigger qUIS qUI'S lion Hon mark is the probable size of the rush of senior citizens for free care Some govern merit ment officials pooh pooh-pooh the seriousness of the overcrowding threat But the Surgeon General feels that the surge will b ho large What Is definitely known Is that patients over age 65 now take lake up about one ter of all hospital beds What if this figure jumps to 35 per per- percent cent or even to 40 percent Our only close guidepost to what may be expected is the history of socialized medicine in Saskatchewan Canada there reports say demand doubled when government cine cane came in and and in some areas applicants for care treble ed The feeling Is to grow here that any such rush rushIn rushin In the U SS S could treat creat a con conn dillon bordering on chaos If this should happen i it would of course coure affect not only those over 65 but also everyone else elie from babies on up every every- ono in need of hospitalization SHORTCHANGED One thing is certain It will take cool ool heads at all medical and nd administrative levels to pre vent a jam up that could harm the image of the medical al pro pro- profession and bring down anger angeron angeron harmI I on the heads of politicians who voted so hurriedly for the leap forward without first ing to see if the machine could carry the new load It is none too early to set up screening boards These would attempt to keep the flow of sen for citizens toward hospitals from becoming an engulfing flood Unless this or similar ad ad- ad advance vance moves are taken at the local level we may find that medicare has become no carol carel |