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News & ArtsMonday, April 13, 2009
Life RIP Elswinger (Updated)
Posted by Jonah Spangenthal-Lee on Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 1:53 PM
Originally posted Friday night
In sad news, it appears regular commenter Elswinger—nee Larry Davenport—has passed away.
From Elswinger's blog:
Rest In Peace LarryIt is with deep regret that I have to notify you that Larry passed away on Wednesday, 4/8/2009.
He appreciated all who read his blog since it gave him a sense of purpose during some otherwise trying times.
Paul
The King County Medical Examiner's office did not have a record of Larry's death, and we'll let you know immediately if we hear it isn't true.
Larry was a regular Slog commenter, with nearly 1,000 comments to his name, and a participant in the All-Slog 2008 Fantasy Football Thunderdome League of Champions™.
Fnarf put it best in an email a few minutes ago:
I'm gutted. We're like family out here in comment-land, most of us.
He will be missed.
UPDATE:
From Larry's friend Paul:
Unfortunately what you read on the blog is true. Larry passed away Wednesday morning after a short relapse of pneumonia. It was a sudden illness, but not unexpected as you may know since he wrote about it in detail on his blog.We are going to do a memorial on Saturday at the 6 Arms at 5PM.
In lieu of flowers we are asking that if people want to do something in his name that they donate to The Evergreen State College annual fund. Larry was a proud Greener.
Thanks for your concern. He loved reading and commenting on the Slog.
Update x2
There seems to have been some sort of miscommunication about the date/time of the memorial.
From Paul:
The memorial is on Saturday, the 18th from 5 to 8 at the Six Arms. We will be in the upstairs part. We'll have an album of photos through the ages. We'd be happy to have anyone who knows him through his blog or the Slog attend.As far as the questions people asked:
1. Funeral expenses are covered. But it was nice of people to offer.
2. I will post a full description of how he passed away after the memorial. He was very public about his health, but I want to wait until all his friends have had grieving time.
3. He did have one one Aunt, but mostly his friends were his family.
4. Many people suggested donating to the NW Kidney Center Foundation. That is a good charity too.
1
Oh, man, I'm really wrecked. He was a good guy. And he had a really, really terrible last couple of years. He deserved better.
2
That really sucks. :(
I knew he had some health problems but didn't realize they were this bad. Anyone know what exactly he had going on?
He will be missed...
I knew he had some health problems but didn't realize they were this bad. Anyone know what exactly he had going on?
He will be missed...
4
I only vaguely remember his handle while reading Slog, but if I ever feel like I'm having a bad day or feel sorry for myself, I'll bring up this bookmark (for as long as it's around) to remind myself how good I have it. I'd suggest you all read it as well.
http://elswingers-world.blogspot.com/200…
I'm really sorry that this is how I'm learning about him.
http://elswingers-world.blogspot.com/200…
I'm really sorry that this is how I'm learning about him.
6
Oh, yikes. Very sad. I didn't realize he was terminally ill--thought he was convalescing? I'm sorry to hear it.
7
RIP: Not sure why you're seeing this as the moment for pedantry, but in fact "nee" means "born" and is perfectly appropriate for talking about someone's real-world name.
10
@4 Just read through that. Seems like he had to endure more than anyone should.
Its funny I've been on slog for years and knew he had a blog but never got around to reading it despite finding his writing style enjoyable. Hopefully his blog will be left up as a lasting tribute to him.
Its funny I've been on slog for years and knew he had a blog but never got around to reading it despite finding his writing style enjoyable. Hopefully his blog will be left up as a lasting tribute to him.
13
How weird. I don't usually think of blog commenters as actual people -- much less actual people who do actual things like actually dying.
I suppose I should try being nicer to them.
I suppose I should try being nicer to them.
14
Well, that really fucking sucks. I've been lurking on Slog for a few years now and he was one of my favorite commenters.
15
Leslie, I'm with you. I've only been here about 2.5 years but Elswinger was one of my favorites.
R.I.P, Larry - you deserve the rest you're getting now!
R.I.P, Larry - you deserve the rest you're getting now!
16
I read a few of his blog entries; it's incredible he made it as far as he did. Rest in peace, elswinger.
18
There are definitely quite a few folks here whose comments are always worth reading, in this lurker's opinion. Elswinger was one of them. Damn.
20
How very sad. I did not know him personally, but then again, I don't think I know anyone on slog personally. Yet I still think of all of you as friends.
Rest in Peace, Larry.
Rest in Peace, Larry.
21
I wonder if there's anything we can do. A collection for a designated charity -- something that buys kidney dialysis or rejection drugs, for example. Does he have family?
22
i posted this earlier but it belongs here..
man..elswinger..that's the saddest news i heard this week.. his last entry... is almost too much for words.. and that he was looking forward to attending slog happy last night too. i never met him, but he was so present here i fell like i was really getting to know him. his blog is worth a lengthy walk through. my deepest condolences to his family and friends.
i miss him already.
man..elswinger..that's the saddest news i heard this week.. his last entry... is almost too much for words.. and that he was looking forward to attending slog happy last night too. i never met him, but he was so present here i fell like i was really getting to know him. his blog is worth a lengthy walk through. my deepest condolences to his family and friends.
i miss him already.
27
I was wondering why he hadn't shown up at the Blue Moon last night. He had mentioned only living a block or so away.
Fair skies Larry, you were appreciated in character, and in person alike.
Fair skies Larry, you were appreciated in character, and in person alike.
28
This is awful. My thoughts go out to his family and friends. His comments were always thoughtful and intelligent.
Can we take up a collection at the next Slog Happy to donate in his memory to the appropriate charity?
Can we take up a collection at the next Slog Happy to donate in his memory to the appropriate charity?
29
His blog is the saddest fucking thing I've read since I was a kid.
Did he have no family at all? Luckily he still had some friends. Somebody like that needs attendants.
Did he have no family at all? Luckily he still had some friends. Somebody like that needs attendants.
30
In addition to commenting Elswinger participated in the first Freaky Friday, when Slog commenters were invited to post their own entries. June 8, 2007. He wasn't in the nursing home yet. My heart breaks thinking of how hard these last two years had been for him. You can read his posts here:
http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/03-0…
Scroll down to the 8th. One thing you'll notice is that Slog was a happier, friendlier place then; the scum hadn't shown up yet.
http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/03-0…
Scroll down to the 8th. One thing you'll notice is that Slog was a happier, friendlier place then; the scum hadn't shown up yet.
33
What terrible news, I always appreciated his words and he was one of the folks here that I felt an affinity to. I haven't posted here in ages, but I loved the Freaky Friday day, and elswinger's always interesting contributions.
So sorry to hear this. My sincere condolences for a man I never met, but really liked. RIP.
So sorry to hear this. My sincere condolences for a man I never met, but really liked. RIP.
34
"his life was gentle and in him the elements so mixed that nature might well stand up and say to all the world, this was a man."
35
As a long time commenter and lurker under various handles, this fucking really sucks. Elswinger was one of the best.
The Internet can be a dreary place, but there are those you encounter anonymously that make it worth the effort. Elswinger was one of those. His comments always brought a sense of humanity and decency to Slog.
Sweet dreams, Larry.
The Internet can be a dreary place, but there are those you encounter anonymously that make it worth the effort. Elswinger was one of those. His comments always brought a sense of humanity and decency to Slog.
Sweet dreams, Larry.
36
So sad! I read slog much more than I comment but have appreciated almost every one of elswinger's contributions. Reading through some of his blog posts - yes, he had a really rough last few years, but at least he got out of that horrible home if only for a little while. Peace to you, elswinger, and your loved ones.
I tried to see if elswinger ever mentioned any organizations, and last fall he suggested NW Kidney Center as a beneficiary of Strangercrombie:
http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/gone…
I think a slog collection is a great idea. I would like to send a little something to directly support the people who need dialysis.
http://www.nwkidney.org/nkc/howYouCanHel…
I tried to see if elswinger ever mentioned any organizations, and last fall he suggested NW Kidney Center as a beneficiary of Strangercrombie:
http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/gone…
I think a slog collection is a great idea. I would like to send a little something to directly support the people who need dialysis.
http://www.nwkidney.org/nkc/howYouCanHel…
37
Damn, this is sad news indeed. He was definitely one of the Good Guys, and he'll be missed. We should name something around here in his memory.
39
Asteria, I just sent them a few dollars in his name. Dammit, I'm going to cry again. Do something nice for somebody you love tomorrow.
40
Damn. He's been a rare voice of reason around these parts since day one. I had no clue about his personal life, but just now, reading through his blog, makes me wish I had been more aware of him. I'm resolving here and now to follow more personal Slogger links and to start thinking about you more often as actual human beings. And I second the idea that something here should be named after him.
42
This is very sad news. I always appreciated Elswinger's thoughtful comments on SLOG and on his blog. My thought's to Larry's family and friends.
44
I can relate to it.
I was ready to defenestrate myself yesterday after reading Dan Savage's paean to dick munching.
I can relate to it.
I was ready to defenestrate myself yesterday after reading Dan Savage's paean to dick munching.
46
.
I feel terribly about this, although I never met him, never did anything more than read his comments. I don't know why it seems so poignant, but I'm glad he got to eat some self-cooked meals. I'll eat a bacon & egg sandwich tomorrow in his memory.
I feel terribly about this, although I never met him, never did anything more than read his comments. I don't know why it seems so poignant, but I'm glad he got to eat some self-cooked meals. I'll eat a bacon & egg sandwich tomorrow in his memory.
47
Well, I, for one, am certainly grateful for my health, my friends, and my petty concerns tonight...
His presence will be missed.
His presence will be missed.
48
I wish I'd gotten to meet Elswinger at this last Slog Happy. I'm sad and angry that he went out in pain and feeling like he was without dignity; I'm glad to see that there were people out there who gave a damn. I'd be glad to make a charitable tribute at the next Slog Happy.
50
RIP Elswinger. He was a mensch here on Slog. I'd been looking forward to him participating more now he was out of that fucking nursing home. Earlier tonight I had a random song cross my mind, and briefly thought, man, I need to keep my weird love for that song to myself, how embarrassing, and now I see Larry posted it as one of the last downloads he did. There was no shame in his game.
51
I didn't know him well, but I knew enough to say that Larry was a good nerd in all the ways that "nerd" is a word to be proud of. RIP, and thanks for always reading my little games pieces here. I'm sorry I never reviewed NHL '09.
52
i feel like i'm in fight club, only knowing his real name after he passed. "his name was robert paulson, i mean.. larry", in any event, so long dude. hope the other side is better than this one...
53
Damn, damn, damn. This is a bummer. Slog was a much better place for his presence and in its fairly rapid decline over the past several months, I always looked forward to one of his comments.
54
I don't post nearly as often as I read (daily), but I truly love Slog and feel like I have this private circle of friends I've never met (though one day I will return to Seattle just for Slog Happy). Clearly Larry loved it as well. It had to have been a great comfort and outlet for him, while he entertained us with his piercing humor amidst unknown pain.
So - Thank you Stranger staff and posters for creating and preserving this forum of intimate stangers. And especially thank you Fnarf for your comments and links on this thread - they took us back to the person and his writing. Both shall be missed.
Perhaps a fitting tribute - since he was one of the inaugural freaks - is to rename Freaky Friday, Elswinger Day. I think he'd like that. Peace E.
So - Thank you Stranger staff and posters for creating and preserving this forum of intimate stangers. And especially thank you Fnarf for your comments and links on this thread - they took us back to the person and his writing. Both shall be missed.
Perhaps a fitting tribute - since he was one of the inaugural freaks - is to rename Freaky Friday, Elswinger Day. I think he'd like that. Peace E.
55
This is really sad news. I've never met any Slog commentors in real life, but you're all real people to me, and Larry was an amazingly thoughtful internet person.
Thanks to Slog for letting us know - when people online disappear, you almost never know why.
Thanks to Slog for letting us know - when people online disappear, you almost never know why.
56
i never met the man, but i always appreciated elswinger's comments. he made our little community smarter and more civil. RIP.
58
Née doesn't mean what you think it does, Jonah.
While it should be né (Masculin), that's a fairly pedantic nitpick.
The dude was born Larry Davenport, as far as we know.
While it should be né (Masculin), that's a fairly pedantic nitpick.
The dude was born Larry Davenport, as far as we know.
59
11 & 37 --- Right On.
So...I'm at an internet kiosk at a hotel in Newport, OR. (Is that blood on the curtains?) trying (and failing) not to cry.
I met Larry thru egullet.com a couple of year ago. I felt a certain kinship with him, because he frequently posted about places that I could actually afford to eat at more then once a year. The I started noticing his name here and a few months back I discovered his blog. I was able to meet him a couple of times and bought him a few meals at the place I work at. He was unfailingly kind, gracious, and had a great sense of humor. We joked just a few days ago that I should come over to his new place and play some video games.
I started to worry a bit when I hadn't seen any updates to his blog for a few days. Now I know why. RIP, El Swinger. I was glad that I got to know you a bit. Whenever I think things are going shitty, I only have to remember what you described in your blog and realize how good I have it. Fnarf --- I couldn't have put it any better, he was murdered by the WA. State Healthcare system. Terrible.
Jonah, Fnarf or anyone, if you could please post any more info that you find out, or memeorial details, I'd appreciate it very much.
Larry --- I'll have a slice of Verde and a small Pesto salad for you when I get back, and if I ever see a bagel dog again, I'll have one and think of you.
54 --- I agree, I think he'd like that.
~Jason
So...I'm at an internet kiosk at a hotel in Newport, OR. (Is that blood on the curtains?) trying (and failing) not to cry.
I met Larry thru egullet.com a couple of year ago. I felt a certain kinship with him, because he frequently posted about places that I could actually afford to eat at more then once a year. The I started noticing his name here and a few months back I discovered his blog. I was able to meet him a couple of times and bought him a few meals at the place I work at. He was unfailingly kind, gracious, and had a great sense of humor. We joked just a few days ago that I should come over to his new place and play some video games.
I started to worry a bit when I hadn't seen any updates to his blog for a few days. Now I know why. RIP, El Swinger. I was glad that I got to know you a bit. Whenever I think things are going shitty, I only have to remember what you described in your blog and realize how good I have it. Fnarf --- I couldn't have put it any better, he was murdered by the WA. State Healthcare system. Terrible.
Jonah, Fnarf or anyone, if you could please post any more info that you find out, or memeorial details, I'd appreciate it very much.
Larry --- I'll have a slice of Verde and a small Pesto salad for you when I get back, and if I ever see a bagel dog again, I'll have one and think of you.
54 --- I agree, I think he'd like that.
~Jason
61
Everyone should go read his blog. It's well-written and very poignant...his battles with his health and the American healthcare system are truly moving and frightening.
A toast to Elswinger.
A toast to Elswinger.
62
Sure puts my worries about needing new rear struts in perspective. I wouldn't wish his last couple of years on my worst enemy. What a brave and gentle soul. Rest in peace, Larry.
63
I already hit the NW Kidney Foundation instead of Evergreen, if that's all right. I can't make the 6 Arms this evening but I'll be thinking of you, and him.
64
WOW - feelings come to the surface.
Would not have thought it possible, maybe the best testament is to coin a phrase, the "Larry effect"...
I don't remember being too taken by his comments, but, it is nice to see posters are moved by his death.
And angry about the horrid saga of his last months.
He did strike me as a beer drinking buddy whose conversation would range far and wide and last for hours, assuming food present.
Eternal is real, beyond this life is the theme of all great religion, so here is to to the next conversation we might have with Larry, with better beer and unlimited ambrosia .....
Would not have thought it possible, maybe the best testament is to coin a phrase, the "Larry effect"...
I don't remember being too taken by his comments, but, it is nice to see posters are moved by his death.
And angry about the horrid saga of his last months.
He did strike me as a beer drinking buddy whose conversation would range far and wide and last for hours, assuming food present.
Eternal is real, beyond this life is the theme of all great religion, so here is to to the next conversation we might have with Larry, with better beer and unlimited ambrosia .....
66
I was familiar with his posts from reading Slog for the last few years but had never taken the time to read his personal blog. I almost wish I hadn't but i'm glad I did. He suffered through more than I could imagine dealing with personally, yet was able to have a kind and intelligent persona online despite his troubles. One of his last entries talks about how excited he was to get to go to the Slog Happy in the U-District. A true loss for the Slog/Seattle community.
I take solace in believing he's in a better state now than he had been living in.
May peace be with you, Larry.
I take solace in believing he's in a better state now than he had been living in.
May peace be with you, Larry.
68
I want to propose, as a lasting tribute to Elswinger's consistently non-dickish positive contributions to the Slog (more than I can say about myself), that henceforth they immediately delete dickish Evergreen State stereotyping comments, such as this and this and this and this.
Every time we see one of those crap comments disappear, we can remember our friend who could always think of something original and worthwhile to say.
(But don't let that stop you from donating to The Evergreen State College annual fund.)
Every time we see one of those crap comments disappear, we can remember our friend who could always think of something original and worthwhile to say.
(But don't let that stop you from donating to The Evergreen State College annual fund.)
71
I would have really liked to read Elswinger's book about what it was like to live in a nursing home, which he mentioned wanting to write in his blog. On the other hand, I'm glad he didn't have to endure years more of that particular torture just so we could read about it.
73
I've got tears involuntarily leaking from my eyes. Not the type of news you want to see here.
He was one of the good ones and his presence will be very very missed.
My non-religious self hopes he's in a much better place.
Fuck.
He was one of the good ones and his presence will be very very missed.
My non-religious self hopes he's in a much better place.
Fuck.
76
I'm very sad about Elswinger, but there are still many people facing the same problems as he was his last few days. Maybe getting Seattle to make those street corners accessible and fixing those sidewalks would be a better way to remember him.
77
So, so sorry to hear about this. Love and strength to Larry's friends and family in this awful time.
78
Elswinger was one of the rare commenters here that always made an effort, not only to contribute good things to the discussion, but also to not be a dick and treat other commenters like real people.
I'm really sad that I'll never get to meet him. Rest in peace, Larry, you are missed.
I'm really sad that I'll never get to meet him. Rest in peace, Larry, you are missed.
79
This is so incredibly sad. I was lamenting during slog happy that I had never met him. I had always wanted to, and now I will never get the chance.
RIP Elswinger. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.
RIP Elswinger. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.
80
Wow. I was in a year-long program with him at Evergreen from '88 to '89. There were 70 or so folks and I remember him well because of his big personality. His favorite movie was The Breakfast Club and I remember he got a girlfriend that year that everyone thought was his sister; they looked so much alike.
RIP, Larry - MPI, Evergreen
RIP, Larry - MPI, Evergreen
81
His story hits home. I'm deeply saddened for the loss of a man I didn't even know...the same thing took my other half from me two years ago (although the transplant part didn't happen, he was on the waiting list and on dialysis and died there)
Larry's blog is an amazing read, and a damning criticism of the health care system. If he made any mark or left any legacy, maybe it will be a bit more ammunition in the arsenal for health care reform.
And now I'm crying. Dammit.
Larry's blog is an amazing read, and a damning criticism of the health care system. If he made any mark or left any legacy, maybe it will be a bit more ammunition in the arsenal for health care reform.
And now I'm crying. Dammit.
82
I already made a donation to the NW Kidney Center in his name. I hope they really will use it to help someone else with dialysis.
I haven't been seriously ill yet, but I do sometimes wonder what would happen if I were to die suddenly as I am single and live alone. It looks like elswinger had been thinking about it for a long time (understandably).
Jonah, and others at the Stranger, is it possible to do a proper obituary for elswinger? See the post linked below. I would even be up for putting in $25 to have something published in the Times, if a friend of his were collecting funds.
I'll be pouring out the first slug of beer tonight for him. RIP again.
http://elswingers-world.blogspot.com/200…
I haven't been seriously ill yet, but I do sometimes wonder what would happen if I were to die suddenly as I am single and live alone. It looks like elswinger had been thinking about it for a long time (understandably).
Jonah, and others at the Stranger, is it possible to do a proper obituary for elswinger? See the post linked below. I would even be up for putting in $25 to have something published in the Times, if a friend of his were collecting funds.
I'll be pouring out the first slug of beer tonight for him. RIP again.
http://elswingers-world.blogspot.com/200…
84
I never met him but based on what some people have written here it seems he was a very nice man and I do agree with others here that there should be some type of tribute on Slog made in his memory. RIP Mr Elswinger.
87
Clinic dialysis is about $30k/month. CAPD runs $12-20K/month. Luckily, my insurance picked it all up. But it was for nothing in the end.
90
Yes, this is sad. I remember his name and certainly found it ironic reading through his blog the link back to the slog post on being worried about cuts in the state's health care budget. In the end that wasn't the undoing, but it makes his statements in that regard no less poignant.
Based on the blogging about his new place (the pics, tile floors, small size, affordability, close to the Blue Moon), I'd bet money it was a Seattle Housing Authority property. Made me look at that building overlooking the freeway a little differently as I passed it tonight. Creates a great illustration that these social service safety nets are a valuable, integral part in the fabric of our community.
My condolences.
dp
Based on the blogging about his new place (the pics, tile floors, small size, affordability, close to the Blue Moon), I'd bet money it was a Seattle Housing Authority property. Made me look at that building overlooking the freeway a little differently as I passed it tonight. Creates a great illustration that these social service safety nets are a valuable, integral part in the fabric of our community.
My condolences.
dp
91
Fnarf's scenario is entirely credible. The American health care system is a national disgrace. Little gets cured anymore. Sick, uninsured and badly insured people are pawned off on young doctors still learning the ropes. To get what you need you have to scream and yell (which is counter intuitive to many). To say we have the best health care in the world is a half-truth. The other half is this: The US has the best health care in the world....if you can afford it.
RIP, E. Deepest condolences to family and friends.
RIP, E. Deepest condolences to family and friends.
92
Anyone who thinks our healthcare system isn't broken should spend 20 minutes perusing this man's blog.
RIP Elswinger. Seriously, you deserve to.
RIP Elswinger. Seriously, you deserve to.
93
Clinic dialysis is about $30k/month.
Amazingly, our patchwork government healthcare system has help for kidney patients.
From http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/p…
If you have permanent kidney failure, you may be worried about paying for the expensive treatments you need.
In 1972, Congress passed legislation making people of any age with permanent kidney failure eligible for Medicare, a program that helps people over 65 and people with disabilities pay for medical care, usually up to 80 percent.
Amazingly, our patchwork government healthcare system has help for kidney patients.
From http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/p…
If you have permanent kidney failure, you may be worried about paying for the expensive treatments you need.
In 1972, Congress passed legislation making people of any age with permanent kidney failure eligible for Medicare, a program that helps people over 65 and people with disabilities pay for medical care, usually up to 80 percent.
94
I'd definitely chip in for an obit, although it would be more fitting to have it in the Stranger. Maybe we could pay for the space in the Stranger and the staff could take it from there with design and such?
95
Also--maybe Paul will let us know whether assistance is needed with the cremation and associated costs?
97
@93, "up to 80 percent". And you have liquidate 100% of your assets. Maybe you didn't read his blog, where he talked about his transplant rejection drugs cost $1000 a week, AFTER insurance, which he couldn't afford. Or how the nursing home took 99% of his disability checks, or how he was forced to cash out his meager retirement fund.
In America, getting sick means you lose everything you have, and losing your job means losing your healthcare.
This isn't efficient, free-market stuff. It's hopelessly INefficient, where most healthcare dollars to go insurance dudes in suits, not doctors, nurses, and staff. It's a disgrace.
If Elswinger had lived, he would be stuck in a tiny apartment, unemployable, no assets, no retirement money of his own, on a government check, forever. That's a tragedy in itself. What happened to Larry instead is horrible enough -- and preventable.
In America, getting sick means you lose everything you have, and losing your job means losing your healthcare.
This isn't efficient, free-market stuff. It's hopelessly INefficient, where most healthcare dollars to go insurance dudes in suits, not doctors, nurses, and staff. It's a disgrace.
If Elswinger had lived, he would be stuck in a tiny apartment, unemployable, no assets, no retirement money of his own, on a government check, forever. That's a tragedy in itself. What happened to Larry instead is horrible enough -- and preventable.
98
This is such a sad and strange sensation, isn't it? I mean, we're all pretty broken up about Elswinger, but how many of us actually knew him? I realize this is a cheesy thing to say, but the general reaction to Eslwinger's death really highlights the community we have here at Slog. Whether or not it was better "back in the day", I don't know. I guess I'm a relative newcomer. But there seems to be a weird kind of anonymous fraternity between the regular commenters, and that's kind of cool.
And yes, Elswinger's personal blog (which I hadn't read before today) is amazingly heart-wrenching. All my love goes out to him, those who knew him in reality, and those who appreciated his participation on this weird thing we call the Internet. My only hope is that some industrious person finds a way to use his story to make things better for others in similar situations. That would really be something.
And yes, Elswinger's personal blog (which I hadn't read before today) is amazingly heart-wrenching. All my love goes out to him, those who knew him in reality, and those who appreciated his participation on this weird thing we call the Internet. My only hope is that some industrious person finds a way to use his story to make things better for others in similar situations. That would really be something.
101
Elswinger was a valued and thoughtful contributor here. I'm saddened by this but also know he would be OK with me saying, in the very spirit of Slog:
Only the good die young. So Mr. Poe will live forever.
Only the good die young. So Mr. Poe will live forever.
102
Having had a day to digest this, it's very surreal. I started reading his blog just about a week ago, and I didn't get very deep into it, just enough to know that one of Slog's more thoughtful contributors was fucked in a big way. It made it hard to read more, and now I wish I had. How is it that he finally got out of the nursing home and dies right off the bat? What the fuck is that?
103
I am wondering if the best tribute would be an article in the Stranger about Elswinger that gives us an idea about who he was and also chronicles how he fell through the cracks of the healthcare system. That would do him justice and make some meaning out of what happened.
104
A couple of months back in a Slog comment, Elswinger made a reference to his blog, along with some self-deprecating remark. I went to his blog then, surprised and touched by his insight and strength, meanwhile being a resident of a nursing home and describing his difficulties there.
May Elswinger be in a better place.
May Elswinger be in a better place.
105
@93, "up to 80 percent". And you have liquidate 100% of your assets. Maybe you didn't read his blog, where he talked about his transplant rejection drugs cost $1000 a week, AFTER insurance, which he couldn't afford. Or how the nursing home took 99% of his disability checks, or how he was forced to cash out his meager retirement fund.
Well, this is a tangled mess. Let me try to address the separate issues:
1. Social Security (Medicare) coverage of dialysis costs: 80% for people of any age, since 1972. Before HMOs and PPOs, your employer-provided health insurance would cover 80% of your medical costs -- you would have to pick up the remainder. So this provision was state of the art in 1972.
2. Liquidating your assets: Medicare does not require you to liquidate your assets to be eligible -- otherwise every post-65 retiree would be broke.
3. Medicare covers immunosuppressive drugs, per the website I cited:
Patient Assistance Programs From Prescription Drug Companies
Medicare pays for erythropoietin to treat anemia in kidney failure and for immunosuppressants to prevent rejection of a transplanted kidney. But other self-administered drugs that you need may not be covered by Medicare. If you have trouble paying for all the medications your doctor prescribes, you may qualify for assistance from private programs. Most drug manufacturers have patient assistance programs giving discounts to patients who can show that they can't afford the cost of their prescribed medications
4. Yes, nursing homes are fucking expensive. You might want to consider buying insurance to cover you in the event you end up in a nursing home, because you will go broke very rapidly. But once you are broke, Medicaid (a state program) will pay to keep you in a nursing home, but at a decidedly no-frills level. Typically you have to spend all your assets, except perhaps your home and your car. Renters are SOL.
Nursing homes are outside the scope of our health care system, by the way. They are a place to live for people who cannot take care of their needs.
Consider that a bed in a nursing home might cost $6K -$10K a month -- How would you like to pay for that mr. fnarf? A 15% sales tax?
More...
Well, this is a tangled mess. Let me try to address the separate issues:
1. Social Security (Medicare) coverage of dialysis costs: 80% for people of any age, since 1972. Before HMOs and PPOs, your employer-provided health insurance would cover 80% of your medical costs -- you would have to pick up the remainder. So this provision was state of the art in 1972.
2. Liquidating your assets: Medicare does not require you to liquidate your assets to be eligible -- otherwise every post-65 retiree would be broke.
3. Medicare covers immunosuppressive drugs, per the website I cited:
Patient Assistance Programs From Prescription Drug Companies
Medicare pays for erythropoietin to treat anemia in kidney failure and for immunosuppressants to prevent rejection of a transplanted kidney. But other self-administered drugs that you need may not be covered by Medicare. If you have trouble paying for all the medications your doctor prescribes, you may qualify for assistance from private programs. Most drug manufacturers have patient assistance programs giving discounts to patients who can show that they can't afford the cost of their prescribed medications
4. Yes, nursing homes are fucking expensive. You might want to consider buying insurance to cover you in the event you end up in a nursing home, because you will go broke very rapidly. But once you are broke, Medicaid (a state program) will pay to keep you in a nursing home, but at a decidedly no-frills level. Typically you have to spend all your assets, except perhaps your home and your car. Renters are SOL.
Nursing homes are outside the scope of our health care system, by the way. They are a place to live for people who cannot take care of their needs.
Consider that a bed in a nursing home might cost $6K -$10K a month -- How would you like to pay for that mr. fnarf? A 15% sales tax?
106
Oh shit 105, leave the politics alone just for this thread ok? Let those of us in this strange little community remember and grieve a little.
Elswinger's blog documents quite well all the shit he had to go through. Read it. And maybe then some of his great comments in the links Fnarf provided.
Elswinger's blog documents quite well all the shit he had to go through. Read it. And maybe then some of his great comments in the links Fnarf provided.
107
@105: somehow, most of the other countries in the world manage to provide these things for half the money we spend on them, or less. Why is that? Why is it that in the US if you get seriously ill, even if you get the treatment you need, you lose everything in the process? What percentage of bankruptcies -- a prospect Elswinger was facing imminently -- are caused by medical costs?
Elswinger did everything he was supposed to do. He got the benefits you mention. Yet he was humiliated and degraded and treated like garbage by a medical system that cares only about the men in suits, not the patients.
Elswinger did everything he was supposed to do. He got the benefits you mention. Yet he was humiliated and degraded and treated like garbage by a medical system that cares only about the men in suits, not the patients.
109
@103 I agree the STRANGER has a great opportunity to do a health care story with a real person attached to it. And if you read Elswinger's blog he did not want to be forgotten.
110
1. RIP
2. National health care, now.
3. Mandatory and universal.
4. Born in the USA -- fuck you.
5. Income tax like you see in all the systems that work very well JAPANGERMANYFRANCEUKSWEDENNORWAYDENMARKCANADA ad nauseum.
Hey Born in USA dipshit I was in Canada last weekend. Their socialistic communistic pinko health care system doesn't seem to have bankrupted them, they look pretty prosperous, capitalism is functioning pretty well there, in fact their dollar is now almost at parity with ours. Remember when is used to be 30% lower?
We spend twice as much on health care as other "advanced" nations all of which pretty much have the same kind of mandatory universal single payer system, and we have worse results in terms of longevity, child deaths, and equity.
could it possibly be because profit seeking based on which company is better at cherry picking premium payers and then denying claims is an insane activity that ought to be illegal as a form of immoral gambling and fraud?
It's because of fucking pseudo patriotic morons like you we have this problem. There's no pointing out facts to folks like you, and you make stupid, stupid stupid arguments all the time like trying to suggest that 80% coverage is somehow fine and dandy when you know it leads to bankruptcy for someone to have to pay 80% of $500,000 or $750,000.
About one third of all bankruptcies are medical related, to answer that question. So apart from the "medical" costs, we have everyone else payin for this insance system that guarantees profits of insurers above all else, because when people go bankrupt they don't pay their creditors and then all of everyone else has to pay higher rates and prices for everything.
But the moral bankruptcy and brain bankruptcy of morons like Born in the USA is what's really shocking.
How in the world can we compete as a nation in retooling our society, when we are saddled with large numbers of superstitious, brain addled idiots like Born in the USA?
I suggest we put him and his ilk in re-education camps, tout suite. Vite! Vite! Marchez-y!!
More...
2. National health care, now.
3. Mandatory and universal.
4. Born in the USA -- fuck you.
5. Income tax like you see in all the systems that work very well JAPANGERMANYFRANCEUKSWEDENNORWAYDENMARKCANADA ad nauseum.
Hey Born in USA dipshit I was in Canada last weekend. Their socialistic communistic pinko health care system doesn't seem to have bankrupted them, they look pretty prosperous, capitalism is functioning pretty well there, in fact their dollar is now almost at parity with ours. Remember when is used to be 30% lower?
We spend twice as much on health care as other "advanced" nations all of which pretty much have the same kind of mandatory universal single payer system, and we have worse results in terms of longevity, child deaths, and equity.
could it possibly be because profit seeking based on which company is better at cherry picking premium payers and then denying claims is an insane activity that ought to be illegal as a form of immoral gambling and fraud?
It's because of fucking pseudo patriotic morons like you we have this problem. There's no pointing out facts to folks like you, and you make stupid, stupid stupid arguments all the time like trying to suggest that 80% coverage is somehow fine and dandy when you know it leads to bankruptcy for someone to have to pay 80% of $500,000 or $750,000.
About one third of all bankruptcies are medical related, to answer that question. So apart from the "medical" costs, we have everyone else payin for this insance system that guarantees profits of insurers above all else, because when people go bankrupt they don't pay their creditors and then all of everyone else has to pay higher rates and prices for everything.
But the moral bankruptcy and brain bankruptcy of morons like Born in the USA is what's really shocking.
How in the world can we compete as a nation in retooling our society, when we are saddled with large numbers of superstitious, brain addled idiots like Born in the USA?
I suggest we put him and his ilk in re-education camps, tout suite. Vite! Vite! Marchez-y!!
111
@105
I find it more than slightly disgusting how you had to forgo any pretense at sympathy in order to remain 'rational' in your discussion of options for the terminally ill. I have a friend whose father has Alzheimer's disease. He has invested about 150,000 dollars in sweat equity into a property that his family has owned for four generations. His father refuses to sign over the property to him, as he is afraid that he would immediately stick him into a nursing home. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on his legal ability to do so.
Should his care become too much for his son, who works about 60 hours a week to pay for property taxes and his father's care, he will be stuck in a nursing home, and the home will be auctioned off to the developers at the going property tax rate, rather than the value of the six acres it occupies in a heavily-developed suburb. The city council is also currently trying to force him and all of the families in the homes adjoining the property off of the land in the name of "progress". They refused to pave the road or provide a connection to city water; he can't even get cable television. Yet at the same time, they put an easement on his property so that the water run-off from storms has created a pond in his backyard that routinely floods his basement. He still has to pay property taxes on this easement.
In a few more years, his father will have totally lost it, and he will be forced to sell a home for around a tenth of its value, all of the proceeds going to the nursing home, while a developer will slap down ten McMansions there for around a half-million dollars apiece. A few years back, he was about to have a coronary over the fact that he thought the well had dried up and needed to be re-drilled, which would have forced him to sell. He isn't in it for the money. And his family are all extremely hard workers. Fuck you.
"No-frills" nursing homes? You mean like falling between your bed and the wall and being found dead by the orderly a week later? There's a reason his father's afraid of the home. Meanwhile, my friend will use up the last of his youth caring for his father with no savings to show for it, and lose the property to boot.
If you had to watch him resurface his road by hand after a storm while his father dry heaves in the bathroom due to the side-effects from his Aricept then perhaps you wouldn't be so callous. But I suspect you are a libertarian, and begrudge even the ineffective healthcare your refusal to pay taxes has ensured. I also suspect you are one of those people who yelled that death with dignity is equivalent to forcing your father's golfing buddies to take a cyanide pill in order to pay for a black woman in a Cadillac to have eight or more kids out of wedlock. I doubt you have the morals to realize the kind of hypocrisy you espouse.
Something drawn-out and painful needs to happen to you.
More...
I find it more than slightly disgusting how you had to forgo any pretense at sympathy in order to remain 'rational' in your discussion of options for the terminally ill. I have a friend whose father has Alzheimer's disease. He has invested about 150,000 dollars in sweat equity into a property that his family has owned for four generations. His father refuses to sign over the property to him, as he is afraid that he would immediately stick him into a nursing home. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on his legal ability to do so.
Should his care become too much for his son, who works about 60 hours a week to pay for property taxes and his father's care, he will be stuck in a nursing home, and the home will be auctioned off to the developers at the going property tax rate, rather than the value of the six acres it occupies in a heavily-developed suburb. The city council is also currently trying to force him and all of the families in the homes adjoining the property off of the land in the name of "progress". They refused to pave the road or provide a connection to city water; he can't even get cable television. Yet at the same time, they put an easement on his property so that the water run-off from storms has created a pond in his backyard that routinely floods his basement. He still has to pay property taxes on this easement.
In a few more years, his father will have totally lost it, and he will be forced to sell a home for around a tenth of its value, all of the proceeds going to the nursing home, while a developer will slap down ten McMansions there for around a half-million dollars apiece. A few years back, he was about to have a coronary over the fact that he thought the well had dried up and needed to be re-drilled, which would have forced him to sell. He isn't in it for the money. And his family are all extremely hard workers. Fuck you.
"No-frills" nursing homes? You mean like falling between your bed and the wall and being found dead by the orderly a week later? There's a reason his father's afraid of the home. Meanwhile, my friend will use up the last of his youth caring for his father with no savings to show for it, and lose the property to boot.
If you had to watch him resurface his road by hand after a storm while his father dry heaves in the bathroom due to the side-effects from his Aricept then perhaps you wouldn't be so callous. But I suspect you are a libertarian, and begrudge even the ineffective healthcare your refusal to pay taxes has ensured. I also suspect you are one of those people who yelled that death with dignity is equivalent to forcing your father's golfing buddies to take a cyanide pill in order to pay for a black woman in a Cadillac to have eight or more kids out of wedlock. I doubt you have the morals to realize the kind of hypocrisy you espouse.
Something drawn-out and painful needs to happen to you.
114
This all started when someone posted that dialysis would cost a kidney patient $30K a month. I found that hard to believe, because treatments for kidney patients are the one thing that our federal government will cover.
Then fnarf typed his usual bullshit -- somehow he has the ability to write while being unable to read. I tried to correct his misunderstandings but whatever.
As a society we have to decide what level of care we want to provide those who can't take care of themselves. No one can afford lifetime nursing care. No government program currently covers nursing care except the state-level charity program Medicaid.
Even if we had universal health care, it would not cover nursing home care (or 24/7 nursing care at home).
What to do? God forbid you need to go into a nursing home.
That is all.
Then fnarf typed his usual bullshit -- somehow he has the ability to write while being unable to read. I tried to correct his misunderstandings but whatever.
As a society we have to decide what level of care we want to provide those who can't take care of themselves. No one can afford lifetime nursing care. No government program currently covers nursing care except the state-level charity program Medicaid.
Even if we had universal health care, it would not cover nursing home care (or 24/7 nursing care at home).
What to do? God forbid you need to go into a nursing home.
That is all.
116
And Medicare is not a 'charity' program, it is an assistance program. It is doubtful that the website you found so helpful in panning for factoids would have used that phrasing. I find that slip-up rather telling in its implicit attitudes towards being "on the dole." Go back to 'Reason.com', please.
118
As I can't, I won't comment about the 80% dialysis coverage. I do however think referencing the double bind Mr. Elswinger was in with respect to his Medicare and "retirement" money is poignant.
In his February "Open Letter..." linked earlier in these comments, he talks about the nursing home taking all of his money, regardless of how much "all" was. Yes he had retirement money, but had chosen not to access it. If he would have decided to use those retirement funds;
1. the nursing home would have grabbed the majority of that cash, and;
2. he would have lost his medicare benefits.
Fine mess.
How much do we as a society pay for the care of those in need? I'm not going to answer that question directly but rather say that whatever that number is, it should not be such that a person in essence winds up burying themselves just for the chance to live.
And, I have to agree with previous posters that this unfortunate passing is a great starting point for a longer treatise (Stranger published?) on the medical system.
In his February "Open Letter..." linked earlier in these comments, he talks about the nursing home taking all of his money, regardless of how much "all" was. Yes he had retirement money, but had chosen not to access it. If he would have decided to use those retirement funds;
1. the nursing home would have grabbed the majority of that cash, and;
2. he would have lost his medicare benefits.
Fine mess.
How much do we as a society pay for the care of those in need? I'm not going to answer that question directly but rather say that whatever that number is, it should not be such that a person in essence winds up burying themselves just for the chance to live.
And, I have to agree with previous posters that this unfortunate passing is a great starting point for a longer treatise (Stranger published?) on the medical system.
121
Let's all show a little respect here shall we?
Would you have a discussion like this at a funeral? Everyone be nice fercrissake.
Would you have a discussion like this at a funeral? Everyone be nice fercrissake.
122
How very sad to read this today. Elswinger was a cool commentator. RIP, and my condolences to his family.
123
Born in the U.S.A... if You were able to read you would find the recently deceased Larry-Bless you Larry-was not in trouble with Dialysis. It was the anti-rejection drugs that were covered by your magical 80%. Which left him $1000 each week to pay. So he was unable to take that regimen of drugs. His body(as they all will) rejects his organ. Thank God for 80% coverage!!
And Medicare-Medicaid does require you to use all assets before they will jump in with their full throttle death-care "We are the goverment and we are here to help you." Another bit of Literary irony I am sure Larry would have enjoyed.
It seem's obvious you have been reading a recruiting poster from the government....if you had actual life experience with these issues you would NOT be so crass at such a time.
Let's celebrate what Larry brought to our lives....I am going to see if the local Alternative Weekly will pick-up his story/Obit. Maybe make our voices a little louder so that in the future, this doesn't happen so often.
R.I.P. Larry obviously you will never be forgotten
And Medicare-Medicaid does require you to use all assets before they will jump in with their full throttle death-care "We are the goverment and we are here to help you." Another bit of Literary irony I am sure Larry would have enjoyed.
It seem's obvious you have been reading a recruiting poster from the government....if you had actual life experience with these issues you would NOT be so crass at such a time.
Let's celebrate what Larry brought to our lives....I am going to see if the local Alternative Weekly will pick-up his story/Obit. Maybe make our voices a little louder so that in the future, this doesn't happen so often.
R.I.P. Larry obviously you will never be forgotten
124
@115: Long term care insurance is not part of regular government health insurance in Canada, the United Kingdom, France, or Germany. In Germany, long term care insurance is considered the "Fifth Pillar" of insurance, next to Health, Accident, Retirement, and Unemployment Insurance.
Despite government funding, long term care residents must pay for their meals and accommodation in Canada, France, and the United Kingdom, from $1500 (the type of basic care the late Elswinger received) to 2700Euros a month. German is too hard for me to read to see what residents have to pay there.
Nursing homes in Ontario appear to be just as horrid as where the late Elswinger lived -- residents forced to go for hours wearing a urine-soaked diaper is typical according to news reports.
@116: Medicare is not Medicaid. Medicare is health insurance that workers pay into; Medicaid is charity from the state, funded from taxes.
Despite government funding, long term care residents must pay for their meals and accommodation in Canada, France, and the United Kingdom, from $1500 (the type of basic care the late Elswinger received) to 2700Euros a month. German is too hard for me to read to see what residents have to pay there.
Nursing homes in Ontario appear to be just as horrid as where the late Elswinger lived -- residents forced to go for hours wearing a urine-soaked diaper is typical according to news reports.
@116: Medicare is not Medicaid. Medicare is health insurance that workers pay into; Medicaid is charity from the state, funded from taxes.
126
USA: I mistyped. And Medicare is health insurance that young workers pay to support elderly retirees. Don't think for a second that the amount they put in 30-odd years ago could even hope to cover the astronomical sums that keeping them alive costs today. If one is charity, then so is the other. Eliminating both, even in combination with 'tort reform' won't cause medical costs to go down; that is a perennial fantasy of Social Darwinists like yourself. Strangely enough, it never seems to apply to you and yours. Pay your taxes, and actually use and appreciate the many services they provide, and perhaps you won't go looking to score a rebate by cutting them down to nothing.
128
#123: I'll play the bad guy here and say that I found some of Elswinger's claims suspect. The most expensive anti-rejection drugs are about $1,000 a week--a little over $4,000 a month-- before coverage, not after. Assuming 80% coverage, that would make the amount the patient pays out-of-pocket about $200 a week. There are some other anti-rejection drugs that are as low as $2000 a month, which, again, assuming 80% coverage would make patient pay-out about $100 a week. Still a lot of money, but not the outlandish $1,000 a week patient responsibility that you are quoting. I'm just assuming that the 80% Medicare coverage quoted here is accurate, since I don't know much about that system. I do know a lot about Medicaid, and it often covers 100% of anti-rejection drug costs.
130
@129,
You're the one making statements and refusing to back them up with facts. Provide evidence or shut the fuck up.
You're the one making statements and refusing to back them up with facts. Provide evidence or shut the fuck up.
131
Man, this sucks. His posts were always interesting and well-informed. Condolences to Larry's friends and family.
132
@ 129, keshmeshi's right. Don't post arguments without supporting links. It's not up to anyone to accept your posts at face value.
133
It hurts so much that this conversation has become another shoutfest. Elswinger was so effective at cutting through these "my-dick-is-bigger-than-yours" arguments with some pithy remark that often made me chuckle and almost always reframed the conversation.
Nowhere is he missed more than in this very thread. What a shame.
Nowhere is he missed more than in this very thread. What a shame.
134
I worked with Larry at his last job with the UW Chemistry department. He was a gentle, well-spoken man with a love for good films, good music and good food. He deserved a long and healthy life and I wish he had been fortunate enough to enjoy just that. He bore his illness and hardships with grace and dignity, and that's more than many could do. I wish him all the best in the next realm.
135
Rest in peace, Larry.
Unlike the comment threads in every other online media outlet on earth, I've always felt that SLOG is a community of real, live neighbors and human beings (most of you). I crave the give and take, the wit, and the passion here, which makes elswinger's passing very bracing and very sad.
Unlike the comment threads in every other online media outlet on earth, I've always felt that SLOG is a community of real, live neighbors and human beings (most of you). I crave the give and take, the wit, and the passion here, which makes elswinger's passing very bracing and very sad.
136
Even if we had universal health care, it would not cover nursing home care Prove it.
Nursing home care is not included with universal health care in Germany, France, England, or Canada. it's time for keshmeshi to find a country where nursing home care is included with universal health care.
Pflegeversicherung (Deutschland)
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Die Pflegeversicherung (PV) ist in Deutschland eine Pflichtversicherung im Rahmen des deutschen Sozialversicherungssystems. Sie hat die Aufgabe, Pflegebedürftigen Hilfen zu leisten. Diese werden im Einzelfall je nach dem Grad der Pflegebedürftigkeit gewährt durch Kostenbeteiligung an Pflegehilfsmitteln sowie entweder an Pflegedienstleistungen für stationäre Pflegeheime oder für die häusliche Pflege an ambulante Pflegedienste und/oder Geldleistungen für vom Versicherten selbst beschaffte Pflegepersonen (Pflegegeld, was sowohl den zeitlichen Aufwand für die Grundpflege als auch für die hauswirtschaftliche Versorgung berücksichtigt).
Die Pflegeversicherung wurde zum 1. Januar 1995 mit dem „Gesetz zur sozialen Absicherung des Risikos der Pflegebedürftigkeit“ (Pflegeversicherungsgesetz – PflegeVG, zugleich Elftes Buch Sozialgesetzbuch – SGB XI) als Pflichtversicherung eingeführt.
Sie bildet die „fünfte Säule“ der Sozialversicherung – neben gesetzlicher Kranken-, Unfall-, Renten- und Arbeitslosenversicherung. Die Träger der Pflegeversicherung sind die Pflegekassen, die bei den Krankenkassen errichtet wurden, ihre Aufgaben jedoch in eigener Verantwortung als rechtsfähige Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts mit Selbstverwaltung wahrnehmen. Alle gesetzlich krankenversicherten Personen sind seit Inkrafttreten des SGB XI in der sozialen Pflegeversicherung versichert. Alle Vollversicherten einer privaten Krankenversicherung sind Mitglieder der privaten Pflegeversicherung (PPV). Damit wurde erstmals ein Versicherungsschutz für die gesamte Bevölkerung eingeführt. Entlastet wird dadurch vor allem die von den Gemeinden getragene Sozialfürsorge, jedoch auch Einzelpersonen und deren Familien, die in Pflegeheimen als „Selbstzahler“ keine staatliche Unterstützung bei hohen Pflegekosten in Anspruch nehmen konnten.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pflegeversi…)
La Maison de Retraite USLD (France)
Autrefois appelées "hospices" puis "centres de long séjour", les USLD (Unités de Soins de Longue Durée) relèvent aujourd'hui du secteur hospitalier.
Elles sont réservées aux personnes âgées n’ayant plus leur autonomie de vie et dont l'état de santé nécessite une surveillance médicale permanente.
La Sécurité Sociale prend en charge les dépenses de soins mais ne rembourse pas l’hébergement ni les repas.
Toutefois, ces frais peuvent, dans certaines conditions, être pris en charge partiellement ou totalement par l'Aide Sociale, sous réserve de l'habilitation de l'établissement à l’aide sociale.
http://www.retraiteplus.fr/maison-de-ret…
Paying for care (England)
Paying for care is a complex subject, and everyone's situation is different. Your capital determines the level of support you can gain from your Local Authority.
What the local authorities will normally provide
There was a time when we would be looked after 'from cradle to grave'. These days, local authorities still provide a level of care for the least well off. But if the state thinks you can afford to pay, you will have to pay at least some of the costs of accommodation and personal costs in a residential nursing home:
England
* Your local authority may pay for the cost of your residential or nursing home care if your capital is less than £13,500
* Your local authority will still pay for your accommodation and personal care, but not fully, if your capital is between £13,500 and £22,250. For every £250 you have over the lower amount, they will subtract £1 per week from the money they contribute.
* You will have to pay the full costs of your accommodation and personal care if your capital is over £22,250. If your capital falls below the upper amount while you are in a care home, you will become eligible for help from the local authority.
...
Your home would be included in your assets only if you live alone, or you are both moving into a care home. In addition, the local authority will disregard the value of your home for 12 weeks after your admission to permanent nursing or residential care.
You will be expected to use all your income - including your pension, benefits, and so on - to fund your care. However, you can keep £21.15 in England and Scotland (£20.00 in Wales) a week personal allowance.
http://www.bupacarehomes.co.uk/asp/guida…
how to buy long term care insurance, nursing home costs, paying for care uk
Paying for Care
home / paying for care
See Also: Financial and Legal Advice
The following information is a summary of what is a complex set of rules and your own situation may well not be covered. The Care Directory can also arrange for you to receive free financial advice from an adviser specialising in care fees planning. Click Here for more details.
* Qualification for State Funding
* Self-Funded Care
* Twelve Week Property Disregard
* Self-Funded Care When Assets Are Close to Social Services Thresholds
* NHS Funding for Nursing Care within Care Homes with Nursing
* Attendance Allowance
* Carer's Allowance
* Pension Credit
* Mental Health Act 1983 – Section 117
* Continuing NHS Health Care
Qualification for State Funding
Generally, people are expected to pay privately for a care home or care home with nursing if they have more than £23,000 in England (£22,500 in Scotland, £22,000 in Wales and £23,000 in Northern Ireland) of savings and investments (the upper threshold), including the value of their home. There is a sliding scale of State contribution where savings are between the lower threshold of £14,000 in England (£13,750 in Scotland, £20,750 in Wales and £14,000 in Northern Ireland) and the upper threshold. People with savings below lower threshold will receive funding by the Social Services.
paying for careIf an individual owns his or her house, the value of the property is normally included in the financial assessment. There are some exceptions to this, for example when the individual’s partner is continuing to live in the house, the value will not be included in the assessment.
Since April 1993, the major responsibility for paying for care for someone with savings below the lower threshold (or contributing to care costs for someone with savings between the lower and upper thresholds) has been with the Social Service Departments of Local Authorities.
If an older person needs financial help to move into a home, he or she needs to contact the local Social Services Department. The individual will then be assessed to see if they need care and also to assess their financial resources.
If the individual is assessed by Social Services as requiring care, the Social Services Department may, subject to the funds available, agree to pay for care. The amount it pays will depend on the type of care required and in what setting. The amount paid will tend to vary from one Local Authority to another, in accordance with their own budgetary constraints.
In most parts of the country, there are homes which will accept Social Services funding and older people who qualify for this can live in these homes without charge. A qualifying person is entitled to choose any home regardless of cost, provided that:
* It offers appropriate care
* If the fees are more than the Local Authority pays, any top up will be paid by a third party
* The home is willing to agree to the Local Authority’s standard terms of service
If the older person has an income, such as a pension, that income is taken into account when calculating the amount that the Local Authority contributes.
Before making any making any financial commitments you should take expert advice. The Care Directory can also arrange for you to receive free financial advice from an adviser specialising in care fees planning. Click Here for more details.
For a free, no obligation, chat with an Independent Care Adviser call 0800 137 669.
top
Self-Funded Care
If an older person does not qualify for state funding for care, they will still have access to funding for Nursing Care and still be entitled to Attendance Allowance.
Costs of care vary greatly depending on location and level of care chosen. As a very general guide, costs of care tend to fall within the following bands:
* Care Homes From £300 per week to £850 per week
* Care Homes with Nursing From £450 per week to over £1,000 per week
* Home Care Agencies From £10 per hour to £30 per hour
http://www.nursing-home-directory.co.uk/…
Seniors' Care : Long-Term Care Homes
Long-term care homes are designed for people who require the availability of 24-hour nursing care and supervision within a secure setting. In general, long-term care homes offer higher levels of personal care and support than those typically offered by either retirement homes or supportive housing.
Long-term care homes are owned and operated by various organizations :
* Nursing homes are usually operated by private corporations.
* Municipal homes for the aged are owned by municipal councils. Many municipalities are required to build a home for the aged in their area, either on their own or in partnership with a neighbouring municipality.
* Charitable homes are usually owned by non-profit corporations, such as faith, community, ethnic or cultural groups.
Find out more about :
* Accommodations
* Services
* Costs
* Government Legislation and Monitoring
* Making a Complaint
* How to apply
* Related links
Return to top
Accommodations
Long-term care homes offer a variety of accommodation options. People living in a home pay a fee for accommodation that is based on the type or style of accommodation. "Preferred Accommodation" is the term used to describe private or semi-private rooms with special features, whereas "Basic or Standard Accommodation" refers to the style of rooms that the home offers in this category.
Note that the features of basic and preferred accommodation will vary according to when the particular home was constructed or renovated.
All long-term care homes have dining rooms and common rooms, and may also have features such as a lounge, gift shop, beauty salon, chapel, or garden.
Return to top
Services
All long term care homes offer 24-hour supervision and nursing care.
The basic package includes the following services :
* Furnishings (e.g. bed, chair), meals (including special diets), bed linens and laundry, personal hygiene supplies, medical/clinical supplies and devices (e.g. walkers, wheelchairs for occasional use), housekeeping, pastoral services, social and recreational programs, medication administration, and assistance with the essential activities of daily living.
* Nursing and personal care on a 24-hour basis and access to a physician, and other health professionals.
Optional services are usually available for a fee. They may include hairdressing, cable TV and telephone services, transportation, etc.
Homes must prepare a "plan of care" for each resident, outlining the care requirements and levels of service offered. This plan must be reviewed at least every three months and adapted as your needs change.
Return to top
Costs
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) provides funding for homes. The amount paid by residents for their accommodation is called a "co-payment".
There are two different terms used to define the length a person stays in a home :
1. Long Stay refers to accommodations that are obtained for an indefinite period of time.
2. Short Stay refers to temporary stays at a home. The maximum number of days a person can stay is 90 days per year.There are two types of short stay :
* The short-stay respite service provides a caregiver with a break from caregiving duties.
* The supportive care service provides the resident support to regain strengthand confidence, usually following a stay in a hosptial.
The MOHLTC sets accomodation co-payment rates. The following table shows resident co-payment rates effective July 1, 2008. The co-payment rates change from time to time (at a minimum, annually). For the most up-to-date rates, contact the staff at your local Community Care Access Centre.
TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION CO-PAYMENT DAILY AMOUNT CO-PAYMENT MONTHLY AMOUNT
LONG-STAY PROGRAM
Basic or standard accommodation Various styles (Depending on when the home was constructed or renovated) $51.88 $1,578.02
Preferred accommodation Semi-private room $59.88
(Basic plus a maximum of $8.00) $1,821.35
Preferred accommodation Private room $69.88
(Basic plus a maximum of $18.00) $2,125.52
SHORT-STAY PROGRAM
$33.75 per day $1,026.56
*Optional services (e.g. cable TV or hairdressing), can be purchased for an additional fee.
There is no preferred accommodation surcharge for short-stay residents.
Some long-stay residents in basic accommodation may be eligible for a rate reduction. The home Administrator can provide a rate reduction application form to residents to complete.
Return to top
Government Subsidies for Accommodation Costs
If your income is not sufficient to pay for the basic accommodation rate, there is a subsidy available to reduce your accommodation rate. Subsidies are only available for basic accommodation.
If you are moving into a long-term care home and your spouse requires financial assistance to remain in his or her home, there is a government benefit called "Exceptional Circumstances" for people with lower incomes or couples who have to live separately. For more information, contact your local Community Care Access Centre.
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/publ…
More...
Nursing home care is not included with universal health care in Germany, France, England, or Canada. it's time for keshmeshi to find a country where nursing home care is included with universal health care.
Pflegeversicherung (Deutschland)
aus Wikipedia, der freien Enzyklopädie
Wechseln zu: Navigation, Suche
Die Pflegeversicherung (PV) ist in Deutschland eine Pflichtversicherung im Rahmen des deutschen Sozialversicherungssystems. Sie hat die Aufgabe, Pflegebedürftigen Hilfen zu leisten. Diese werden im Einzelfall je nach dem Grad der Pflegebedürftigkeit gewährt durch Kostenbeteiligung an Pflegehilfsmitteln sowie entweder an Pflegedienstleistungen für stationäre Pflegeheime oder für die häusliche Pflege an ambulante Pflegedienste und/oder Geldleistungen für vom Versicherten selbst beschaffte Pflegepersonen (Pflegegeld, was sowohl den zeitlichen Aufwand für die Grundpflege als auch für die hauswirtschaftliche Versorgung berücksichtigt).
Die Pflegeversicherung wurde zum 1. Januar 1995 mit dem „Gesetz zur sozialen Absicherung des Risikos der Pflegebedürftigkeit“ (Pflegeversicherungsgesetz – PflegeVG, zugleich Elftes Buch Sozialgesetzbuch – SGB XI) als Pflichtversicherung eingeführt.
Sie bildet die „fünfte Säule“ der Sozialversicherung – neben gesetzlicher Kranken-, Unfall-, Renten- und Arbeitslosenversicherung. Die Träger der Pflegeversicherung sind die Pflegekassen, die bei den Krankenkassen errichtet wurden, ihre Aufgaben jedoch in eigener Verantwortung als rechtsfähige Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts mit Selbstverwaltung wahrnehmen. Alle gesetzlich krankenversicherten Personen sind seit Inkrafttreten des SGB XI in der sozialen Pflegeversicherung versichert. Alle Vollversicherten einer privaten Krankenversicherung sind Mitglieder der privaten Pflegeversicherung (PPV). Damit wurde erstmals ein Versicherungsschutz für die gesamte Bevölkerung eingeführt. Entlastet wird dadurch vor allem die von den Gemeinden getragene Sozialfürsorge, jedoch auch Einzelpersonen und deren Familien, die in Pflegeheimen als „Selbstzahler“ keine staatliche Unterstützung bei hohen Pflegekosten in Anspruch nehmen konnten.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pflegeversi…)
La Maison de Retraite USLD (France)
Autrefois appelées "hospices" puis "centres de long séjour", les USLD (Unités de Soins de Longue Durée) relèvent aujourd'hui du secteur hospitalier.
Elles sont réservées aux personnes âgées n’ayant plus leur autonomie de vie et dont l'état de santé nécessite une surveillance médicale permanente.
La Sécurité Sociale prend en charge les dépenses de soins mais ne rembourse pas l’hébergement ni les repas.
Toutefois, ces frais peuvent, dans certaines conditions, être pris en charge partiellement ou totalement par l'Aide Sociale, sous réserve de l'habilitation de l'établissement à l’aide sociale.
http://www.retraiteplus.fr/maison-de-ret…
Paying for care (England)
Paying for care is a complex subject, and everyone's situation is different. Your capital determines the level of support you can gain from your Local Authority.
What the local authorities will normally provide
There was a time when we would be looked after 'from cradle to grave'. These days, local authorities still provide a level of care for the least well off. But if the state thinks you can afford to pay, you will have to pay at least some of the costs of accommodation and personal costs in a residential nursing home:
England
* Your local authority may pay for the cost of your residential or nursing home care if your capital is less than £13,500
* Your local authority will still pay for your accommodation and personal care, but not fully, if your capital is between £13,500 and £22,250. For every £250 you have over the lower amount, they will subtract £1 per week from the money they contribute.
* You will have to pay the full costs of your accommodation and personal care if your capital is over £22,250. If your capital falls below the upper amount while you are in a care home, you will become eligible for help from the local authority.
...
Your home would be included in your assets only if you live alone, or you are both moving into a care home. In addition, the local authority will disregard the value of your home for 12 weeks after your admission to permanent nursing or residential care.
You will be expected to use all your income - including your pension, benefits, and so on - to fund your care. However, you can keep £21.15 in England and Scotland (£20.00 in Wales) a week personal allowance.
http://www.bupacarehomes.co.uk/asp/guida…
how to buy long term care insurance, nursing home costs, paying for care uk
Paying for Care
home / paying for care
See Also: Financial and Legal Advice
The following information is a summary of what is a complex set of rules and your own situation may well not be covered. The Care Directory can also arrange for you to receive free financial advice from an adviser specialising in care fees planning. Click Here for more details.
* Qualification for State Funding
* Self-Funded Care
* Twelve Week Property Disregard
* Self-Funded Care When Assets Are Close to Social Services Thresholds
* NHS Funding for Nursing Care within Care Homes with Nursing
* Attendance Allowance
* Carer's Allowance
* Pension Credit
* Mental Health Act 1983 – Section 117
* Continuing NHS Health Care
Qualification for State Funding
Generally, people are expected to pay privately for a care home or care home with nursing if they have more than £23,000 in England (£22,500 in Scotland, £22,000 in Wales and £23,000 in Northern Ireland) of savings and investments (the upper threshold), including the value of their home. There is a sliding scale of State contribution where savings are between the lower threshold of £14,000 in England (£13,750 in Scotland, £20,750 in Wales and £14,000 in Northern Ireland) and the upper threshold. People with savings below lower threshold will receive funding by the Social Services.
paying for careIf an individual owns his or her house, the value of the property is normally included in the financial assessment. There are some exceptions to this, for example when the individual’s partner is continuing to live in the house, the value will not be included in the assessment.
Since April 1993, the major responsibility for paying for care for someone with savings below the lower threshold (or contributing to care costs for someone with savings between the lower and upper thresholds) has been with the Social Service Departments of Local Authorities.
If an older person needs financial help to move into a home, he or she needs to contact the local Social Services Department. The individual will then be assessed to see if they need care and also to assess their financial resources.
If the individual is assessed by Social Services as requiring care, the Social Services Department may, subject to the funds available, agree to pay for care. The amount it pays will depend on the type of care required and in what setting. The amount paid will tend to vary from one Local Authority to another, in accordance with their own budgetary constraints.
In most parts of the country, there are homes which will accept Social Services funding and older people who qualify for this can live in these homes without charge. A qualifying person is entitled to choose any home regardless of cost, provided that:
* It offers appropriate care
* If the fees are more than the Local Authority pays, any top up will be paid by a third party
* The home is willing to agree to the Local Authority’s standard terms of service
If the older person has an income, such as a pension, that income is taken into account when calculating the amount that the Local Authority contributes.
Before making any making any financial commitments you should take expert advice. The Care Directory can also arrange for you to receive free financial advice from an adviser specialising in care fees planning. Click Here for more details.
For a free, no obligation, chat with an Independent Care Adviser call 0800 137 669.
top
Self-Funded Care
If an older person does not qualify for state funding for care, they will still have access to funding for Nursing Care and still be entitled to Attendance Allowance.
Costs of care vary greatly depending on location and level of care chosen. As a very general guide, costs of care tend to fall within the following bands:
* Care Homes From £300 per week to £850 per week
* Care Homes with Nursing From £450 per week to over £1,000 per week
* Home Care Agencies From £10 per hour to £30 per hour
http://www.nursing-home-directory.co.uk/…
Seniors' Care : Long-Term Care Homes
Long-term care homes are designed for people who require the availability of 24-hour nursing care and supervision within a secure setting. In general, long-term care homes offer higher levels of personal care and support than those typically offered by either retirement homes or supportive housing.
Long-term care homes are owned and operated by various organizations :
* Nursing homes are usually operated by private corporations.
* Municipal homes for the aged are owned by municipal councils. Many municipalities are required to build a home for the aged in their area, either on their own or in partnership with a neighbouring municipality.
* Charitable homes are usually owned by non-profit corporations, such as faith, community, ethnic or cultural groups.
Find out more about :
* Accommodations
* Services
* Costs
* Government Legislation and Monitoring
* Making a Complaint
* How to apply
* Related links
Return to top
Accommodations
Long-term care homes offer a variety of accommodation options. People living in a home pay a fee for accommodation that is based on the type or style of accommodation. "Preferred Accommodation" is the term used to describe private or semi-private rooms with special features, whereas "Basic or Standard Accommodation" refers to the style of rooms that the home offers in this category.
Note that the features of basic and preferred accommodation will vary according to when the particular home was constructed or renovated.
All long-term care homes have dining rooms and common rooms, and may also have features such as a lounge, gift shop, beauty salon, chapel, or garden.
Return to top
Services
All long term care homes offer 24-hour supervision and nursing care.
The basic package includes the following services :
* Furnishings (e.g. bed, chair), meals (including special diets), bed linens and laundry, personal hygiene supplies, medical/clinical supplies and devices (e.g. walkers, wheelchairs for occasional use), housekeeping, pastoral services, social and recreational programs, medication administration, and assistance with the essential activities of daily living.
* Nursing and personal care on a 24-hour basis and access to a physician, and other health professionals.
Optional services are usually available for a fee. They may include hairdressing, cable TV and telephone services, transportation, etc.
Homes must prepare a "plan of care" for each resident, outlining the care requirements and levels of service offered. This plan must be reviewed at least every three months and adapted as your needs change.
Return to top
Costs
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) provides funding for homes. The amount paid by residents for their accommodation is called a "co-payment".
There are two different terms used to define the length a person stays in a home :
1. Long Stay refers to accommodations that are obtained for an indefinite period of time.
2. Short Stay refers to temporary stays at a home. The maximum number of days a person can stay is 90 days per year.There are two types of short stay :
* The short-stay respite service provides a caregiver with a break from caregiving duties.
* The supportive care service provides the resident support to regain strengthand confidence, usually following a stay in a hosptial.
The MOHLTC sets accomodation co-payment rates. The following table shows resident co-payment rates effective July 1, 2008. The co-payment rates change from time to time (at a minimum, annually). For the most up-to-date rates, contact the staff at your local Community Care Access Centre.
TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION CO-PAYMENT DAILY AMOUNT CO-PAYMENT MONTHLY AMOUNT
LONG-STAY PROGRAM
Basic or standard accommodation Various styles (Depending on when the home was constructed or renovated) $51.88 $1,578.02
Preferred accommodation Semi-private room $59.88
(Basic plus a maximum of $8.00) $1,821.35
Preferred accommodation Private room $69.88
(Basic plus a maximum of $18.00) $2,125.52
SHORT-STAY PROGRAM
$33.75 per day $1,026.56
*Optional services (e.g. cable TV or hairdressing), can be purchased for an additional fee.
There is no preferred accommodation surcharge for short-stay residents.
Some long-stay residents in basic accommodation may be eligible for a rate reduction. The home Administrator can provide a rate reduction application form to residents to complete.
Return to top
Government Subsidies for Accommodation Costs
If your income is not sufficient to pay for the basic accommodation rate, there is a subsidy available to reduce your accommodation rate. Subsidies are only available for basic accommodation.
If you are moving into a long-term care home and your spouse requires financial assistance to remain in his or her home, there is a government benefit called "Exceptional Circumstances" for people with lower incomes or couples who have to live separately. For more information, contact your local Community Care Access Centre.
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/publ…
137
Your German quotations don't specify whether a patient must be destitute before government payments kick in. For that matter, neither does your French text block.
And lastly, the UK requirements don't require full destitution, or did you miss that part about a patient being able to hold onto ~$20,000 of their own money?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_h…
In Norway:
You're welcome.
And lastly, the UK requirements don't require full destitution, or did you miss that part about a patient being able to hold onto ~$20,000 of their own money?
The Netherlands has a dual-level system. All primary and curative care (i.e. the family doctor service and hospitals and clinics) is financed from private compulsory insurance. Long term care for the elderly, the dying, the long term mentally ill etc. is covered by social insurance funded from taxation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_h…
In Norway:
Some nursing homes belong to and are managed by voluntary organizations.
However, they are staffed by professionals and are funded by the municipalities.
You're welcome.
138
seriously.. fuck all that..
seriously.. in the name of elswinger..can i just say gnossos. elenchos ,fnarf, original monique, will in seattle, kim in portalnd . rob in baltimore, matt from denver julie in eugene,it's mark mitchell, big sven, kenemishi, jubilation t cornball, michael strangeways, violet_dagrinder, matt fuckin hickey, catalina vel duray, soupytwist, the good captains and contributors of slog....a whole bunch of y'all i can't remember, whom i've never met, or don't know thanks for making sense, for bringing light and a strong sense of common decency ..and braving a whole lot of irrelevant meaness..thanks for making elswinger's life bearable and better, and making my life better..
thanks.. and like we useta say, back in the day keep on keepin on..
seriously..
thanks
seriously.. in the name of elswinger..can i just say gnossos. elenchos ,fnarf, original monique, will in seattle, kim in portalnd . rob in baltimore, matt from denver julie in eugene,it's mark mitchell, big sven, kenemishi, jubilation t cornball, michael strangeways, violet_dagrinder, matt fuckin hickey, catalina vel duray, soupytwist, the good captains and contributors of slog....a whole bunch of y'all i can't remember, whom i've never met, or don't know thanks for making sense, for bringing light and a strong sense of common decency ..and braving a whole lot of irrelevant meaness..thanks for making elswinger's life bearable and better, and making my life better..
thanks.. and like we useta say, back in the day keep on keepin on..
seriously..
thanks
139
the core problem of early death is disease.... bad health ... as we talk about care there needs be advances in science and health education to give us all better odds to live longer in better health to begin with
wonder if he was a smoker?
sorry, if I was a smoker, due to heart problems, i would be dead
the tribute paid to this fellow is heartening
I don't believe in all this going to heaven stuff, but, I am sure if we knew all the facts of his life it was not in vain
peace
wonder if he was a smoker?
sorry, if I was a smoker, due to heart problems, i would be dead
the tribute paid to this fellow is heartening
I don't believe in all this going to heaven stuff, but, I am sure if we knew all the facts of his life it was not in vain
peace
140
Elswinger has been on my mind non stop. I do hope his story gets picked up and perhaps helps change minds about the sorry state of our health system. As I reread his blog I am amazed at how he kept hate out of his heart despite what sounded like a horrifying final two years, up to his last post. I'd like to see his blog saved somehow.
141
I worked with Larry at the UW Chemistry Department for a number of years, and we were friends almost immediately (largely due to our mutual interest in slog). Larry was the ultimate fucking trooper. What he went through was terrible, and probably unimaginable for most people, but he never lost his optimism. I'm really going to miss him, and hope to possess even a fraction of his strength when faced with adversity in my own life.
142
141, i was struck by the unexpected optimism, too. he wanted to learn from his mistakes and move on, but he didn't get the chance, sadly. i was thinking after reading his blog: life is short, opportunities limited, and wisdom comes late.
143
Larry had some fabulous stuff on the blog- I especially enjoyed when he was reminiscing about "lost places" in Seattle- like Peaches. I used to buy records there all the time in the old days. His recipes were fun too- the macaroni with spam chunks. It would be great if bagel dogs could be served at his memorial.
144
I am sorry to hear of his passing, although I did not know him.. at all.
I would like to comment on the healthcare issues being raised. I think what is truly alarming and sad is that of all scenarios, Larry worked for UW which provides the very finest healthcare benefits available as well as a long standing history of loyally employing the unemployable.
Seriously.... If you've ever talked to any of the Classified/Professional staff and heard stories of how difficult it is to remove a problem employee ( I am not saying he was a problem ), hearing that they actually let someone go is pretty astonishing. hearing that they bailed on an obviously very sick co-worker is incredibly surprising.
If he fell through the cracks and ended up in the situation he was in, imagine how quickly one could rapidly demise if they were not under the State Of Washington's protective blanket?
For those of us not fortunate enough to hold a State Job, this should be more than a cautionary tale.
I would like to comment on the healthcare issues being raised. I think what is truly alarming and sad is that of all scenarios, Larry worked for UW which provides the very finest healthcare benefits available as well as a long standing history of loyally employing the unemployable.
Seriously.... If you've ever talked to any of the Classified/Professional staff and heard stories of how difficult it is to remove a problem employee ( I am not saying he was a problem ), hearing that they actually let someone go is pretty astonishing. hearing that they bailed on an obviously very sick co-worker is incredibly surprising.
If he fell through the cracks and ended up in the situation he was in, imagine how quickly one could rapidly demise if they were not under the State Of Washington's protective blanket?
For those of us not fortunate enough to hold a State Job, this should be more than a cautionary tale.
146
King County should have the report available on Tuesday. Death certificate was to be filled on Monday.
149
RIP Elswinger... As a long time reader of SLOG I will miss scrolling through the comments looking for his insightful, humorous, and consitantly tastful words of wisdom... he really was one of the best and I am sad that I never got to meet him in person. Meeting Elswinger was one of the reasons my husband and I talked about going to SLOG Happy sometime. I will always regret that we kept putting it off. Life is short... Thank you Elswinger for spending what time you had with us here at SLOG. RIP.
150
Well, that would explain why it was just me, Original Monique, her boyfriend (I forgot his handle!) and Scary Tyler Moore sitting at the Six Arms bar last Saturday.
And the dude we thought might be there for an elswinger memorial, but who, it turns out, was just there for someone's birthday party.
And the dude we thought might be there for an elswinger memorial, but who, it turns out, was just there for someone's birthday party.
151
Along with donating to Evergreen and NW Kidney Foundation how about writing a letter to our "Dear Leader" about universal health care. I know the man has only been president a short time but perhaps now is the time to remind Obama and Hilary that they should get crackin' on reforming health care. The main problem being that it is a for-profit system where "customers" like Elswinger receive Walmart quality care at Neiman Marcus prices.
Also, perhaps if you don't have cash to donate you can donate something else....like organs. Sign up here to "donate life"...and don't forget to inform your family and friends of your decision too.
p.s. I'm sorry to miss the memorial but I'm not in Washington at the moment.
Also, perhaps if you don't have cash to donate you can donate something else....like organs. Sign up here to "donate life"...and don't forget to inform your family and friends of your decision too.
p.s. I'm sorry to miss the memorial but I'm not in Washington at the moment.
155
I was just rolling through comments on Savage's Distracted post. (Sometimes I find myself thinking about a praticular comment days after it was posted.) There was one from Larry at 5:01 pm on 6 of April. Made me wish I had know more about him. I will miss his thoughtful comments.
156
I've not seen Larry since we shared a program called Visual Humor at Evergreen, in '89. He was hilarious, and I adored him. I'm so saddened to hear what has happened to him. Reading these comments shows me how many people were touched by his great sence of humor and generosity of spirit. To this day, I tell stories about him from that program. I'm so sorry. He was a star, and we should all be glad to have had the chance to see him shine.
157
Reading this past Stranger is quite a way of finding out about Elswinger's death.
What a surprise. RIP, man. You made Slog a better place every time you had something to say. May we all be half as insightful and constructive in our future comments as you were.
What a surprise. RIP, man. You made Slog a better place every time you had something to say. May we all be half as insightful and constructive in our future comments as you were.
158
I lost touch with Larry after becoming friends at Evergreen, and it was such a shock to hear of his death after wondering for years what he was up to. He was a thoughtful, kind person who deserved much better. Sympathy to all.
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