Community Chat

[Isobel Archer]

Yesterday got a call from my husband's 85 year old cousin that his 85 year old wife was in the hospital.  She has had two strokes and fell at the mall in Palm Springs CA on Fri afternoon, hitting her head and breaking several teeth.  She was unconscious so he didn't know if she'd had another stroke or what caused the fall.

When he called 911, he was told he - or someone else - should drive her to the hospital because there were no ambulances avaliable at the time and the 911 operator couldn't say when one would be.

OMG - what!  Is this where we are now?  Is it a shortage of EMTs, lack of money, what?

Thankfully, he drove her and she was seen relatively quickly and is now recovering.  Apparently, it wasn't a stroke, and they are still running tests.

This is very scary.  What if he couldn't have driven her  and no one else wanted to volunteer?  Wow.  What if this had been in the middle of the night at home and - again he couldn't drive?  Is he supposed to go knocking on neighbors' doors to see if someone would take her.

[millieshops]

@Isobel Archer   The shortages of people and vehicles is scary.  As with every thing, if it's often true in that area, it's a money need to buy ambulances and pay more workers. 

Yesterday in Palm Springs I believe they were already staging vehicles and personnel ahead of the anticipated floods.  That staging might explain the shortage.  When I heard about the staging this morning, I didn't realize it might have been done already. 

[Isobel Archer]

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@millieshops wrote:

@Isobel Archer   The shortages of people and vehicles is scary.  As with every thing, if it's often true in that area, it's a money need to buy ambulances and pay more workers. 

Yesterday in Palm Springs I believe they were already staging vehicles and personnel ahead of the anticipated floods.  That staging might explain the shortage.  When I heard about the staging this morning, I didn't realize it might have been done already. 

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Good point.  I hadn't thought of that.  Hope that is the reason and this isn't a continuing problem.

[Kachina624]

They certainly ought to have enough funding for equipment and EMTs in Palm Springs.  I'd be raising he'll with the city administration.

[CelticCrafter]

JMO but I kind of doubt it's because of impending weather.

[haddon9]

@Isobel Archer Wow that's terrible!  I wonder what is going on.  To me ever since the beginning of the pandemic the world has turned upside down and not in a good way.

I'm happy to hear that she is recovering and it wasn't a stroke after all.

[Love my grandkids]

@CelticCrafter  Actually it may be. I have family in So. Cal. where I am originally from and we are all watching the weather.

The desert areas, like Palm Springs, are expected to get extremely heavy rains, happily not the area where my relatives live.

So being prepared makes total sense.

[eddyandme]

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@CelticCrafter wrote:

JMO but I kind of doubt it's because of impending weather.

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I'm in complete agreement with you @CelticCrafter .

[Mz iMac]

@Isobel Archer   "She was unconscious"

So the 85 yr old husband had to "pick up & carry" his unconscious wife all the way to the car?