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freshwest

(53,661 posts)
10. They wish. My friends there refer to 'our dear old NHS' and 'compassionate care' affectionately.
Wed Apr 4, 2012, 09:57 AM
Apr 2012

The difference in quality of life as a whole appears to be better and less stressful because it. And with more dependable mass transit they walk around more, don't develop the couch potato lifestyle and the hassle of maintaining vehicles. What can I say?

They just seem happier. The main complaint appears to be overcrowding, which in some areas seems intense, with lanes on sidewalks and the charge for entering London with a car. They've kept some areas close to nature, or at least the domesticated version. My friends have sent me pictures of their visits to Norfolk Downs, Scotland, Wales, and other lovely places.

Those I know don't seem to be bothered by half of what we are. No going bankrupt because of medical bills and no stigma about receiving government health care which is what we have here. We treat people who are without insurance like criminals here.

An example I've given friends here is about one man who decided to stay at home and take care of his very disabled child, after he and his wife divorced. Did he worry about keeping his home, his child's need for medicine, special supplies, seeing a doctor and the occasional emergency trip for seizures?

No. Did he worry about having an income, being exhausted the point of his own health breaking down as he was providing care 24 hours a day?

No, they gave a salary of sorts for taking care of his son instead of making him a ward of the state, let him pick the respite of HIS choice for a week each month, his vacation so to speak, and even took the child off his hands to go to where he said, for two weeks a year. They gave him a paid vacation!

Anyway, when I explained this to people I know here, their eyes almost bugged out. Here it's all or nothing, put the child in care if you can't afford their medical care and by the way, you're all a bunch of bums. Those who are caregiving at home are dropping dead, those who put their loved ones in care live in a constant state of terror of what the next bunch of greedy Republicans are going to do. Some GOP governors have sent the disabled to homeless shelters, and these are the ones who can't fend for themselves already!

Oh, yeah, that's horrible what's going on in the UK...


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