What are your experiences with modern healthcare?

The hospital is an incredible place to watch. Those nurses and doctors, they’re absolutely marvelous - they all deserve medals! I watched them starting and ending their shifts, still as bright and cheery as if they’d just gotten out of bed. I’d see them doing little stretches with their legs when they thought nobody was watching, and I started looking at their shoes - all worn out but comfortable, because they’re on their feet constantly.

They wheel these computers around with them, checking everything. They have to know your name and birth date for everything - I must have said ‘Joyce Marion Stewart, 25/2/1930’ a thousand times! But it’s all for safety. Before they even open a box of pills, they check everything off their screens. And the interruptions - somebody’s always firing a question, or there’s a message on their screen about someone falling out of bed, so they have to drop everything they’re doing, race to help, and then come back to where they left off. This could happen every few minutes!

What impresses me is how they handle everyone differently. The pharmacists and doctors are always amazed when I talk about my medications - they go ‘oh, wait a minute, you know what you’re talking about!’ They can’t believe I’m 93.

It’s funny seeing these young doctors - some look like they’ve just gotten out of school. But they’re clever with all their machines and technology.

I’m very proud of being independent - I handle all my own medications, unlike most people here who need Webster packs. The pharmacists are always impressed that I still do my own dispensing. When they ask ‘Do you do all this yourself?’ I say ‘Of course, doesn’t everybody?’ - though I know full well they don’t down here. If you see anybody with a Webster pack, you’ve lost half the battle. We’re too proud for that.
I keep everything organized - all my medications next to my bed, a folder with anything to do with Sandingham Hospital, all my code numbers. I’ve had a couple of rush jobs in the ambulance these days over the last few years, so I always keep everything handy. I write down notes about my medications, packet by packet, making notes of anything missing so when I see Jay, my doctor, I can ask questions. I’m following all instructions being given to me - can’t be more than that!