FEAR FACTOR

When I read “Living in Fear” (May), the title struck me as appropriate for the whole system of elder care. I had both my mother and father and my husband in care at the same time. My parents were 300 miles away, which meant a 600-mile round trip, every two weeks winter and summer. That lasted for 10 years. In British Columbia if you have to go to the hospital for more than 31 days, you lose your bed at whatever facility you are in and then have to go to the bottom of the list again. In B.C., the wait list can be two years in some of the worst conditions you could imagine. God help any senior or handicapped individual who does not have an advocate because the process will kill you faster than most ailments. —E. Iversen, via email