A New Blood Clinic

Today was the last day I took the matriarch to the blood clinic at its current location. By next week, the clinic will be closed, the nurses moved and doctors' offices will have assumed occupation. It is hardly a thing to be sensitive about and, yet, the clinic was possibly the most perfectly located place for a senior citizen--on level ground, next door to both a doctor's office and drug store, radiologists in the basement and dentist's office upstairs. It was a one stop-shop for seniors, well, for my mother-in-law. It was ideal.

The new clinic is located much closer to my house--which means shorter drives for the matriarch and I know she won't like that. It is located in the second story of a building--which means either standing in an elevator or taking the stairs. Truthfully, the matriarch likes neither option. And, it is located neither conveniently close to the matriarch's doctor's office or her preferred drug store. I guess that means more drives but also more time waiting. We used to be able to book a doctor's visit, pick up any new medication and do the weekly bloodtest. No longer.

I don't think much consideration is put into the welfare of seniors. Who in their right mind would put a blood clinic on a second floor? Generally, sick people and seniors get regular blood tests; they are not ones to be enthusiastic about a lot of exercise. Plus, and this is just a general complaint, the new clinic is nowhere near a bus stop; it is, in fact, in the middle of nowhere. It is close to my home and there is no public transit where I live--not to mention one must drive to the highway, the town administration buildings, the grocery store. Convenience does not come to mind and a general hassle for seniors does. I know the matriarch is not going to be happy.

There is another blood clinic in the city. It is close to the video store and a plaza for shopping but it is also right beside the after hours medical clinic and is really close to both highway and public transport. Read: there is an option that will be busier, with line-ups and lots and lots of different nurses. So, either I take the matriarch to a clinic where she will be inconvenienced or one where she will have to wait. She's 99 for heaven's sake; change is hard for seniors; harder for the doubly senior. I hate thinking about next Tuesday.