Who was Antonietta?
June 6, 2024 7:24 AM Subscribe
How sad. She was alone without her family in the US, made new family with her neighbors, then the various complications of disclosing info to "non-family" took those people away from here, too. I'm glad she met Catherine and had a good friend at the end.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:11 AM on June 6
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:11 AM on June 6
This should absolutely be a wake-up call that everyone should have a will, a living will, and assignments for power of attorney, etc. I would go so far as to make it mandatory once people reach a certain age (eg 60), even if it's just inputting your particulars into a free registry maintained by the government. This is where friends could be recorded as equivalent to next of kin, if such don't exist or can't be found.
The government guardian's actions/inaction seems sloppy... but they should really be considered the guardians of last resort.
posted by Artful Codger at 11:01 AM on June 6 [2 favorites]
The government guardian's actions/inaction seems sloppy... but they should really be considered the guardians of last resort.
posted by Artful Codger at 11:01 AM on June 6 [2 favorites]
This does touch on what I feel is a bigger issue in how government functions, what we expect from it, etc.
I feel like we're in a state of "bureaucratization", where we see things that need to be done better, and so we imagine that we need more and better rules, and that once we have gotten all the rules right, things will be good. Meanwhile, the rules pile up, and the people tasked with the actual work are buried under the requirement to understand and implement all the rules. Rules start getting ignored, because resources are limited -- and then mistakes happen, and the answer is usually to create more rules to make sure the first ones are followed, which results in even more demands on workers' time. Ultimately it becomes impossible for people to work with the system in good faith, but easy for people who are willing to use the system for their own corrupt ends.
The mechanisms here intended to protect Antonietta from hypothetical abuse largely tie the hands of well-meaning people. But no one's going to campaign for less medical privacy, even as people are buried and forgotten in bureaucratic red tape.
posted by alexei at 12:22 PM on June 6 [1 favorite]
I feel like we're in a state of "bureaucratization", where we see things that need to be done better, and so we imagine that we need more and better rules, and that once we have gotten all the rules right, things will be good. Meanwhile, the rules pile up, and the people tasked with the actual work are buried under the requirement to understand and implement all the rules. Rules start getting ignored, because resources are limited -- and then mistakes happen, and the answer is usually to create more rules to make sure the first ones are followed, which results in even more demands on workers' time. Ultimately it becomes impossible for people to work with the system in good faith, but easy for people who are willing to use the system for their own corrupt ends.
The mechanisms here intended to protect Antonietta from hypothetical abuse largely tie the hands of well-meaning people. But no one's going to campaign for less medical privacy, even as people are buried and forgotten in bureaucratic red tape.
posted by alexei at 12:22 PM on June 6 [1 favorite]
She was alone without her family in the US
While Toronto can feel pretty American to many Canadians, last time I checked it remained part of Canada...
posted by senor biggles at 12:56 PM on June 6 [4 favorites]
While Toronto can feel pretty American to many Canadians, last time I checked it remained part of Canada...
posted by senor biggles at 12:56 PM on June 6 [4 favorites]
IANYL. For Ontario residents, here are some useful resources regarding powers of attorney:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/make-power-attorney
https://www.publications.gov.on.ca/300975
https://stepstojustice.ca/guided-pathways/wills-and-powers-of-attorney-preparing-a-power-of-attorney/
If you don't make your own plan, the province's default plan steps in. How much do you trust your province when it comes to dealing with vulnerable people?
posted by LegallyBread at 2:11 PM on June 6 [3 favorites]
https://www.ontario.ca/page/make-power-attorney
https://www.publications.gov.on.ca/300975
https://stepstojustice.ca/guided-pathways/wills-and-powers-of-attorney-preparing-a-power-of-attorney/
If you don't make your own plan, the province's default plan steps in. How much do you trust your province when it comes to dealing with vulnerable people?
posted by LegallyBread at 2:11 PM on June 6 [3 favorites]
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As for the article, it seems like personal privacy laws are a very good thing right up until they're a very bad thing. The difficulty is that it's probably not possible to create a rule set that allows this type of situation to be managed compassionately but doesn't create a lot of openings for abuse unless the person themselves has put in place advanced instructions on who should care for them.
As a single person, I am inclined to not pay attention to things like wills and whatnot under the assumption that I'll be dead and I don't have a family to take care of so what do I care, but actually, this article demonstrates that I might not be dead and I might wish I had someone who could take care of me and maybe I should see what kind of steps are the right steps to take in those situations.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:55 AM on June 6 [5 favorites]