Ask Judge Mathis

Very few people outside of Alaska knew who Sarah Palin was when, in 2008, Republican Senator John McCain selected her to be his running mate for his presidential bid. Though many were left confused by the choice, they also had to admit that, on paper, the young governor Palin seemed to be a viable political threat: she worked her way through college, her husband had a blue-collar job, she was raising five children, one with special needs, and her oldest daughter, still a teenager, was pregnant. It seemed that, on many levels, Palin could readily identify with the average American because she was just like them. Slowly, the media began to chip away at Palin’s glossy exterior and most of us saw the truth: she was ill-prepared for national politics…and that worried us. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait to see if she could rise to the challenge; McCain was defeated and President Obama went on to make history.

Though she lost in 2008, Sarah Palin didn’t go away quietly. In fact, her profile – along with her income – has increased. This begs the question, “What is she gearing up for, now”?

Since hastily resigning from the Alaska governorship in 2009, Palin has been everywhere. First, she took to the internet, sharing her thoughts on various political issues. Then, she made the talk show rounds to promote her new book. She even landed a new job as a political analyst for FOX News. In recent weeks, she debuted a new show on Alaska and announced that she has another book due out. She has, for all intents and purposes, become a bona fide media personality. But, she hasn’t given up politics. During the midterm elections, Palin’s political action committee raised money for numerous Republican candidates, including many Tea Partiers. She traveled the country, campaigning on behalf of individuals whose values she shares.

Is she a Media Personality or a Politician? We’re not sure and Palin isn’t talking…yet.

The 2012 presidential elections will get underway soon and everyone – friend or foe – is waiting on Palin to make an announcement, one way or the other. She’s hinted that she might consider the job but won’t discuss it beyond that. Perhaps she’s trying to decide whether or not she wants to give up her new found fame and fortune for the stress of a political run. Maybe she’s aware that more than a few big named Republicans, Karl Rove and Barbara Bush among them, thinks she should “just say no” to presidential politics.
Whatever the reason for her reticence in making a decision, we should all be thankful. The one good thing about Palin’s increased media exposure is that more and more people, including those in her own party, are beginning to see that she is not presidential material. Here’s to hoping that Mrs. Palin continues to grow her media empire, enjoying fame and fortune beyond her wildest dreams, and stays out of national politics.

An elderly person should be able to spend time with their families and enjoy life in a way they couldn’t when they were younger and working full time. They certainly should not be worried whether or not the medical care they receive will, at best, cause an adverse reaction that was completely avoidable or, in a worst case scenario, kill them. Unfortunately, that is the reality for Medicare recipients around this country: in a recently released study, it was reported that, in just one month, a projected 15,000 hospitalized Medicare patients died because they received less than quality care.

Around 40 million Americans receive Medicare, a federally funded program that provides health insurance coverage to people aged 65 or over. The Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General’s new report has revealed that there is an alarmingly high risk for medical malpractice within the program. According to the study, 1 in 7 Medicare patients who are hospitalized are harmed by – and ultimately die because of – medical treatment they receive. Common causes of these deaths include improper use of blood thinning medications, respiratory failure from over sedation or inadequate insulin management. Another 1 in 7 patients experienced temporary harm, but the error was discovered in reversed just in time to save their lives.

There are no words to convey how frightening this news is, not just for Medicare recipients, but also for their families. When someone is hospitalized, they tend to focus on their recovery. With this news, patients and their families are left to question whether or not the treatment they receive will do more harm than good. Of course, there is also a societal cost: taxpayers spend more than $4 billion each year because additional treatments or longer hospital stays are needed to fix medical mistakes that should never have happened.

It is clear that there needs to be federally funded look into the way hospitals perceive and care for Medicare patients. Their safety measures need to be examined and, when necessary, changed immediately. If there are best practices for treatment, they should be implemented.

Unbelievably, Congress is considering cuts to the Medicare, so such an investigation is unlikely. And, with fewer dollars to provide services, more preventable deaths are to be expected.

The elderly are among the most vulnerable members of our society and, as a collective, we should work to keep them safe from harm. Call or write your elected officials and demand that they not only vote to keep Medicare funding intact, but also ask that they earmark additional funds to ensure that, when they are hospitalized, our elderly receive quality treatment at quality hospitals.