NYU Hospital Bars Satmar Bikur Cholim,

pesek zman

Fri, May 11 2018, 7:05 pm

amother wrote:

Why do people need bikur cholim to bring food? There are kosher meals available at the hospital.

No comparison between the airplane food the hospital provides and the amazing, heimish food that the Bikur cholim group provide

imeinu

Sun, May 13 2018, 12:45 am

Mevater wrote:

How about the visitors? When people are running to their relative daily, that homemade chicken soup and apple sauce is worth a million

and when we were in the NYU over pesach, Satmar Bikur cholim had the fridge stocked with kearahs in sectional platters. You dont get that from the hospital kitchen!

no, in fact the hospital kitchen sent up a box of matzah meal -- no kidding! -- for breakfast on one morning of Pesach!!
I guess they assumed that was like oat meal?

amother

Azure

Sun, May 13 2018, 1:09 am

amother wrote:

I can't either imagine that they overstep boundaries, but one issue I'm aware of is that some people prefer to keep their hospitalization a secret. When members of a community organization stop by to offer their assistance, the patient's secret is very often exposed.

food is delivered if it was ordered. if you're concerned then don't order. not that there is something to be concerned of because even if they see you they don't go talking...
just spent few days in mt. sinai & parents do get meals that hospital provides. (nothing delicious, but s/t to keep you going till you get the bikur cholim food) NYU does not give meals for parents.
Shout out & big thank you to Satmar bikur cholim, Chai lifeline, chesed 24/7 & kapayim!

ValleyMom

Sun, May 13 2018, 3:03 am

I don't live in NYC and flew in to spend time with my ailing dad. While I was visiting he was rushed to the hospital and I ended up staying with him over shabbos. If not for the kindness of Satmar Bikkur Cholim I would literally have had NOTHING to eat for several days. I'm not sure people realize what this organization does.

They have a small room set up with GLATT kosher and cholov yisroel food even piping hot cholent. I slept in a chair right next to my dad and only left his side to grab some food and return right back to my seat. Bikkur Cholim of Satmar helped me get through a very tough time by making sure I had some nutritious food while I kept watch over my dad.

He has since passed but I will never forget the kindness of the Satmar Bikkur Cholim.

amother

Lawngreen

Sun, May 13 2018, 3:09 am

I think everyone recognizes how lovely it is to have home cooked food and to feel like someone cares. That can be accomplished without having volunteers come into individual rooms. Volunteers who walk into patient rooms can pose problems of safety and confidentiality. Sometimes a hospital needs to balance different needs.

Sun, May 13 2018, 3:38 am

amother wrote:

Why do people need bikur cholim to bring food? There are kosher meals available at the hospital.

Hospitals serve commercial type of food. Bikur cholim serves like what I would cook myself from fresh fruits, vegetables and homemade challah, etc. I NEVER buy the commercially prepared food. How can you compare? Rolling Eyes

Iymnok

Sun, May 13 2018, 3:56 am

amother wrote:

It sounds like the hospital didn’t talk, rather just shut them out. There needs to be a balance and that comes from respectful communication.

amother

Lawngreen

Sun, May 13 2018, 4:03 am

Iymnok wrote:

It sounds like the hospital didn’t talk, rather just shut them out. There needs to be a balance and that comes from respectful communication.

You're right that there seems to have been a unilateral shutdown rather than a conversation. But it seems that even a conversation may end with the perfectly reasonable conclusion that having strangers walk into patient rooms will not be allowed. As far as I know (and I haven't lived in New York for many years, so I could be wrong) bikur cholim volunteers aren't subject to the same background checks as hospital volunteers. Which means that essentially they are just strangers off the street. In this day and age, allowing them unrestricted access to patients would be unsafe.

amother

Amethyst

Sun, May 13 2018, 4:24 am

By one baby after I delivered I was brought up to a room. my Dh had to leave until later the next day. I woke up and a few minutes later to a gentle knock and a friendly lady brought me some yummy smelling food. A second ago I had felt so alone. There was nothing nicer than seeing a warm caring jewish older lady enter my room instead of the nurse who comes in to bother me by waking me up to check my temperature. (She may have been a stranger but I didnt feel it)Also even though there is a biker choking room I felt to weak to check it out and it's not even on the floor with the patients.

sped

Sun, May 13 2018, 5:49 am

I have no words to thank Satmar Bikur Colim. It's not just the food, it's the face. I stayed with my fatherA"H in the hospital for a few days when he was very sick. I flew in from overseas and was really overwhelmed and alone. The ladies came in so nicely, made sure they weren't disturbing and gave me food and were a really needed human touch. They gave me enough food that I didn't need to leave my father in his condition to look for the bikur cholim room, and were such a welcome break for me in what was such a hard time. I don't generally give to tzedakas in Chu"l since I live in E"Y, but I really felt such hakaras hatov to them.

shirachadasha

Sun, May 13 2018, 7:21 am

amother wrote:

As far as I know (and I haven't lived in New York for many years, so I could be wrong) bikur cholim volunteers aren't subject to the same background checks as hospital volunteers. Which means that essentially they are just strangers off the street. In this day and age, allowing them unrestricted access to patients would be unsafe.

So an obvious solution would be to ask these righteous people to become hospital volunteers.

amother

Yellow

Sun, May 13 2018, 7:41 am

Another problem I've noticed with NYU is that they wrote on the first page of patients charts in large the words "Do not intervene". I saw it on charts of 2 of my grandparents. I discussed this in college class and found more students who saw this. Unfortunately, this is called mass murder. Would we have asked the doctor for the chart they would've taken those words out first, before giving us the chart.

amother

Ecru

Sun, May 13 2018, 7:53 am

I'm curious to know what happened that everything was fine for 60 years and all of sudden this bombshell. It's sad that things were ok for 60 years and now it's not ok. There must be something that happened that we don't know and never will. I am still going to support them cuz I think they are wonderful. I can't see bikur cholim as having to be barred from hospital when so many support it's cause. What a shame.

egam

Sun, May 13 2018, 7:58 am

Mevater wrote:

In a sudden change of policy, the NYU Hospital administration didn’t notify any volunteer organization professionals that they will not be allowed to give food to patients or advocate on behalf of any patients.

Are they not allowed to give food only to patients anymore or to everyone? If it’s only patients, I can see the hospital point and surprised that it was allowed until now. As yummy as Bikur Cholim meals are, do they adhere to a specific patient diet? Renal, diabetes, etc. Every meal that comes thru the hospital is recorded and allowed daily intake is counted. For example, renal diet is very strict on liquid intake, phosphorus and potassium. The last thing hospital needs is for a dialysis patient going into surgery and have hyperkalemia because a patient enjoyed yummy potato kugel brought by Bikur Cholim the night before.
I’m not talking about meals for visitors. Patients only.

Sun, May 13 2018, 8:12 am

egam wrote:

Yes,yes, and yes. When someone calls and asks for meals, they ask for specific diet. They have different types of meals and labels accordingly. Something happened behind the scenes that NYU doesn't talk about. This restriction along with the "do not intervene" note on patients charts paints an ugly picture on the hospital.

southernbubby

Sun, May 13 2018, 8:58 am

could it be related to confidentiality laws?

If they could deliver to those who ordered food but would have to deliver to the lobby, then it must mean that the hospital is wary of giving out names and religious affiliations of the patients.

amother

White

Sun, May 13 2018, 9:38 am

amother wrote:

Its not there unless someone with power said it should be. Most likely your grandparents themselves in a advance directive. Or your parents.

Its not mass murder. Its kindness. Its kindness to allow a person to die in his or her time. Its kindness not to prolong suffering. Its kindness not to prolong death. Which is very different from prolonging life.

We had this recently with a relative who didn’t have an advance directive, and didn’t give anyone a medical power of attorney. Hospital was forced to take ridiculous steps, like intubating a 90 year old man when there was no hope of his ever waking up or leaving the hospital.

As to changing a chart, any medical professional who does that would lose their license. The hospital would be subject to severe sanctions, or be closed down. You really think they’re going to do that? Honestly, no one cares enough about your grandparents to risk their livelihood and future.